I’ve long been fascinated by the primitive beauty, the odd graphic asymmetry of the Gee’s Bend Quilt print hanging in the home of a family member. It is one of the Paulson Bott Press fine art etching prints produced in Berkeley, CA in 1999. It is a rare and jarring vision of naïve sophistication. The Gee’s Bend Quilts are a testimony to resourcefulness born out of scarcity. The quilters turned their circumstances on its head and produced nothing short of high art.
We knew nothing of COVID-19 when I began work on “Gee’s Reimagined”, a series of original collage “quilt blocks”. I was interested in the idea of using only materials I had on hand. The foundation rule of this series was to make my own “fabric” by hand painting paper. I could only use paint and paper I already had on hand, was able to borrow or was given. I would treat myself and the project as if I were trapped… just me and my desire to create. Maybe a fellow artist would drop by for coffee and gift me a roll of newsprint or some unwanted tube of paint. I imagined the women of Gee’s Bend visiting, sharing, and singing as they worked on their quilts.
I even made a compilation of music to play as I worked. The compilation has been refined and is accessible by clicking on the Gee’s Reimagined dropdown menu.
And then… BAM! The fun fantasy became very, very REAL! Suddenly I WAS in total isolation, and a deadly virus was on the loose. It quickly became easier to imagine being isolated in Boykin, Alabama. This “uninvited visitor” came with a twist… it was dangerous to be close to other people. We were told to stay in our homes with only immediate family members, wear a mask to avoid spread of the virus and when outside our home, to keep at least six feet of distance from others. This added layer of real danger in everyone’s life is still close to impossible to manage day to day.
It became clear very quickly that no one was coming over for coffee to bring their extra butcher paper or unwanted paint. I was truly on my own. It has been slow going. Some days are more productive than others. But the ever-pressing feeling of hopelessness is always lurking around each corner in my home. There’s no one to sing with.
We knew nothing of COVID-19 when I began work on “Gee’s Reimagined”, a series of original collage “quilt blocks”. I was interested in the idea of using only materials I had on hand. The foundation rule of this series was to make my own “fabric” by hand painting paper. I could only use paint and paper I already had on hand, was able to borrow or was given. I would treat myself and the project as if I were trapped… just me and my desire to create. Maybe a fellow artist would drop by for coffee and gift me a roll of newsprint or some unwanted tube of paint. I imagined the women of Gee’s Bend visiting, sharing, and singing as they worked on their quilts.
I even made a compilation of music to play as I worked. The compilation has been refined and is accessible by clicking on the Gee’s Reimagined dropdown menu.
And then… BAM! The fun fantasy became very, very REAL! Suddenly I WAS in total isolation, and a deadly virus was on the loose. It quickly became easier to imagine being isolated in Boykin, Alabama. This “uninvited visitor” came with a twist… it was dangerous to be close to other people. We were told to stay in our homes with only immediate family members, wear a mask to avoid spread of the virus and when outside our home, to keep at least six feet of distance from others. This added layer of real danger in everyone’s life is still close to impossible to manage day to day.
It became clear very quickly that no one was coming over for coffee to bring their extra butcher paper or unwanted paint. I was truly on my own. It has been slow going. Some days are more productive than others. But the ever-pressing feeling of hopelessness is always lurking around each corner in my home. There’s no one to sing with.