Mary Anne Jordan

Quilts and quilt patterns have been a major influence on my work over the last thirty years, but I have begun to make quilts only in the last ten years. A Visiting Faculty Fellowship at the University of Nebraska, International Quilt Study Center in 2006 allowed me to expand my knowledge of American quilt traditions and quilt-making techniques by providing access to examples of these traditions and techniques. I was especially interested in studying Amish and African-American quilts in the IQSC's collections. During my visits with the collection I was able to look closely at the materials used, construction techniques, composition, pattern, and color of over one hundred quilts. I took notes and made sketches, and when I returned home, I reviewed my notes, read what I could find, and made drawings and plans for my own work. This research continues to influence my work. The simple patterns of Amish quilts speak to many of us because they resonate as visually articulate: in a reductive but concise manner, these quilts make bold expressive statements. The improvisational impulse in some African-American quilts resonates equally: we are constantly surprised by the tension and play between the expected and the unexpected. The fabrics and quilts I produce (as well as the processes and techniques employed to create them) often allude to domesticity and domestic life. Using my eyes as the only measure, I am careful to show marks made by hand. I am not concerned with literal narratives, and therefore, many "stories" can be layered, one on top of another. Using simple shapes (i.e. circles, squares), visual references to familiar fabrics (clothing, quilts, flags, rags, etc.), and utilizing traditional methods (hand-dyeing, quilting, etc.), this layering takes place. I am interested in magnifying everyday life, using fabric, color, and pattern as a metaphor for the structure of our culture, our lives, and our bodies.