Can you turn that down, please?
I was going through the pictures that I took from the African American Quilts exhibit at the Nelson Gallery and I came across one particular quilt that deserves mention. Strips of contrasting colored fabrics were juxtaposed to create a pattern that, from far away, can immediately be associated with music. The evenly spaced vertical bars are reminiscent of sound waves in a recording device while the colors elicit strong emotional responses. The quilt, by Avis Collins Robinson, is aptly called Piano Keys.
Looking at this quilt and its vibrant colors made me think of only one word: loud, which is an adjective more commonly used when describing auditory experiences. However, the quilter’s haphazard use of repetition and contrast resulted in the quilt having a strong visual rhythm. Just as loud music uplifts our body to movement, loud design can make our eyes move just as much, to the point that our eyes are dancing for us. And just as loud music can be heard from far away, this quilt, with its bright colors, can probably be seen from miles away.
It’s amazing how good design can evoke the unce-unce-unce of rhythmic beats without disrupting the silence of a gallery like the Nelson.
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