*Photo and arrangement by Prerna Dudani
Hanging strong with rips and tatters in the Nelson Gallery, Silver Medallions, a silk and cotton quilt, made during the 1880s makes a powerful statement about the time it was created in (see image above left). It accomplishes this feat by the use of pattern and rhythm. The dynamic patterns in this quilt are arranged in such a way that a fast paced rhythm is created. This is in tandem with the times of the 1880s when freed African American slaves were trying to make their mark in the predominantly white society. This quilt and many more can be found in the African American Quilts show at the Richard. L. Nelson Gallery & Fine Arts collect in the Art Department at UC Davis. This show tells the story of African American women (and men) who while working with limiting materials were able to create masterpieces that not only were functional but would later go on to be viewed for their aesthetic and informative quality.
Silver Medallions is a quilt made by Mrs. Longmire, an African American woman who was the seamstress of her town in Maryland in the 1880s. The quilt is arranged in a grid system which holds a colorful variety of patterned and solid rectangles. This variety can at first seem overwhelming, but is actually held together due to repetition of four or five solid colors: red, blue, black, tan, and white that hold the other colorful patterns in place. Actually, the re-occurrence of these dark and bright squares establishes a visual rhythm, and the irregular spacing of the different shaped patterned squares causes the pattern and rhythm of the quilt to be lively rather than monotonous. This type of abrupt change with a dynamic contrast is known as Staccato rhythm (Design Basics David L. Lauer).
This rhythm captures the dual essence of a time when newly freed slaves were still being repressed in the way of convict leasing another form of bondage, but also individuals were trying to establish themselves through their jobs and careers. There was also an emphasis on African Americans getting educated (Wikipedia). Times were changing at a fast rate and so does our eye when we look at this quilt. These ideas were further displayed by Mrs. Longmire by her pairing of a multitude of “frazzled” patterns next to the “rock steady” placement of the solid swatches of color balancing the idea of the wrongs that were occurring to African Americans (the patterns) with their zeal to succeed (solid colors). The nature of times and the essence of the African American people during the 1880s are encapsulated and documented in the rhythm and patterns of Silver Medallions.
Links:
http://nelsongallery.ucdavis.edu/
http://www.amazon.com/Design-Basics-David-Lauer/dp/0495501816
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