Thursday, February 28, 2013

The Modern Aesthetic of the Gee's Bend Quilts

I've been thinking a lot about how much the Modern Quilt aesthetic reminds me of the Gee's Bend Quilts.  I was fortunate to see the original  Gee's Bend exhibition in Boston at the Museum of Fine Art and it floored me.
Here are some images I took at the Gee's Bend exhibition:






If you are unfamiliar with the Gee's Bend quilts and the history of quiltmaking by these women, I encourage you to find a copy of the exhibition catalog.  The beauty of these quilts, especially because of their utilitarian function, is simply gorgeous.  Be sure to follow the quiltmaking link, above, and scroll down to see the short video of the women as they sing and work on a quilt.  I hope to visit someday.
As an interesting comparison, please take a look at the wonderful photos taken by Luana Rubin, of equilter.com, to see many of the juried quilts of QuiltCon.

2 comments:

  1. I also saw the Gee's Bend Quilts, quite a few years ago at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, CA. I didn't think of similarities with Modern quilts until you mentioned it. Fascinating! Everything old is new again.

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  2. So true, isn't it? Hope to see you in Long Beach, Cindy!

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