Patchwork Quilt c. 1937

Rose Campbell-Gerke made this patchwork quilt with watercolor, graphite, and colored pencil. I am wondering if this is a painting of a quilt, not an actual quilt? Either way, it makes me think about the process and labor involved in making quilts. There’s something very painterly in the repetition of the stitches, each one a tiny, thoughtful mark. You can almost feel the artist’s hand moving across the surface, carefully piecing together these different fabrics and patterns. The colour palette is mostly blues, reds and browns, creating a sense of warmth, but also a playful geometry that brings Mondrian to mind. Quilts are such intimate objects, aren't they? Passed down through generations, they carry stories and memories and embody a really beautiful form of expression. Whether Gerke was thinking about the history of painting or not, the intimacy, labor, and care that she put into this quilt can remind us how painting is an ongoing conversation across time.