Quilt c. 1939

This unfinished quilt design was made by Douglas Campbell, though we don't know when. The palette is subdued, mostly blues and reds over a grid-like background. You can see the overlapping circles, and the maker has begun to fill them in with floral patterns and geometric shapes. It feels provisional, like a work in progress. I imagine Campbell working away at this, carefully choosing fabrics, cutting shapes, and arranging them, perhaps thinking about color, pattern, and the history of quilt making. I can almost feel the texture of the cotton, the gentle padding between layers. There's a conversation happening here, echoing back to traditions of American folk art and craft, connecting to artists like Faith Ringgold who use quilting techniques to tell stories and explore identity. Artists often pull ideas from everyday materials and practices. Campbell's work feels like a form of embodied expression, full of open-ended, creative possibility.