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.

Up to 10 concrete quilts will be made in the series on commission, each one with unique dimensions and a different compositional arrangement of the ”tiles” produced from A Language for the Commons. An image of the first completed concrete quilt in the series is pictured in the April 2024 issue of Architectural Digest, in a private residence by Commune Design. The tiles for the project are produced at the fabrication studio, Concreteworks in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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