Whilst browsing at the Nelson Gallery, I quite enjoyed seeing patterns created by these African American quilters.
Beside getting into the history of African Americans and quilting, on a more FUNDAMENTAL level, I feel like there is a personal satisfaction of actually quilting something together, actually CREATING visual rhythm and patterns. The act of designing with intention: grabbing a scrap of fabric and making it work.
As a non-quilter, I feel like quilters really get that personal satisfaction with themselves.
Anyway, back to the quilts. The visual forms they create are truly hypnotic!
In, Sharecropper's Masterpiece, little scraps create big scraps which create even bigger geometric alternating blocks. The detail on this is purely incredible. And it's all handmade! Imagine the hours of work that went to even one quilt? It's no wonder that quilts have been seen in history and culture as a prized possession that stays within the family, a visual gathering and stitching together of family's history.
I realize that I keep mentioning personal satisfaction with the quilters that created these masterpieces. I can’t really say that I knew or know how people feel as they design and carry out their own process; it seems odd to think that someone wouldn’t enjoy immersing themselves in their craft. The act of quilting is an incredibly daunting task: collecting scraps, deciding which fit your pattern, stitching fabric together. There’s this tactile sensation with touching fabric that is unique from many other mediums. I’m sure, like Pollock or Hoke, that quilters get inspired from the materials (fabric in this case) they use. The options in texture, color, and pattern are varied, and quilters have the creative know how use these design principles to tell stories through their quilting styles. It’s this process which fascinates me. I would love to see a time lapse video of someone hand quilting. How very Andy Goldsworthy, textile style.
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