Comments on: Should We?

By: Paula

Paula — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 16:14:21 +0000

Its interesting to me that your quilts, specifically your example in this post, look like paintings (at least online). And I’m so tired of paintings. But my mind goes there immediately..’oh if that were a painting, why doesn’t she paint that?”. Then I realize I still fight the herd mentality of how canvas and traditional photography is IT. (okay sculptures too). My point is, does it matter the medium? If you are doing something interesting and it so happens to be fiber…quilt if you will, who cares? That does not lessen the creativity. In fact your quilts supercede the ‘norm’. Makes me almost wonder if you were to call it something else people might take it more seriously? What constitutes a quilt? I don’t know, its not a world I know about. All I know is I find it extremely pleasing to look at your work. It stimulates my own creativity. You have such high standards it sounds for your work, that in and of itself stands for itself. Classifications are so meaningless in the scheme of things, I hope you find a way to bypass the stigmas in your ‘field’. Of course the question still remains, at least in my mind, do we have to ‘make it’ in the art world, have solo shows etc etc. in order to be taken seriously? If at some point I have 100’s of pieces of my work filling homes across America but never had a solo show does that make me LESS of an artist? I don’t think so.

By: Natalya

Natalya — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 21:16:50 +0000

Coming out of lurkdom to say - Thank you for this subject and your thoughts on it. And thank you to Olga for saying it so well that i had to write it down.

By: cynthia

cynthia — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 22:14:38 +0000

A lot has transpired since I last read your blog. I don’t have much to add to the conversation that hasn’t already been said. The craft/art argument just seems so old to me. We should all try to worry less about what others are doing and instead invest our energy in that about which we are passionate. (not sure if that last bit is grammatically correct.) There’s an audience for both (art/craft), don’t you think?

I do think Olga said it beautifully! I love your work and yes, congratulations on the 2 solo shows.

By: Laura

Laura — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 15:54:02 +0000

…your profile as an artist and break out of the limits you’re experiencing in the quilt world. Congratulations on nabbing 2 solo shows! I hope at least one of them’s in Colorado as I’d love to go. I’m sure you’ll keep us updated.

By: Laura

Laura — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 15:50:58 +0000

Yes! I see the historical patterns echoed in your contemporary quilts which is exciting to me.

I agree, seeking out the one and two person shows that painters go for seems like a great way to increatse

By: shan

shan — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 13:13:32 +0000

Lisa,

I find the idea of eliminating the word quilt perplexing. A painter wouldn’t stop calling her paintings paintings until they became something else–mixed media perhaps. “Quilt” simply refers to the medium. Well, actually, I don’t think it’s quite that simple. Maybe it should be.

I found your original post on this topic very facinating. It seems important for quilters to get work into the larger art market–shows that are open to all media. At the same time, I find the structure of the traditional art market very limiting and have been working on finding greater context for my own work. I’ve been doing this by focusing on who actually buys my work, as opposed to who talks about it or juries it into a show.

The choices we make as artists all depend on what we want from are own individual careers. It’s a wide open field out there right now.

By: PaMdora

PaMdora — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 12:50:18 +0000

It’s funny that we both posted on the same topic of using the word quilt on the same day. I hadn’t read your post before I wrote mine.

By: Lisa Call

Lisa Call — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 19:34:15 +0000

Nellie, I like your description about how you work. It is very improvisational and similar to what I do, although I do almost no preplanning at all and just work.

As to the battle - I agree. I have one more post on this topic then I’m dropping it and getting on with exciting things like binding demo posts.

By: Nellie

Nellie — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 19:25:21 +0000

Lisa,
Olga has an interesting point … strive to please the work. I’ve gotten to that way of working in a round-about way, by getting to the point of being hooked on the dialog that happens between me and the art piece. I don’t preplan my work to the end. A few major decisions are made up front, but I’ve found that one decision leads to another. Often there are possiblities revealed that I would never have thought of if there were a definite detailed plan being followed. I find much joy and little frustration by working this way … relying on my knowledge of color, design, and multiple techniques, as well as years of creative thinking.

I appreciate your getting this dialog going as well as those readers responding to it. Earlier in my life I more keenly felt the frustrations with acceptance of our chosen medium as “real art”. I’m now 65, but since my 50’s I create fiber art only because I feel compelled to make it … not to prove or promote myself nor fiber as art. I realize that my life circumstances, age and not having to make money, makes me a lot less hungry for approval and acceptance. I don’t mean to simplify the complexities of all that’s part of being an artist, but do want to I offer a caution not to loose the joy in creating while waging the battle to find acceptance.

By: Lisa Call

Lisa Call — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 18:41:27 +0000

Olga - you said much better what I was thinking. Thank you. My brain just wasn’t working this morning but I had a few moments to write.

It is about making the work we want to make - not because someone told you that you had to do X or you couldn’t do Y. But because that is what you are inspired to do.

I very much dislike all the rules out there and at this point I’m very much regretting having drug myself into yet another go no where conversation with quilters. I don’t want rules and I don’t want to make up rules.

So I need to get back to just thinking about my art and what it means to me.