I began this contemporapry folk art quilt with no particular idea in mind, just the concept of “personhood." Usually, I work with no plan in mind, letting the fabrics and the spirit of things guide me in the quilt’s creation. The fabrics are primarily African designs.
As the quilt developed, it began to take the form of houses on the right and companionship on the left. . But the central figure is “pinned” and cannot move. The only movement in the quilt is the bird in the lower right corner border and one bird flying away from the person. Can it be that freedom can be curtailed by the accumulation of things (houses in the blocks on the right) and the influence of community (the figures in the blocks on the left side of the quilt?)
This quilt, a one-of-a-kind work, was featured in a Scottsdale gallery competition of Emerging Artists, the only item of textile art that was chosen for this show. The inclusion of this quilt in the show was a turning point for me, as I realized that often my quilts reflected an inadvertent message and encouraged me to continue my work style of Art As Meditation.
Approx. 72" x 72"