Freedom's Box

George W. Bush often spoke of Freedom and bringing democracy to other parts of the world. I think he opened a Pandora’s Box, releasing troubles into the world. But, as in the original myth, Hope remains.

Here, the statue of Freedom has descended from the top of the Capitol dome and opens the box. Hope - Obama’s word - is symbolized by the golden brown bird with the golden beak.

As with all of my political quilts, my greyhound is included in the scene. The box design and Freedom’s seated position are based on artwork on ancient Greek vessels. I added the Greek word for “Freedom” on her sword.

• 33" H x 34" W
• Cottons, black organza, inks, glitter paint
• Machine pieced, appliqued and quilted, fused

Details

This is the ninth artwork in my “Dog Envy” political series. After the 2004 presidential election, I looked at my greyhound Gold Dust, lying on the floor in the sun, and was envious of his obliviousness. That moment initiated a long series of politically-inspired quilts. Gold Dust became my ‘everyman’, the average citizen, a common patriot.

This artwork is in a private collection.