Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Folk Tale



Intrigued as much by the how as the what,


I stopped to see the quilt exhibit at the Folk Art Museum.


I know some folks think they are kitch and corny,


 but they often contain messages once obvious and now obscured.


And I find them strong and graphic and warm and personal all at the same time.


I just don't know how you could look at one and not see the amount of work, the number of stitches, and not feel the strain in the back of your neck.
at

9 comments:

  1. Porchlight InteriorsApril 26, 2011 at 11:50 PM

    Oh the detail!

    ReplyDelete
  2. pve designApril 27, 2011 at 5:00 AM

    One of my favorite dvd's - Alabama Chanin, stitch - all about quilters connecting with cotton and stitches to provide warmth and beauty. You would love it.
    I can only imagine how each of those women looked forward to stitching with one another.
    You should start a quilting bee.
    pve

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousApril 27, 2011 at 7:37 AM

    When visiting Powell Gardens the other week, I found their Quilt Gardens to be a neat take on the traditional patterns. Already looking forward to going back and seeing the progress made: http://www.powellgardens.org/default.asp?page=HHG

    - MC

    ReplyDelete
  4. Alan KarlinApril 27, 2011 at 9:19 AM

    I am always amazed at the detail and creativity of quilts. Crazy quilts are my favorite - guess it's kind of like my family & friends.

    ReplyDelete
  5. SavannahApril 27, 2011 at 9:47 AM

    I LOVE quilts. They add instant warmth to any room - visual and tactile. Every room can use one folded at the end of a bed or couch.

    ReplyDelete
  6. bommApril 27, 2011 at 11:21 AM

    I think piecework like #2 is very inspiring: the effort to make pattern and beauty out of a certain kind of impoverishment and vulnerability. (That one looks like it's made from old clothes, not from whole cloth cut into scraps.) And I also like the patterns, especially in piecework, -- the way in which geometrical repetition slides between representation and abstraction.

    ReplyDelete
  7. kenjuApril 27, 2011 at 3:07 PM

    I love seeing quilts, particularly artsy ones. The first one is lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Luke HoyApril 28, 2011 at 10:44 AM

    I too used to think that quilts were a little hokey, but now...no way! They fit in traditional, they fit in modern, they fit anywhere. Like you said, graphic but not cold whatsoever. And yes, the work! Each and every one tells a story and is distinct. How can you not love quilts?

    ReplyDelete
  9. AlwaysMeMay 2, 2011 at 8:33 AM

    The Folk Art museum is a national treasure!
    Wonder if you also saw the Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts piece in the NYSD. Here is the link: www.newyorksocialdiary.com/node/1905768
    - it was incredible.
    You saw a lot in your short time in NY!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to leave a message. I am quite willing to publish remarks that criticize me, but will likely delete disparaging remarks targeted at someone else.