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Untitled (Housetop)
Untitled (Housetop)
© Estate of Nettie Young / Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo by Peter Paul Geoffrion.

Untitled (Housetop)

Artist (Born in Gee’s Bend, Alabama, 1916–2010)
Date1970 (finished in 2003)
MediumCorduroy and synthetic material
Dimensions86 × 72 inches (218.4 × 182.9 cm)
ClassificationsTextile
Credit LineMuseum purchase
Object number2018.4.1
Collections
  • MODERN & CONTEMPORARY
Label TextNettie Young belonged to a group of quilters from the area of Gee’s Bend, Alabama known for their richly designed, brightly colored handmade quilts. Gee’s Bend is an isolated area inhabited by descendants of slaves, where quilt-making traditions were passed down from generation to generation. The quilters’ improvisatory patterning, usually made with scraps from old clothes and other used fabrics, incorporated unique, minimalist designs. Untitled (Housetop) provides a prime example of the bold colors, geometric design, and inventiveness of Gee’s Bend quilts. The term “Housetop” refers to the quilt’s concentric squares, and is the area’s most popular quilt type. Beginning with a central anchor piece, rectangular strips are then added, forming frames that eventually work their way outward. This format has also been compared to the traditional “call and response” of African American music and worship, with its dynamic push and pull of formal elements. Made of corduroy and other repurposed fabrics, Young’s quilt offers an intricate sample of detailed Housetop handiwork, as well as of the long-standing African American traditions of Gee’s Bend.