"Piano Keys"

"The needle is the woman's plow" read the description at the entrance of the exhibit African American Quilts. The collections of Sandra McPherson and Avis Collins Robinson artfully color the pale-gray walls of the Nelson Gallery, each commanding large sections from ceiling to floor like a grandiose waterfall. African American women in the 20th century used to work long hours plowing fields in an area usually dominated by men. Moreover, African American women were soon able to exhibit aesthetic expression through their beautifully sewn quilts- a craft where the "needle" became their "plow". Each quilt seemed as though to have a story to tell- the life it lived, the family it kept warm, and the places it traveled.

"Piano Keys", by Avis Collins Robinson, instantly caught my eye with its stream-like downward pattern. Piano keys, represented by elongated vertical rectangles flow down the canvas like interlocking bricks. The repetition of alternation "keys" lends to a gentle rhythm like that of a peaceful stream, despite its seemingly rigid structure of repeated rectangles. Even though there are no soft or round edges, the quilt's pattern and vibrating colors draw the eye in a rapid, yet gentle, motion from top to bottom and back up.