EARLY WORK

PREPUBESCENT POOL PARTY
110” X 88”
1990

I spent a month living in a young girl’s bedroom while serving as an artist-in-residence in a high school in Western Kentucky. The photograph on which this quilt is based was hanging on her bulletin board. I became intrigued during that long month by the photograph and what you could tell about each girl by the way she stood or posed for the picture.
I also liked the idea of portraying these girls at the time in their lives when they were just starting to bud into womanhood. This quilt gave me the opportunity to continue to develop my use of appliqué to depict the human face and figure. The imagery in this quilt freezes the moment of “budding” for all time and reminds us once and again how beautiful we are and how time changes us.

LONE STAR COWGIRLS
102” X 102”
1993

The image of the cowgirl is for me a wonderful symbol for women. She represents the spirit of joy, freedom and equality with a real flair for dressing flamboyantly thrown in. The traditional quilt pattern of the “Lone Star”, associated with the movement West of our culture and pioneering spirit, forms the body of this quilt. Small portraits of cowgirls at work in the barnyard, rodeo and Wild West shows are appliquéd to the background. 
A rope encircles the “Lone Star” and the portraits, separating from them the 4 larger cowgirls, one in each corner of the quilt, with only their skirts and boots visible. Their skirts are appliquéd to represent themes commonplace in depicting the West. They are in the formation of the square formed
by many traditional dances.

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THE CHOIR
68” X 98”
1994

This quilt was created because I love the human face and enjoy exploring its many variations in my work. It seems to me that of all the ways human beings get together to form groups, that of singing is the most joyous and of all the types of singing groups, the black gospel choir conveys the utmost joy. I tried to convey that sense of joy in this piece from the serene look on the leader’s face to the eyes closed in ecstasy of the singers to the clapping hands at the top of the quilt. The colored strips of fabric represent the stained glass windows of the church in which I might actually find this group or one like them. The pose of the central figure resembles that of Christ on the cross, a subject that I am sure this choir would sing about often, or the layout architecturally of the great cathedrals which also corresponds to the stained glass window effect in the body of the quilt. This piece is all about joy and was also inspired by the music and imagery of Lyle Lovett, one of my favorite musicians.

SELF PORTRAIT WITH NELLIES
21” X 25”
1995

It seemed time for me to create a self portrait after putting so many other faces in my quilt art for so many years. I spent a month in Northern Ireland teaching quilt making in 1995.
While there, I became intrigued by their embroidery traditions and decided to ply my own needle upon my return home. The portraits in my hands, the hands that are of great importance to me as a quilt artist, are of my grandmother, Nellie and my daughter, Nellie. I see myself as a link in the chain that connects us. My grandmother was a quilt maker who inspired me to make quilts and my daughter is an artist, carrying on that part
of my passion. I am surrounded by folk art inspired motifs because I feel that my approach to the art of quilt making grows out of a folk art tradition passed down to me by my grandmother.

BEAUTY BOMB
53” X 68”
1996

Inspired by a line from a song by Lyle Lovett, this quilt describes the lengths women go to in the name of beauty. The line that it is based on goes, “She’s got ruby lips, emerald eyes and diamonds on her mind”. The title of the song is “ M-O-N-E-Y”. The patchwork in the background represents the jewels mentioned in the song line as do the beads sewn throughout the border. The money appliquéd in the border represents the cost of maintaining this ideal of beauty. The nudes in the corners are meant to signify the real beauty that is naturally given to all women, that is, without all the trimmings that we
have been conditioned to think are necessary
for beauty to be achieved.

LYDIA REFLECTING
37” X 52”
2003

Created in response to an exhibit at the Kentucky Museum of Art and Design entitled “The Body Adorned”, Lydia the Tattooed Lady is giving us an excellent view of her tattoos from the back. I embroidered all of the tattoos and included one which says MOM because a friend told me she gave her son permission to get as many tattoos as he wanted as long as they all said MOM.
The Lydia figure is meant to evoke the Vargas girls who appeared in many men’s magazines of the 40’s through the 70’s. They were idealized feminine images but so well drawn and colored that I couldn’t help but enjoy them
whenever I came across them.

CONTACT REBEKKA BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HER WORK AND AVAILABILITY