Jazz Stories: Mama Can Sing, Papa Can Blow #1: Somebody Stole My Broken Heart 2004

Faith Ringgold made this quilt, "Jazz Stories: Mama Can Sing, Papa Can Blow #1: Somebody Stole My Broken Heart", and it’s all about rhythm and color. The surface is alive! It looks like Ringgold started with this fiery red background, then layered on these wild, squiggly blue lines. This combo creates an amazing sense of movement, like the whole scene is vibrating with music. Look at the singer’s yellow dress - it's not just a solid block of color. She used smaller shapes of color within the larger form, which gives it a patchwork quality, similar to the borders. It reminds me of a deconstructed version of Henri Matisse cut outs, and it really sings! The way the colors are laid down are not overly blended, but more like suggestions of tones, and that directness makes the work very striking. Ringgold's quilt is like a jam session, where different elements come together to create something new and exciting. She reminds us that art is a conversation, and each piece builds on what came before.