"Color Rhythms"
by Sonia Delaunay (b.1885) |
Quilt Notes:
FAIR PLAY was first published in the Dakota Tribune, on February 15, 1927. It was included in the 1928 Ladies Art Company catalogue, #454. The color combination for this rendering was adapted from Sonia Delaunay's COLOR RHYTHMS illustrated left, painted in the early 20th c., when Cubism and the high contrast colors of a movement called Orphism were in their prime. Impressionism, in the late 19th century (when quilt designs were first finding their way into print), were equally all a-splash with the most vibrant color combinations, especially in watercolors and pastels (see, for instance, Mary Cassatt).
Interesting that wherever Delaunay uses a grey or a dull hue, she scribbles in some sort of texture, as if to keep it equally energetic, along with the more heightened colors — a technique that might be employed in choosing fabrics for patchwork. See how that same effect enlivens the "scribbled" grey in the tiling below.
A marvelous (must see) online exhibition of Sonia Delaunay's artwork is available at Wikipaintings (many of her abstractions are reminiscent of quilt designs). For another split circle block, compare with MERRY-GO-ROUND. For more patchwork blocks at this site inspired by Delaunay's geometric designs and "Orphic" color combinations, have a look at:
JACK OF SPADES
ON THE SQUARE
STAR LANE
SUNSHINE AND STAINED GLASS
Note, the design illustration below and upper right includes a multi-color sash as a variation, inspired by the side panel in Delaunay's painting.
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FAIR PLAY
