The history of quilts is fascinating. It tells of enormous creative inventiveness with minimal means and of their social significance. Their manifestations are ornamental, colorful, geometric, improvised, figurative and narrative. They protect us from the cold, provide us with clothing, are playful or well thought out. Each piece bears the signature of its maker - sometimes precisely crafted, sometimes light-footedly irregular.
Fabrics can be painted or printed, embroidered or appliquéd, cut and sewn together again. This creates individual textures and surfaces.
In my hands
When I pick up fabrics, lay them on my lap and sew them together by hand, I feel connected to a world where creating things with your hands was a matter of nature. It is comforting and reassuring at the same time. The techniques are as simple as they are sophisticated.
A look back at our ancestors is necessary to understand how they dealt with textile material. Over many hands and an enormous period of time, instructions have been created that can be passed on and retold. The best way to learn them is by watching and imitating - in the way of oral tradition.
There is a particular beauty in the experience of making these instructions work for me and experiencing myself in a wider context. The craft and history of quilting tell of human conditions and reassurances.
Quilting together
We quilt together. The process is slow and more enjoyable in the company of others. We patch - for sustainability, as an act of remembrance of people and times, to welcome babies, celebrate important events or symbolically put pieces together when life falls apart into fragments.
We experience ourselves as creative beings. With Craftivism, we express ideas about our sociopolitical world. For the women of Gee's Bend, quilting was necessary for survival. They made art history - a history that, interestingly, is being rediscovered again and again.
Here's a great portrait of the women of Gee's Bend from the NYT:
I love the "Radical Quilting" of Rosie Lee Thompkins and her show at BAMPFA:
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