By PARKER AGELASTO
Staff Writer
 

The latest artist to exhibit at Bates is Michael A. Cummings, an African-American quilter. The quilts adorn the walls of the museum until March 20. He combines his imagination, his knowledge of history, color and structure in his quilts.

The fourteen quilts on display present various narrative depictions of the African-American experience. The exhibit, "Michael Cummings: Narrative Quilts" includes pieces from four different series; "African Jazz" (1990), "Haitian Boat People" (1987), "Haitian Mermaid" (1995-7), and "Take My Brother Home" (1992-3), as well as two other works.

Born in Los Angeles, Cummings grew up listening to jazz during a significant and evolutionary era of African-American music. He remembers that "Duke Ellington, jazz singers, and other big bands were heard" in his family's home on any given day. Yet as this music developed into the "cool" sounds of John Coltrane and Miles Davis so did his respect for the tradition. Cummings listens to jazz music regularly while working in his New York studio. As a result, his longest series, "African Jazz", expresses his affection for the music and recognizes African roots in the context of American history.

Five of the twelve "African Jazz" quilts are exhibited in the museum. Cummings' theme for this series "developed from a black and white poster [dated 1956] of three musicians playing jazz in a smoke filled cafe somewhere in Africa." The characters in these quilts are fashioned in a similar way to those in the poster. In the series, Cummings surrounds the three musicians with an illusion of smoke painted directly on to the fabric. Additionally, the pianist, bassist, and saxophonist have faces akin to African masks and the types of colors and patterns in their dress resemble the "tribal costumes, particularly [those of] the Egungun found in Yoruba society in western Nigeria." According to Cummings, the "African Jazz" series has combined the "mystery, elegance, and lyricism, found in both Africa and Jazz;" and his work has therefore presented "the emotional and historical landscape of the African-American life."

Three quilts from the "Haitian Boat People" series are on display, resulting from Cummings' "need to say something about the human tragedy," and "political persecution, and poverty" that occurs closely to the United States. In his reaction to the events of the Haitian refugees during their journey toward freedom, Cummings has created a symbolic narrative of their voyage. His work suggests incidents of drowned victims, and the deportation or confinement of those that arrived in the United States. He chose to represent the story of the Haitian people "because television reporters never allowed their voice [or] their story to be heard." In a long tradition of African-American art the "Haitian Boat People" series has a political content that demands acknowledgement.

Cummings combines the "historical references to African-American folk art, African art, and traditional quilt format" in his quilts. For example, the results of his applique technique resemble the collages of Romare Bearden while his narrative series of African-American history reflect the paintings of Jacob Lawrence. Another apparent influence in Cummings' work comes from the early twentieth century European style, Cubism. Several of Pablo Picasso's paintings come to mind, especially those that present the strong influence that African masks had on his abstractions. Cummings' quilts are a pleasant combination of these various styles; but more importantly, they express his personal relationship in the African-American experience.

Cummings is coming to Bates on Feb. 27 at 7:00 p.m. to lecture about the personal significance of his work. A reception for the artist will follow in the Bates College Museum of Art.