Pins and Needles

Artist Karen Hampton (American, born 1958)

Date2007

MediumLinen, fiber reactive dyes, pigment, cotton yarn, image transfer, and porcupine quills

DimensionsFramed: 28 1/2 x 30 1/2 in. (72.4 x 77.5 cm) Unframed: 21 x 24 in. (53.3 x 61 cm)

ClassificationsTextile

Credit LinePurchased with acquisition funds

Object number2021.7.1

Label TextKaren Hampton grew up in a middle-class neighborhood in Los Angeles during the civil rights movement and was among the first group of children in California selected for a desegregation busing program. In 1964, Hampton's parents formed a group called "Parents for Better Education," a group that partnered with Jewish groups in West Los Angeles to advocate for integration of Los Angeles schools. For 12 years, Hampton and 26 other children attended school in Bel Air, where all the students besides those who rode in on her bus were white. She recalls, "It was the most beautiful school in Los Angeles, and I was a very lucky little girl, but I learned almost nothing about my own heritage there" In this weaving, Hampton includes an image of herself at six years old.

Status

On view

Location