Quilt Patches c. 1937

Mary Fitzgerald created "Quilt Patches" with watercolour and graphite on paper. The composition arranges nine diamond shapes in a neat grid, each a unique study in pattern and color. These shapes present a series of visual contrasts, such as the geometric versus the organic. Fitzgerald’s choice of medium and the diamond shape draw our attention to the conceptual underpinnings of this work. The use of watercolour lends an airy quality, which contrasts with the dense, patterned designs within each diamond. Each diamond functions almost as a semiotic unit, filled with signs. The grid structure imposes a sense of order, yet the diversity of patterns resists any singular interpretation. Through this seemingly simple arrangement, Fitzgerald engages with complex issues of structure, repetition, and difference. The artwork invites us to consider how even within rigid frameworks, there’s room for individual expression and variation.