Art Quilts of the Midwest

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Pub Date 15 Mar 2015 | Archive Date 01 Dec 2015

Description

A milestone in perception occurred in 1971, when the Whitney Museum of American Art displayed quilts in a museum setting: Abstract Design in American Quilts bestowed institutional recognition of the artistry inherent in these humble textiles. In subsequent decades, quilting’s popularity exploded. Some who took up quilting created pieced quilts that honored traditional patterns, symmetry, and repetition. But others saw the potential for pushing beyond patchwork, giving birth to the art quilt. Today, adherents from both art and quilting backgrounds incorporate storytelling, digital images, nonfabric materials, asymmetry, and three dimensions--in short, anything goes in the world of art quilting, as long as the result is stitched, layered, and not primarily functional.

As a writer covering textiles, art, and craft, Linzee Kull McCray wondered just how deeply fiber artists were influenced by their surroundings. Focusing on midwestern art quilters in particular, she put out a call for entries and nearly 100 artists responded; they were free to define those aspects of midwesterness that most affected their work. The artists selected for inclusion in this book embrace the Midwest’s climate, land, people, and culture, and if they don’t always embrace it wholeheartedly, then they use their art to react to it. The proof can be seen in the varied, powerful quilts in this energizing book.

Enlivened by the Midwest’s landscapes and seasons, Sally Bowker paints her fabrics with acrylics, creating marks and meaning with layers of hand stitching and appliqued bits of fabric. Shin-hee Chin uses sketchlike stitching for its ability to penetrate fabric and create depth; living in the Midwest helps her stay balanced between eastern philosophy and western culture. The metals and mesh that Diane Núñez incorporates into her quilts connect to her days as a jeweler as well as to the topography of her home state of Michigan. Pat Owoc prepares papers with disperse dyes, then selects from as many as 150 to create her fabrics; her art-quilt series honors midwestern pioneers. Martha Warshaw photographs old fabrics, tweaks the images in Photoshop, and prints the results for her pieces, which connect her to the legacy of quilting in past generations.

The Midwest has always had strong textile communities. Now the twenty artists featured in this beautifully illustrated book have created a new community of original art forms that bring new life to an old tradition.

The Artists
Marilyn Ampe, St. Paul, Minnesota
Gail Baar, Buffalo Grove, Illinois
Sally Bowker, Cornucopia, Wisconsin
Peggy Brown, Nashville, Indiana
Shelly Burge, Lincoln, Nebraska
Shin-hee Chin, McPherson, Kansas
Sandra Palmer Ciolino, Cincinnati, Ohio
Jacquelyn Gering, Chicago, Illinois
Kate Gorman, Westerville, Ohio
Donna Katz, Chicago, Illinois
Beth Markel, Rochester Hills, Michigan
Diane Núñez, Southfield, Michigan
Pat Owoc, St. Louis, Missouri
BJ Parady, Batavia, Illinois
Bonnie Peterson, Houghton, Michigan
Luanne Rimel, St. Louis, Missouri
Barbara Schneider, Woodstock, Illinois
Susan Shie, Wooster, Ohio
Martha Warshaw, Cincinnati, Ohio
Erick Wolfmeyer, Iowa City, Iowa

A milestone in perception occurred in 1971, when the Whitney Museum of American Art displayed quilts in a museum setting: Abstract Design in American Quilts bestowed institutional recognition of the...


Advance Praise

Art Quilts of the Midwest explores the essence of present-day and historic midwestern life in art quilts. Whether you hail from California, Quebec, or Australia, Linzee McCray’s thoughtful writing reveals how regional landscapes, culture, and history influence artists everywhere.”—Bill Kerr, Modern Quilt Studio

“Linzee McCray has the knack of getting to the heart of artists’ work—piecing together their motivations and inspirations into stories as unique and colorful as the quilts themselves.”—Janine Vangool, editor, UPPERCASE

Art Quilts of the Midwest explores the essence of present-day and historic midwestern life in art quilts. Whether you hail from California, Quebec, or Australia, Linzee McCray’s thoughtful writing...


Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781609383237
PRICE $24.95 (USD)

Average rating from 24 members


Featured Reviews

This is a beautiful book for the library of any quilt lover or art lover. Those of us who grew up in the Midwest remember many quilts--not all were art, but all were special. It is nice to see quilting recognized as art.

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Art Quilts of the Midwest is a simply stunning book focusing on the works of twenty Midwestern artists. McCray explores how the culture, history, and landscape of the Midwest influences the content of their artistry, as well as the materials used.

Accord to McCray, art quilts differ from standard quilts in that they are “not made with a functional intent...it is a vehicle for creative expression, usually made by one artist.” Artists use different materials and techniques, some traditional, some not in order to create something unique. The quilts featured within the book vary from the representational to the abstract, incorporating a wide range of colors and textures. Nature, history, current events, and the changing landscape all play a role in inspiring the artists. As the artist Martha Washwaw states within, “with fabric there are infinite possibilities with pattern, materials, and scale.”

I read this book with delight, pouring over the images with fascination. The art quilts were inspiring. Any quilter or fiber artist would enjoy reading Art Quilts of the Midwest, as well as anyone interested in Midwestern culture and art.

I received a copy of Art Quilts of the Midwest from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

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This is a beautifully curated book of a variety of forms of art quilts. Inspiring and artistic. Appropriately, I read this book while visiting the Midwest. Lovely for artists and art lovers. I received this ARC for a fair review from NetGalley.

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An interesting book. Although Art Quilts are not my usual forte I could the descriptions and analysis of the author fun to read. I would highly recommend this book to quilters and art lovers of textiles who are interested in learning more about this style of art.

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I got a Reviewer's Copy of this book from NetGalley, and it sure was a beautiful and informative read. Not only did I get to meet 20 artists and admire their work, I also got to learn about their upbringing, history, and culture. They truly took Quilts to the next level. I have been the recipient of some nice quilts in the past and always wanted to learn how to do it, so to see Quilts in a new light was very interesting and inspiring to me. It is almost a shame that the Quilts in this book are not functional in the traditional sense, and are made with different materials, designs and techniques, because I would want to have them adorn my bed and keep me warm any day. A great present for any quilter or anybody who appreciates fine Art.

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A beautifully executed book. This book is separated into sections for each artist. The interviews with the artists are exceptional, detailed and satisfying. The photographs show the detail in the work, and match precisely with the interview.

This is a great book to give as a gift, to have on a coffee table or in your library.

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This book isn't a really good fit for my library, but I am putting it on my to-buy list anyway. It's just incredible. The creativity that's gone into those quilts is stunning. I've seen art quilt books and they've been nice. This book made me want to hunt up the quilts to see them in person.

Not set
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This is a lovely publication, full of modern and beautiful art quilts with lots of information about the artist and her work. This book is not your common variety quilt book, but a book of inspiration for us to follow what we see and think, and not to follow the leader in our work. It is also telling me that it is okay to do what I want rather than what will others like. An inspiration to any artist who works in cloth. The book was provided to me free in return for an unbiased and honest review.

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This would be a beautiful coffee table book. I would give a print format 4.5 stars.
First I read the content on a black and white ereader. It was interesting and inspiring.
I liked it more and more as I read further. Amazing information about the other mediums in which these fascinating quilt artists worked and how the textures and techniques transcend.

I needed to see the quilt examples in full color to appreciate the ideas presented in the text.
Awe inspiring. Next time I have the opportunity to attend an art quilt display I will go with deeper appreciation.

I did view this book as a mobi file via Netgalley. I was given this opportunity to share an honest review.

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Beautiful art quilts to see and read about. Not just a blanket but a piece of Art. Great inspiration for any quilter. I loved the pictures of these Art pieces.

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I received this book as an ARC through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I saw this book on my NetGalley Dashboard, and I was instantly drawn in by the cover. Something about the colors, and the texture, and the balance really appealed to me. I was also drawn in by the subject; my mother has been quilting my entire life, and it's always appealed to me. I've even made a few small projects of my own. It was interesting to see the different approaches, and interpretations of quilts in this book, and even when they didn't appeal to me visually I was interested in the artist. It was nice to have, instead of artist biographies, the artist talk about their process, their inspirations, and their themes and ideas. It added a richness and a depth to the book, and let me better appreciate their work. It would have been nice to have more than just one man, but overall it felt like a diverse group, and I liked the diversity of quilts. There were touches of snobbery, and elitism in some of the artists, but I'm glad that didn't feel overwhelming, and not everyone was wrapped up in the idea of artist versus quilter. I liked how the variety in the theme of the book as well, and how a sense of place carried through, but was different for each artist. It's not a place I've ever been, but it was interesting seeing how these artists reflected on, identified with, and reacted to their surroundings. Overall an interesting book, and one I'm glad that I took the time to read.

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