A Pattern Language is a series of concrete quilts that translate motifs from a monumental paper collage made in my studio during the pandemic. The original collage, A Language for the Commons (pictured below), is composed of 143 singular and unrepeated squares of hand-cut paper set in relief. Loosely based on the Jane Sickle Quilt completed in 1863 in Vermont during the Civil War, the collage connects that historical era with our own, incorporating quilt patterns have been shared across communities in the United States for centuries with the addition of symbols I’ve included that represent equality, democracy, inclusion, queer culture, plant forms and cosmic images of the universe.

In total, no more than 10 concrete quilts will be made in the series on commission, each with unique dimensions and a different compositional arrangement of ”tiles” from A Language for the Commons.

For information about the project, please contact Sarah Shepard Gallery, or Haines Gallery.