Crazy Quilt 1935 - 1942

This watercolour, Crazy Quilt, was painted by Edith Magnette, who lived from 1855 to 1995. Look how she approaches her mark-making, with a colour palette of earthy browns, greens, and reds, building up a composition like a painter would build up layers of paint. It's all about process, piece by piece. The material aspects of this quilt are so tactile. You can almost feel the texture of the different fabrics, the colours slightly faded and worn, like an old memory. The stitching is visible, each stitch a small act of care and attention. It reminds me of a detail in the central, green patch, where flowers bloom with a delicate, almost ethereal quality. It is as if each detail is a meditation on the beauty of the natural world. Edith Magnette's work reminds me of Rosie Lee Tompkins, another artist who transformed humble materials into works of profound beauty and emotional depth. Both demonstrate that art can be found in the everyday, in the act of making and creating with what is at hand.