Sampler 1935 - 1942

Curator: Welcome. We're looking at a needlework sampler dating from 1935 to 1942. The creator, Bruce Gentry, worked in a mix of media—drawing, textile, print, with notable colored pencil accents. Editor: Well, isn't that something? It's got that cozy, grandma's attic feel. Like a hug from the past. And, my gosh, that painstakingly stitched alphabet – pure dedication. The colours, even faded as they are, still sing, don’t they? Curator: These samplers were traditionally exercises in skill and displays of virtue, often created by young women. Though its attribution to Bruce Gentry complicates our understanding. What sociopolitical narrative do you imagine he aimed to produce through it? Editor: Hmmm, skill-show, okay. But virtue, though? Look at that house nestled among the trees – I reckon it's more about yearning for a sense of belonging. About building a little domestic world with your own hands, brick by colorful brick. The text even reinforces the sentiment of domestic bliss in an ever turbulent world. Curator: You're speaking to the imagery, of course: the house, the trees. Consider that the politics of domesticity and the role of art objects in conveying social order may well have motivated Gentry to reimagine established themes through an unconventional lens. Editor: See, I find politics in the poetry, in the raw imperfection. Toiling with a needle and thread isn’t usually seen as 'male' work, then or now, perhaps even then a gentle rebellion snuck into those cross-stitched lines. Curator: Fascinating how it pulls in different directions, speaking of tradition but bending it through lived experiences, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely. Makes me want to pick up a needle, or at least, brew some tea. What about you? Curator: It pushes us to look deeper into social definitions around skill, gender, and medium. Thank you for those layered emotional connections.