November 6, 2007
My Houston 2007. It is right that it is called a quilt festival. It was like a quilt and fabric carnival. (The image on the left is from Yoshiko Kitami's In Early Summer.) I loved the diversity and artistry in all the quilts.
I sat down with strangers to drink a cappucino and started up a conversation. I think this may be my favorite part of th experience: sharing and visiting with other passionate quilters from all over the U.S.
I attended two excellent lectures. At a whim I added on an all day class in printing your own fabric. This was a great experience. In future shows I plan on increasing the number of classes and/or workshops I attend. (I'll post the names of the speakers and lectures/class in a future post after I unpack.)
I rounded out the full art "binge" by visiting with some Houston artists and writers I've come to know. I had a great visit with my aunt, also an artist, who was kind enough to put me up. I visited the Menil Collection. I attended the Orange Show gala.
I returned to San Diego recharged. I have a huge pile of great fabrics: reproduction chinz from the Netherlands, Balanese screen prints of traditional batiks from Java, and a fabulous stack of fine cottons imported from Japan. Don't get me wrong, I love Hoffman and Kona Bay Japanese style prints. But when I go to Houston I'm after the imports that I can't easily get elsewhere.
A thought on "art quilts"
I attended a lunchtime lecture and we went around the table and shared our backgrounds. I mentioned that I had a BA in sculpture from San Francisco State. A lady at our table said, "Oh so you must like the art quilts." Well, of course, I like the "art quilts". I like "traditional quilts". I love them all.
I sometimes gather that for some "art quilts" means "non-traditional quilts". I have no problem with that. But I have detected that for some there is the distinct viewpoint that quilts that are not "art quilts" are not "art".
We do not say that Matisse was an "art painter". We do not say David Smith was an "art sculptor".
My experience in art school was that art created by men was "art" and art created by women was "crafts". In addition, there was the distinct unspoken (sometimes spoken) connotation that "crafts" were second-rate. For me as an artist this has been a liability - sometimes causing artistic blocks. I won't forget during my final critique in one sculpture class that the professor looked at my work and said to the class, "Oh more of that women's art sh**."
I love that quilting is an art form created by women. I find quilt culture to be supportive and lovely. Houston International Quilt Festival gives me an opportunity to celebrate and enjoy this part of our art form.
In my opinion, art is what the artist says it is. (Thank you Duchamp.) I believe that all quilts are art. All quilters are artists.
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