Leo Twiggs has mastered the art of batik, a wax resist dying technique, over the span of his forty year career in the arts (Laufer, 2004). Georgia II, a worn and aged confederate flag, is one example of his mastery. Twiggs has captured the power in the iconic image of the American South, its commanding presence communicated simply through the right combination of color, stars, and stripes. In Georgia II the artist alters the power and claims the confederate flag as his own. Created for the Georgia Museum of Art in Athens, Georgia, this piece represents an object which is still very present today (Manoguerra, 2011). The power Twiggs controls is key because he is an African American Southern man who grew up in the Civil Rights Era South.

My father's story

Inspired by Leo Twiggs, my father's story, and my home, Georgia, I created this quilt.

Brittany Ranew, Georgia, too, 2013

Using the batik process similar to Leo Twigg's work, I painted the desired design with bee's wax. The fabric was then stained with dye derived naturally from beets and black walnut husks. Once treated to remove the wax, the cotton was sewn by hand. One side depicts the cotton fields of South Georgia I remember exploring as a child. The other, a child's size Klan robe pattern, depicts an image provoked from my father's childhood memory. All research and material used for this art piece came directly from the history and land of the state of Georgia. The quilt was put on display in the art education gallery at the University of Georgia in December of 2013.

For more images about the art making process and for primary sources including historical Klan documents from the University of Georgia archives please visit Exploring Georgia's Difficult History: Art and Narrative.

Laufer, M. (2004). Myths and Metaphors: The Art of Leo Twiggs. October 7, 2004. Georgia

Museum of Art: Athens, Georgia.

Manoguerra, P. (2011). One hundred American paintings. Athens, Ga. : Georgia Museum of Art,

University of Georgia.