Tanks and Puppies

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Artist: Laurel Izard

Title: Tanks and Puppies

Attribution: Tanks & Puppies, 2024, Laurel Izard

Year: 2024

Materials: Vintage baby blanket, cotton thread, and batting

Dimensions: 40" x 29"

Image Statement: American Childhood is the term I use for this series of quilts which start with Mid Century baby blankets collected on the internet. I’m looking at several things here and one is the huge contrast between the cute and sweet images we insulate infants with and the violent reality we are surrounded with as adults. Many show a cute and fuzzy world of baby animals that can insulate us from the from the harsher realities of the wild. Some tourists have learned the hard way that those are not teddy bears out there. Other baby blankets show babies and children engaged in idealized, sex role appropriate activities in an idealized picture of childhood that was completely unattainable for many.