2020, what a year! After lockdown I was fortunate enough to get down to Margate to the Turner Gallery to see ‘We Will Walk- Art and Resistance in the American South’, an exhibition showcasing black art and activism. One area of the exhibition was dedicated to the quilts of the women of Gee’s Bend, Alabama, a collective of African American woman who’s quilts are at the forefront of modern, abstract Art Quilting. They were first recognised by the art world as Art in the 60s and 70s and although they were originally made out of necessity, often using whatever fabrics were available, it was clear that they represented so much more.
The exhibition also added another room after lockdown in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent protests that took place, the placards that were made for the Margate to Minneapolis protest were displayed in this room and were a stark reminder of how far we haven’t come.
