Look at the quilt's basic pattern. See the yellow triangle with smaller green triangles along its sides? I've used light, medium and dark values to imply three-dimensional space. The yellow triangle becomes a pyramid with one face illumined and the other two in shadow. The green triangles become a second pyramid behind the first. The dark purple is the background over which the two pyramids float. The flat plane of the quilt presents three layers of depth: foreground, middle ground and background. Focus on the patterns formed by the pyramids, either layer-by-layer or as one plane. Now concentrate on the shapes formed by the background. Notice that your eyes can perceive either the pyramid patterns or the background shapes but not both at once. The conscious shift from one to the other demonstrates figure/ground reversal.
I've used the Essence of Fleur-de-Lis motif in all of the quilts, yet each quilt is different. The motifs are arranged according to the four operations of symmetry: translation, rotation, reflection and glide reflection. In translation, the motif moves up, down, left or right, maintaining the same orientation. In rotation, the motif turns either 90 or 180 degrees. Reflection places an imaginary mirror next to the motif. Glide reflection combines translation and reflection by placing an imaginary mirror next to the motif and then shifts the reflection up, down, left or right. Used singly or in combination, the operations of symmetry provide a wealth of possible patterns.
I thank God for filling me with a creative spirit, I thank my father, Ray Lee Houston, and my brother, John Gerald Houston, for their help in preparing the motifs; I thank my partner, Edward Wenzl, for his "pressing duties;" I thank my family and friends for their encouragement, love and support. And I thank you.
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