Urban Expressions

"Urban Expressions" was the name of the Empire Quilters' show last March, It was photographed by Hamlin-Rose, the husband and wife team who are responsible for our wonderful website, empireqilter.net, and a CD was produced shortly afterwards. Seeing the quilts in all their lovely color and complexity on the computer screen is very nice. But now they've produced a beautiful large format paper back book and it is a treasure. They can be reached at Hamilinrose.com.

I've complained widely that I am not a screen oriented person. I have difficulty reading anything longer than a not too long blog posting or email on screen. People sometimes send me essays and I find I really don't process the words on the screen like I do if they are in hard copy. The same is true of pictures of quilts. Yes, I look at the wonderful slide shows on the home page of the SAQA.com website, and love looking at them, but even when I used the pause feature I get a very different feeling then looking at photographs of quilts. It's a learned thing, of course. But I must say that holding a large book with over 200 pictures of quite wonderful quilts in my hands and looking at the enormous variety and creativity, being able to flip through pages, being able to pause and really look, is a wonderful experience The more so because most of these people are not professional quilters. But the range and the quality is very sophisticated compared to quilt shows I have seen in other parts of the country. Yes, I'm a bit of a chauvinist. I think New Yorkers are a really amazing lot. I'm very pleased and proud to have shown a couple of quilts and have them in this book. And as soon as Blogger will let me load a picture of a butterfly from my quilt, it will be at the top of this post, which apparently will not be this evening, maybe tomorrow.

Looking at and seeing quilts

A couple of days ago I received in the mail the
CD of the Empire Quilters Guild show and I could hardly wait to pop it into the comptuer. All the quilts are there and there are other features, index. etc that I haven't explored yet because right now I'm busy with a dozen details to take care of before the end of the weekend. But I have spent a fair amount of time thinking about the different experiences of looking at pictures of quilts and looking at the quilts themselves. It's the difference of a photograph of a lilac or hyacinth and standing in a garden beside a lilac tree or a bed of hyacinths ... the beautiful aroma cannot be photographed, obviously. And the tactility of a quilt cannot be photographed.

These photos, unfortunately were not well enough lighted. I saw them being photographed before they were hung. There simply wasn't strong enough light. What happens is that backgrounds are darkened and the patterns/design of the quilts are emphasized. This is fascinating, if a bit frustrating. Of course all the texture of the quilting is lost -- they become abstract paintings in a way ... and seeing them one by one, each on it's own design merits adds to the painterly feeling. I discovered this perceptual surprise back in 1973 or '4 when I saw the Holstein show that had started at the Whitney and that made quilt history. To see quilts hanging on museums walls for the first time was a staggering surprise. In fact ever since then I have preferred to see quilts hanging or at least being held up for display. I like seeing them in books and catalogs -- yet on the several occasions, gallery shows, Quilt Nationals when I have seen the actual quilts some have been far more interesting and amazing "in fabric/flesh" as it were ... while others are more interesting photographed.

I've been trying to think about fine art shows I've seen and later looked at the catalog ... I think in almost all case the real object has been more interesting, except for paintings like those of the Breugels and of Bosch where there are so many details, that sitting and studying a photograph adds to the amazement. To me, quilts are not always art or "Art" by any means, many are best on beds, as intended. But I enjoy seeing the "whole" on the wall. Although I must say it's nice to lean against a pile of pillows and look at a quilt covering you on a cool evening and finger the pattern lines, the quilting lines -- as one is not supposed to do, of course, at any quilt show. And I have to add that looking at the 171 quilts from the show, the designs are amazingly strong and colors fascinating! It was a very good show and we should all be very proud of this group of quilters.