Mary Lee Bendolph (b. 1935), "Housetop variation", 1998
Cotton corduroy, twill, assorted polyesters, 72 x 76 in.; The Phillips Collection, Museum purchase and gift of the Souls Grown Deep Foundation
In the early 1990s, a former Bend resident living in Bridgeport, Connecticut, sent some garments—double-knit leisure suits—to Gee's Bend. Mary Lee Bendolph remembers: "My sister-in-law's daughter sent those clothes down here and told me to give them away, but didn't nobody want them. That knit stuff, clothes from way back yonder, don't nobody wear no more, and the pants was all bell-bottom. We ain't that out-of-style down here. I was going to take them to the Salvation Army but didn't have to way to get there, so I just made quilts out of them.” This is one of ten Gee's Bend quilts to appear on a U.S. postage stamp in 2006.
These images show the entirety of the quilts, including their handmade edges, against a white background.
Quality
Souls Grown Deep Custom Prints offers custom reproductions of artworks by Souls Grown Deep artists. Hand-made in the USA using gallery-quality materials, we create prints as true to the original work as possible, using strict color management protocols and state-of-the-art printing technology.Selection
Many of the works offered through this store are exclusive and not available anywhere else. We are continually adding new artworks to our offering, so be sure to check back regularly as you build your own gallery.