Talk to Wooster
Winter 2007
The Art Quilters
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StoryThe definition of a quilt is simple: Two layers of fabric sandwiched around a batting center. But add the word “art” and things become more complicated.
To be considered an art quilt, a phrase adopted in 1986, artists agree that the design must be original, rather than a copy of someone else’s pattern. Another definition that was useful—for a time—involved the creator’s intent. If her intent was to make something to hang on a wall, rather than to cover a bed, she might very well have made an art quilt. That definition almost works. Until you consider the quilts made by the women of Gee’s Bend, Ala., whose original purpose was to keep their families warm in homes that had no electricity. The artist’s intent became less important than how her work was valued and judged. Today, the unique quilts of Gee’s Bend sell for more than $20,000 each and have been called “some of the most miraculous works of modern art America has produced,” by a New York Times art critic.
But through the ages, quilts have been more than either bed covers or wall hangings. They tell our stories. Carrying messages of inclusiveness and community, they celebrate life’s everyday pleasures. They are used to speak out against disease, war, and injustice. They stir us with their entreaties and warm us with their benedictions.
We hope you enjoy the work of six art quilters from the Wooster family.
