Last night I listened to a wonderful audio clip about the 'Gee's Bend' quilts. I have seen some of these quilts in fine art galleries but never knew what gave them their distinct quality. They mix boldness and simplicity with raw energy in a way I find thrilling.
From what I learned, 'Gees Bend' is a small southern community in Alabama. It's inhabitants for the most part are the descendents of the slaves who used to work the 'Gee' plantation. The women of this isolated, one-road community continue to produce what has been called some of the finest examples of American Minimalism. I like how William Arnett, an art collector, described it. "They think and they work like traditional artists the world over. They make the same types of aesthetic decisions. What you see coming from Gee's Bend is not accidental. It didn't happen because a bunch of women were just sewing cloth together and happily they came up with something that was beautiful or unique. It was a very conscious thing, and it's been passed down for at least five or six generations."
I know I've made a few quilts in my life but they never resembled anything like this. It makes me want to really explore the possibilities of this dying art form.
2 comments:
The quilt you made me is sort of like these. I hope you got a picture of it - if not let me know and I'll send you one. Penny LOVES it and I can't get over how unique it is.
These are lovely quilts as well - I like the orange one best.
I just bought postage stamps with these quilts on them! I didn't know what they were, they just looked cool!
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