THOUGHTS ON THE ART QUILT

©Alison Schwabe

Ozquilt Network Newsletter Issue #35, March 2000

I was sufficiently dismayed and slightly irritated by the opening paragraph of Margaret Rolfe's piece The Art in Quilts (Ozquilt Network Newsletter #34 Dec.1999) to respond and take issue with her on a number of points. The very broad field of quiltmaking includes contemporary workers who make quilts tightly or loosely based on the traditional patterns and designs as we term them; and those who, in the long standing tradition of quiltmaking, are altering these designs or bypassing them totally to create their own 'original' adaptations or entirely new designs. We use some or all of the same techniques, tools and raw materials, and the same processes to produce a crafted object we recognise as a quilt. Finishing it gives each one of us a buzz of emotional satisfaction. Whether we wrap it around a new baby, put it on one of the kids' or our own beds, send it off to unknown parts with a departing friend, enter it for exhibition in some local, state or international quilt show or gallery - it doesn't matter WHY we do it any more than it matters whether it might be termed an 'art' or a 'traditional' quilt. We're all part of what must be one of the largest activity based interest groups in the world.

Over the last decade in particular, there has been a lot of hot air expelled over the term 'art quilts'. Many points of view have been expressed over this, but, really, who cares? I would like to paraphrase something Hilary Fletcher, (Director of Quilt National USA) said in introducing a Quilt National exhibition in the early 90's; "art quilts are no better than traditional quilts, they are just different". Just this week, a note from the Studio Art Quilt Associates group in USA arrived, with the following definitions listed at the bottom of the page:

"Quilt: n. a bed coverlet consisting of two pieces with padding between, the three layers joined by lines of stitching."

Pretty bare bones and although it isn't completely satisfactory to my way of thinking, it is a good point when made in comparison with the next one:

"Art Quilt: n. a contemporary art work exploring and expressing aesthetic concerns common to the whole range of visual arts, painting, printing, photography, graphic design, assemblage and sculpture, which retains, however, through material or technique, a clear relationship to the folk art quilt from which it descends".

Sure, Van Gogh and the Hampson sisters would be amazed if they could be here today to share the limelight now focused on what they produced. (See Margaret Rolfe's article in Ozquilt Network Newsletter #34). Contemporary producers of Aboriginal art I believe are, or are becoming, fully aware that what they are doing has moved a long way from some of their earliest traditions in marking and decorating various surfaces and textiles. The introduction of new materials and technology have ongoing effects on traditional methods and styles as they are absorbed into any craftsman's repertoire. Not necessarily resulting in better work - just different.

Every subscriber to this newsletter knows however, that for some producers of art quilts there are some special concerns which are outside the proper scope of the state quilt guilds or associations, and which more closely link to those of artists working in other fields across all the visual arts, writing, publishing and so on. It is these matters which Ozquilt has always sought to address, and presumes its members have some interest in them, having subscribed. I think we have all dealt in our own ways with the art vs. traditional thing, and that the pages of our newsletter should not be further clogged with a matter which is losing its heat elsewhere as quilt lovers of all persuasions become better educated in the lesser known fields of non-traditional quiltmaking.

As Margaret rightly says in her last couple of paragraphs, the boundaries can be hard to define between the various 'styles' of works now being produced. (Surely not only two?) So, for whom is this need for definition a problem? For exhibition or competition organisers this can be a headache, certainly. Likewise for entrants. Valuers of quilts these days need to be fully conversant with all aspects of work being produced in all 'styles'; for methods, techniques and 'styles' are being placed in often glorious juxtapositions not dreamed of a few years ago. Shop owners, fabric designers and manufacturers, magazine publishers and others on the commercial side of quiltmaking certainly need to understand their markets.

Often the 'art quilt' versus 'traditional quilt' discussion becomes heated when someone, generally working traditionally, is miffed at being discriminated against for remaining traditionally inclined, occasionally it's the other way. Those of us involved in organising contemporary exhibitions as part of state guilds' programs have to continually deal with comments like: "For all that money surely we could have had more than thirteen quilts on show!" Those of us who teach and speak to groups around our state or around our country can and should take the opportunity wherever appropriate to infuse an air of unity and interest in all aspects of the field of quiltmaking even though we have our own style preferences and work in different ways.

Margaret Rolfe is one of the best known quilters this country has ever produced, and her patterns, books, teaching and speaking have taken her all over the world. Years of hard work have earned her a justifiably high profile of recognition in her part of the quiltmaking field. Although most would describe her work as traditional in style, her highly original patterns have developed from her personal observations of our flora and fauna. These popular patterns have contributed much to the growth and evolution of a distinctively Australian style in contemporary quiltmaking.

When Margaret attends a guild exhibition or sits through 'show and tell' at a meeting, I wonder how carefully she is listening or watching? Whether traditional or 'art' quilts, the vast majority of pieces I've seen on show are indeed from the heart, be they raffle quilts, hospice quilts, something for the grandchild or a new piece for exhibition somewhere. Definitions are about boundaries, but non-traditional quilters are pushing past boundaries all the time, so let's not bother too much more with this rather stifling argument and just get on with what we all enjoy doing so much, creating, sharing, showing, telling, and hopefully a bit of successful marketing!

© Alison Schwabe 2000