"'Sampler quilts' are by nature an amalgamation of different patterned blocks, techniques, and experiments created by a quilter. While each block may seem different, they are held together by the container and boundaries of the quilt itself -- its top, back, batting, and quilt work. Bay Area Sampler Quilt is my attempt to consider how to make a film like a quilt. Using built-in camera techniques, repetitions through contact printing, dying, and other experiments employed mimic what a quilter might do in assembling their work, this film explores how each frame, like a quilt block, can express a different creative register. Lastly, the film acts as a container, holding experimental forms, memories, and documentation of social relations. In approaching Bay Area Sampler Quilt as more of a quilt and less like the multi-year researched documentary films I typically make -- my emphasis is less on the narrative arc and more on process, repetition, labor, somatic engagement with materials, and deep listening with experienced quilters in the San Francisco Bay Area." (AR)

Commissioned for Canyon Cinema's Print Generations project.