"The Gospel According to the Choir": Quilt Art by Rebekka Seigel

This quilt was created because I love the human face and enjoy exploring its many variations in my work. It seems to me that of all the ways human beings get together to form groups, that of singing is the most joyous, and of all the types of singing groups the black gospel choir conveys the utmost joy. I tried to convey that sense of joy in this piece from the serene look on the leader’s face to the eyes closed in ecstasy of the singers to the clapping hands at the top of the quilt. The colored strips of fabric represent the stained glass windows of the church in which I might actually find this group or one like them. The pose of the central figure resembles that of Christ on the cross, a subject that I am sure this choir would sing about often, or the layout architecturally of the great cathedrals which also corresponds to the stained glass window effect in the body of the quilt. This piece is all about joy and was also inspired by the music and imagery of Lyle Lovett, one of my favorite musicians.