Quilt 1935 - 1942

Editor: This caught my eye. It's a quilt design from between 1935 and 1942, created by an anonymous artist, combining drawing, mixed media and textile elements. The geometric patterns give it such a structured feel. What strikes you most about this work? Curator: I'm immediately drawn to the materiality of this "Quilt". The intersection of textile and drawing pushes against the traditional hierarchies that separate craft from high art. What we're looking at isn't just an image of a quilt, it’s a proposed object, a design waiting to be realized through labor. Editor: That's fascinating, I hadn't considered it as a set of instructions almost. The design uses very specific geometric shapes repeated across the quilt. Curator: Exactly. The use of geometric patterns relates to mass production but we must remember the human labor required for creation of each triangle, each individual piece. There’s tension there, between industrial aesthetics and the hand-made. Consider how the social context of its creation would influence our understanding of how utilitarian or decorative these are. Editor: Do you think it matters that the artist is anonymous? Does it make you view this in a different way? Curator: Absolutely. Anonymity underscores the communal aspect of quilting traditions, and shifts the focus to the means of production and shared cultural practices rather than individual genius. This textile carries history stitched into its seams. Editor: This makes me think differently about folk art. It's really amazing to look at how those ideas of mass production versus the handmade are being discussed within a single object. Curator: Indeed, viewing it through a materialist lens reveals these important questions about labor, material culture, and artistic value. I hope you find yourself coming back to it with each question.