Georgiana, Shirley, and Sharon 2011

Editor: We're looking at Nancy Shaver's "Georgiana, Shirley, and Sharon" from 2011, a mixed-media collage piece. I’m struck by how domestic it feels, almost like a sampler or a quilt. All the soft colours and textures make me wonder about childhood memories and handicraft. What kind of narratives do you see in it? Curator: I see a deep dive into the language of objects. Each block, whether fabric, paint, or pattern, functions as a symbol, a fragment of cultural memory. Note how Shaver uses pre-existing textiles—floral prints, striped fabrics—and juxtaposes them with solid blocks of colour. What feelings or concepts are conjured up in you through this particular juxtaposition? Editor: I'm picking up on the way she has mixed materials –the manufactured versus hand-crafted. And even though abstract, some of these materials carry everyday connotations. The striped one looks like it was from a child’s sock or something! Is she challenging traditional ideas of fine art versus domestic craft? Curator: Precisely. Shaver is investigating the psychology of "feminine" crafts and disrupting the traditional hierarchy that places them below "high art." Consider the title: "Georgiana, Shirley, and Sharon." These names feel familiar, perhaps like relatives, conjuring images of generations past, carrying traditions, inheriting skills. The names add human narratives to these material explorations. How do the individual squares, acting as building blocks, communicate collectively as a unified artwork? Editor: It feels like each square contains a memory. Placed together, the memories mingle and blur in abstract fashion. What strikes me now is the imperfection; each block is different, hand-cut, hand-painted. This enhances the humanity I spoke about before. Curator: Absolutely, there’s intentionality there, moving beyond sheer decorative appreciation. Shaver’s use of imperfection invites contemplation on beauty in the everyday, in the imperfect, questioning what’s handed down versus what we create ourselves, with or without meaning. Editor: That tension makes it more engaging than I initially realized. It's not just a pretty pattern. There's meaning imbued within each patchwork block! Curator: Yes. A powerful combination of visual and cultural storytelling!