The Baptism of Ethelred T. Brantley
Artist
Stephen Towns
(American, born 1980)
Date2018
MediumNatural and synthetic fabric, nylon tulle, polyester and cotton thread, metallic thread, crystal glass beads, acrylic paint, acrylic fiber medium, and resin buttons
DimensionsOverall: 29 3/8 × 39 3/4 inches (74.61 × 100.97 cm)
Credit LinePurchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust through the George H. and Elizabeth O. Davis Fund
Object number2019.10
SignedSigned Stephen Towns
On View
Not on viewCollections
DescriptionQuilted scene of an African American man, Nat Turner, baptising a white man, Ethelred T. Brantley. The quilt is a combination of hand and machine sewn. Many types of fabrics collected from family members and thrift stores were used in the construction. Tulle is layered over top certain areas, including the clouds and water. Plastic beads for the fish eyes and stars in the sky are sewn onto the fabric.Exhibition History"Stephen Towns: Rumination and a Reckoning," The Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD, March 7, 2018-September 2, 2018, Art + Practice, Los Angeles, CA, October 12, 2019-January 25, 2020, no cat.
Stephen Towns (b. 1980), Baltimore, MD, 2018-2019;
Purchased from Stephen Towns by the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 2019.
Purchased from Stephen Towns by the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 2019.
Copyright© Stephen Towns
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