Circles and sewing

What things are considered to be a design and what not? EVERYTHING and does not have to be create by a person with a paper saying they are Designers, why? Because design is an action and a procedure where a final product can be successfully achieved by almost everyone. The procedure is called design thinking, where the designer will notice that there is a problem (field research), then it will analyze it (understand the problem), will start to think solutions to the problem (ideas), will create a 3-D version of the solution (prototype) and will test the product. Thus, that is what the African Americans with these quilts.

It also creates a unity object by using repetition colors and patterns. Each little circle has its own form and the pattern is repeated throughout the quilt. Then, the colors also follow a pattern, where every two purple circles a series of 4 different colors of circles will follow and so on. The rhythm on this quilt is a legato rhythm because it does not cut our visual experience, our experience flows along the quilt.They identified the problem, which was that their families were suffering from cold. They thought of different ideas and create quilts from reusable materials. This is another quilt exhibited in the Richard L. Nelson Gallery & Fine Art Collection at University of California, Davis, and is called Slave’s Popcorn Quilt by the great-grandmother of

Avis Collins. You can appreciate this quilt differently from the mentioned before, in this case each unique circle was hand made, piece by piece was sewn and then put together. In this case the design offers to perceptions to the viewer: haptic and optic. It is a haptic design because, we can feel different textures, so we can apply the use of tactical sensory that helps us to get involved with the design. Also, is an optic design because we can appreciate the beauty of the design by observing the detail sewing of the material.

Therefore, is that considered to be a design? You bet! It is unique. And each person might be creating something new out of necessity, like these women, and are not even thinking of it as a piece of art. But it is, so don’t unappreciated every new thing your hands, mind, and soul create. You do not need to have a degree, or a paper, stating that the person is a Design major; every person in the society can be creative enough with restrictive materials and build designs.

References:

Richard L. Nelson Gallery & Fine Art Collection

Photos taken by Weijing