More African-American artists

The wonderful Bisa Butler started our foray back into the work of scintillating African-American artists with The Safety Patrol from 2018. I am sharing this quote from The Art Institute of Chicago which is far better written that anything I could craft: "She strategically uses textiles—a traditionally marginalized medium—to interrogate the historical marginalization of her subjects while using scale and subtle detail to convey her subjects’ complex individuality. Together, Butler’s quilts present an expansive view of history through their engagement with themes such as family, community, migration, the promise of youth, and artistic and intellectual legacies." They pay a lot of money for descriptions that good! Bisa's colorful children with their powerful stance made us melt. She is a national treasure. 

Vera featured the work of Harriet Powers a couple of days ago, and we just had to see her Pictorial Quilt from 1895 as part of our discovery together. Barry found descriptions of it showcasing the panels of this historical prize & was able to share explanations that must have come from the Maestra herself; the language was so specific & expressive.  

Harriet was born into slavery in 1837 and is considered one of the finest artists in 19th century quilting. She used appliqué techniques to record local legends, Bible stories, and astronomical milestones on the panels of her quilts. Her brilliance in capturing renowned events was staggering. We looked at her Bible Quilt from 1886 for a short minute but will come back to it in the future. 

Diana mentioned the Freedom Quilting Bee earlier this week so we gladly savored the work of Lucy Mingo today. She's an American quilt-maker & a member of The Gee's Bend Collective from Gee's Bend, Alabama, 1979. She was one of the founding members of the Freedom Quilting Bee which has, over its many years, helped elevate the economic status of African-American women & families in Alabama. She was a school cafeteria worker & a Home-Ec teacher for many years and quilted in her spare time. Her virtuosity is so appreciated, she went on to win the National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment of the Arts, the highest honor in the folk & traditional arts.  

Next is a photo of Jennie Pettway & young girl with quilter Jerena Pettway from 1937 taken by photographer Aurthur Rothstein in Gee's Bend. It shows the long tradition of quilting. We didn't spend a lot of time on it because there was so much discussion of the previous entries, but may revisit it in the future. Ruth pointed out that covering the walls with pages from periodicals & newspapers not only provided insulation but it was also a poor-person's wall paper & provided a beauty to the room which set off the family tchotkes.  

Katherine, who like many of us has had 103 lives! One curated the work of Joseph Holston at a museum. She got to meet the artist & later she found his Letter from Birmingham Jail which he painted in 2011 in honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial which opened to the public on August 22nd of that year. Joseph is a printmaker & painter who works with paint, etching, silk screen & collage. He was a commercial artist for many years, and his richly stimulating color palette and abstract imagery explores African-American identity, life and historical icons like Dr. King. 

In this painting, Dr. King is penning his famous letter, its oft-quoted breath-taking prose including, "m. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial 'outside agitator' idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider."

Looking forward to our adventure together tomorrow! 

• Bisa Butler, The Safety Patrol, 2018  -- link --
• Harriet Powers, Pictorial Quilt, 1895 -- link --
• Harriet Powers, Bible Quilt, 1886 -- link --
• Lucy Mingo of Gee's Bend, Alabama, 1979 -- link --
• Jennie Pettway & young girl with quilter Jorena Pettway, Gee's Bend 1937 -- link --
• Joseph Holston, Letter from Birmingham Jail, 2011 -- link --

Quilts Full of Culture From the Women of Gee’s Bend  -- link --

Here is a copy of The Safety Patrol that you can really zoom in on -- link --