<I>The Blue Print</I>
date: label: Date
content: 2009
name: label: Created by
content: Gary Tyler, American, born 1958
label: Created by
content: Lawrence Jenkins, American
label: Created by
content: Allen Nguyen, American
label: Created by
content: Harun Sharif-El, American
label: Subject of
content: Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, American, founded 1835
notes: label: Caption
content: Artists' statement:
label: Caption
content: The Blue Print features the key factors to unravel the mysteries of life. It is a culmination of divinely inspired ideas mixed with experience and understanding to show all the viewers a depiction of things that made you say… hmmm. With this perspective, you can see the journey of a hospice volunteer.
label: Caption
content: In the top left corner, we have people from many different nations, customs and cultures. They’re all going through the same cycle of life while sharing different perspectives. The lower left corner represents the turbulence. Whenever there is a difference in perceptions, there’s bound to be conflict. Conflict managed properly, however, allows us to appreciate the compassionate and humble spirit that lives in us all. The lower right corner displays the hands washing the feet. Peace that dwells from within and illuminates for all to feel. Life is a balance, so without the clowns, you couldn’t find or enjoy the gratification of peace.
label: Caption
content: The center of this universe – oops! - I meant YOU-IN-A-VERSE, is stretching out and learning from each phrase. What good is it to learn and not share? Therefore, the history of hospice is recorded and sent to the four corners of the world. – Harun Sharif-El
label: Description
content: A quilt (a) with bag (b) titled “The Blue Print” created by Lawrence Jenkins, Allen Nguyen, Harun Sharif-El, and Gary Tyler, prisoner-volunteers of the hospice center within Louisiana State Penitentiary, commonly called “Angola." The quilt is done mostly in shades of blue, with multicolored suns in each corner. A different design appears in each quadrant, separated by undulating borders of black with purple triangles that merge in the center to form a colorful spiral design.
label: Description
content: The design in the top left features a rainbow band of figures in a figure-eight design in the center. The surrounding area has the same design of rows of figures standing arm-to-arm, but in neutral shades of black, grey, and taupe.
label: Description
content: The design in the top right quadrant has a background of blue and white triangles in a pinwheel design, and is divided into two sections via a thin, solid white line. In the top section is a small, rectangular stars and stripes design against a black background. Four blue and red stars appear in the upper left corner of the black rectangle, with five black and white “stripes” or “bars” appearing across the rest of the rectangle. Faces from a clown printed fabric peek from between the bars/stripes. The lower section has a rectangular inset design featuring a bright yellow dove appearing over a black and white city skyline, both surrounded by irregular-shaped pieces of fabric in multiple shades of blue, for a mosaic effect. Fabric letters spell out “Peace to All.”
label: Description
content: Arranged vertically in the lower right section is an abstract gold and black design against a field of dark blue fabric. The blue fabric is interspersed with rectangular bars of a neutral taupe and grey plaid and dark blue floral squares. The quilt stitching in this quadrant is done in concentric circles. Most of the circles are smaller and have only two rings, though one large circle has a concentric spiral design, and one has a sun design.
label: Description
content: The bottom left quadrant is quilted in diagonal rows of blocks with a four-pointed star design. The design utilizes four fabrics: navy, with multi-colored polka dots; an indigo blue with a speckled dot design, a mottled blue-grey, and an abstract, watercolor-like design in pastel shades of blue, red, yellow, green and orange. Each row of blocks uses two of the four fabrics in a different configuration. It is quilted using the same design of concentric circles as the bottom right quadrant.
label: Description
content: The back of the quilt is blue. The thread used is yellow. The quilt is in a handsewn fabric bag (b). The bag is tan and has two brown straps. It has two black buttons.
place: label: Place made
content: Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Art
label: Topic
content: Craftsmanship
label: Topic
content: Design
label: Topic
content: Funeral customs and rites
label: Topic
content: Health
label: Topic
content: Prisons
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Textiles and Quilts
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Lori Waselchuk
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2018.54.1ab
objectType: label: Type
content: quilts
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Unknown - Restrictions Possible
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: cotton and linen with batting and thread
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (2018.54.1a): 58 × 69 × 1/4 in. (147.3 × 175.3 × 0.6 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (2018.54.1b): 25 9/16 × 26 in. (65 × 66 cm)