Sharon Kerry Harlan
This contemporary art quilt employs a mixed-media approach to fabric manipulation and design. The artist begins by dyeing and discharging fabric, using a process that removes or alters color to create texture and depth. The fabric is then intentionally distressed—ripped, torn, and fragmented—before being reassembled to form a cohesive composition. The seams are stitched together using a variety of techniques, blending traditional quilting with a modern, deconstructed aesthetic. In addition to the textile work, the quilt incorporates unconventional materials such as safety pins, metal brads, and beads, adding tactile and visual interest while enhancing the quilt’s layered complexity. This process results in a dynamic interplay between fragility and strength, structure and disruption, inviting the viewer to explore the contrasts of texture, form, and material.