Centennial Quilt 1935 - 1942

This "Centennial Quilt" was made by an anonymous artist, and well, it's a quilt! Look at how each stitch is a kind of mark, building up this whole surface, this crazy little world. It's like process painting, but with fabric. What I love about quilts is how they embrace the imperfections. It's not about hiding the process, it's about celebrating it. The material has such a tactile quality, you can almost feel the softness of the fabric, the little imperfections in each flower and star, the way it’s all held together with tiny stitches. In the center, there's this wreath of roses and eagles, framing a constellation of stars. I love how the individual elements come together to make a whole. The eagles look as if they are singing out from within the roses. It reminds me of the work of Rosie Lee Tompkins, another quilter, who turned everyday materials into something extraordinary. Quilts can really show us how something deeply personal can also be something universal.