Faith Ringgold’s Bitter Net: African-American Quilting

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Recommended: Harlem Renaissance the rebirth of African American culture

Quilt making in the African American community has a long history dating back to the 18th century and has been important for ways of communicating social and political conditions. During the time when African Americans were enslaved, quilting became a popular way of communicating safety to African Americans escaping their way to freedom, up north. The tradition of Quilting was past down form generation to generation, by mother’s to daughter’s as a way of teaching the daughter about the past and giving them a valuable skill that could add to their lives. In the series Bitter Nest by Faith Ringgold, Ringgold’s communicates her life experiences with her daughters though using the art of story telling, traditional African materials, the art of quilting, and elements of art to make a unique story-quilt that appeals to African Americans of all ages.

The book by Faith Ringgold entitled Faith Ringgold, explains the story of a mother and daughter during the Harlem Renaissance era in New York. According to the book, the series deals with many generational issues of a middle class black family and focuses on the drama, and tension between a mother and daughter who are profoundly different. The series represents a relationship much like the relationship between Faith Ringgold and her two daughters. The story follows a daughter named, Celia Cleopatra Price, a graduate of Howard University, who graduated first in her class. She is unable to identify with her mother, CeeCee. CeeCee had only finished the 8th grade and dropped out due to her pregnancy with Celia. CeeCee is a very creative individual and makes bags; she is married to”the dentist”, who a young CeeCee meets in the first quilt Love in the School Yard. CeeCee thinks Celia has develope...

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...bric. The National Museum of American Art, Washington, D.C. 24 Feb 2011.

Ringgold, Faith. “Bitter Nest #1: Love in the School Yard”. 1987: acrylic with printed, dyed, and pieced fabric. Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, Arizona. 24 Feb 2011.

Ringgold, Faith. “Bitter Nest #5: The Homecoming”. 1988: acrylic with printed, dyed, and pieced fabric. ACA Galleries, New York. 24 Feb 2011.

Ringgold, Faith. Faith Ringgold. Web. 18 Feb 2011.

“America's Quilting History: African American Quilting: A Long Rich Heritage”. Womenfolk. Web. 7 March 2011.

“The Harlem Renaissance”. Biography. Web. 9 April 2011.

Honour, Hugh and Fleming, John. World History of Art, 2009. 2 March 2011. Print.

Ringgold, Faith and Lisa Farrington. Faith Ringgold, 2004. 2 March 2011. Print.

“The African American quilt making tradition”. YouTube, 15 Dec 2009. 14 Feb 2011. Print.

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