Batik Quilt

Katherine Westphal’s prolific output of art works records her fascination with sights, events, social happenings and imaginative inventions relating to her life and immediate environment. Anything can—and has—become subject matter for her drawings, paintings and textile designs throughout her entire life which is now in its ninth decade.

As she fluidly moves among art media to express her ideas, her output is consistently unexpected, unpredictable and utterly delightful. Paintings and textiles have recorded her travels, including batik drawings using wax resist to capture fiery Venetian sunsets reflected in the watery patterns of the canals; textile drawings interpreting the pyramids and iconography of Egypt; the 1960s Hippies in “People’s Park” Berkeley, California; and her own beloved pet dogs at home. Everything that captures her imagination is potential subject matter.

One of the first artists to create large quilted wall-hangings from hand-painted and printed textiles, her identity is clearly stamped on her work. This piece captures her interpretation of the Renaissance imagery of the 15th century Unicorn Tapestries displayed at the Cloisters in New York City. The quilt blocks with figures wearing period dress are surrounded by repeated images of fountains with swooping birds and rabbits hopping amidst flowers. Bands of abstract, geometric patterning surrounding these figurative scenes create a traditional quilting structure that unites her very personal, lighthearted adaptation of these historic woven textiles.

Techniques: Hand stitching and applique, machine pieced
Size (h w d): 86 x 64 in
Credit Line: Gift of the Artist