My Mama Is Dead

"My Mama is Dead," 2007 by Avis Collins Robinson hangs in the Nelson Art Gallery, Art Bldg. UC Davis.

"This quilt was created after the death of Annie Ruth Collins who was a cancer researcher who worked alongside Nobel Prize nominee at the National Institute of Health."

A quilt by nature bears resemblance to a basic principle of design, the grid. Naturally the rectangle frame of the quilt is representative of the basic black and white checkerboard image, it is intriguing how the color composition of this quilt is also associated with the colors black and white. The splash of red fabric creates a focal point, a center of focus that the viewer is drawn to. The color red is associated with pain, death, and suffering. All aspects are highly appropriate due to this piece being a memoir for Annie Collins.

In the quilt we may notice some consistency and repetition in shape, and continuation in lined up edges. Due to the irregularity of the pattern, and positioning of the shapes the design is anything but boring. Change in variation of design creates visual interest. This concept is known as unity with variety. The shapes in the above quilt may repeat in various locations within the design, yet there is variety in size and position.

Rhythm within the quilt is achieved through the contrast of light and dark shapes that make up the figure and ground. The ground is white, while the dark and harsh colors (black and red) of the figure create conflict with the simplicity of the background. Many of the triangular shapes and slanted lines of the design are strikingly primitive and archaic in form.

photo by Annie Boylan