Why bowls and art quilts?
The offering bowls and ceramic wall quilts are my favorite go to forms as they reference objects many individuals hold dear for generations. The Family Album is a strong example of this. The design is similar in pattern to the antebellum layout commonly called the album quilt. I comprised the ceramic version from recalled memories of childhood toys (Raggedy Ann doll, Cub Scout derby racer, animals, etcetera).
Similar in concept, yet vastly different in design, are the offering bowls. Bowl forms are often a unifying family object because of their given use (for mixing, holding fruit, sorting trinkets or coins, and the like). The bowls are metaphors for communal activities and the thickened open bowl format is a reference to stability and timelessness.
The art quilts are set in their arrangements whereas the offering bowls elicit viewer interaction. Whether quilt or offering bowl, both bring forth memories within viewers—which is admittedly, the overall intent of the collections.
