Mary Lee Bendolph (b. 1935), Work-clothes quilt (detail), 2002
Denim and cotton, 97 x 88 in.; New Orleans Museum of Art, Museum purchase and gift of the Souls Grown Deep Foundation
Throughout the lexicon of African American culture, castaway objects are often used to reaffirm life, as the reinvestment of creative energy in old and outworn things suggests the possibility of turning adversity into spiritual triumph. The tradition of the work-clothes quilt is part of that practice; for Bendolph, the transformation of old fabrics into beautiful, comforting quilts became a metaphor for surviving hard times. In her own words, “They remind you of where you have been and where the Lord have brought you from.” In this quilt from 2002, Bendolph created a brooding patchwork composed almost entirely of worn blue jean scraps. But here and there within the dark, heavy field are passages of brilliant red. Even more paradoxical is the appearance of a few other squares of cloth printed with a delicate pink flower pattern—a symbol of regeneration.
