Four Patch with Damage, Mary Anne Jordan

Four Patch with Damage includes several themes that can often be found in Jordan’s work, such as references to traditional quilt patterns, connections to other design mediums, and the presence of the hand. Here, Jordan uses dripping color to suggest the process of making and the idea of possible mistakes.

The four-patch block represents one of the earliest forms of patchwork. In this pattern, four pieced squares form a larger square. In Jordan’s quilt and an earlier example of a four-patch block by Carrie Hall, the nearly infinite design potential for squares made of squares becomes apparent.