In this quilt called “Strips” Ella Bendolph creates a pattern out of working clothes. The piece was created in 1955 and resides in the New Orleans Museum of Art. It is owned by the Souls Grown Deep Foundation (Ella Bendolph, Quilt, 1955). Photo by Stephen Pitkin/Pitkin Studio.
From the Souls Grown Deep website, the quilt “Strips” grabs my attention. The quilt was created by artist Ella Bendolph in1955 using strips of old work clothes. In the Gee’s Bend community, practical items such as clothing are upcycled into quilts. This tradition has been passed down to artists like Ella Bendolph after financial hardship hit the community in Gee’s Bend.
I would describe the pattern in this quilt as having one element (clothing material) and many patterns (the stripes). The pattern is a repeating pattern with changing color and scale, but the orientation remaining consistent throughout the piece. It is very regular, but the stretchiness of the cloth makes each column a little different. Some of the piece of clothing that make up the pattern have dots or stripes.
It looks the way that it does do to the material that the pattern is made out of. The piece has a worn look, and a few stains, representing it’s previous existence as clothing. There is a large amount of stretch to each piece, and the stitching is uneven, giving it a disheveled chaotic look.
I believe the inspiration for this piece was the hard work of the workers wearing the cloth that this quilt was made out of. The artist likely made this quilt considering the tradition of her community. These quilts are a way not only to memorialize those who used to wear the clothing but to create something new and useful with sentimental value. The quilt is not only art, but a blanket to keep loved ones warm.
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