Quilt exhibitions have always been popular over the 27-year history of the Riffe Gallery, so it only makes sense that the gallery would put on display a show exploring the art and science behind them.
Material Pulses is at the Ohio Arts Council’s gallery May 12-July 16.
Instead of working with an arts organization that produces quilt exhibitions, this time, the gallery is producing its own exhibition with the assistance of guest curator Nancy Crow, an internationally recognized quilt-maker and co-founder of Quilt Surface Design Symposium and Quilt National.
“(Crow) has an excellent eye, is a fantastic writer and has many international contacts,” says Mary Gray, gallery director. “She was the perfect choice.”
Compared to other exhibits, this show offers very large, boldly colored quilts that are meant to “knock the socks off” of viewers, Gray says. There are eight artists represented, with multiple works from seven of the eight, instead of 30 different artists each offering one piece. This offers viewers the chance to see the breadth of the artists’ talent.
Photo courtesy of Joe Rudimec
“This exhibition is the culmination of a mission I have been on to bring back the majesty, strength and energy of large textile works, particularly large quilts,” Crow says.
Crow chose artists who are extremely dedicated and focused, and make beautiful work, she says. One of her goals is to enable audiences to see textile as art, not craft.
“I believe that those of us who love working with fabric were originally drawn to this medium by its large forceful presence and the freedom to use color joyously,” she says.
Making an art quilt takes physical endurance and persistence. It’s not like knitting one at home.
The artist cuts out parts on a table and then climbs a ladder, pinning them onto a work wall, visualizing how the quilt will look from a distance with the layout of shapes and colors. Some artists, such as Mary Lou Alexander, start by dyeing the fabric.
Alexander explores a Japanese technique called Shibori, forming the idea of her finished quilt as she sees the colors of the different fabrics.
“The whole process is improvisational, not pre-planned,” she says. “It keeps (quilting) exciting and fresh. If I were just following a pattern I would be bored to tears.”
Her quilts typically depict scenes from nature or political ideas. For the Riffe show, her work is inspired by the poem “The Second Coming” by William Butler Yeats.
“The quilt really represents a deconstruction, and I think it’s relevant to the state of the country or the world today,” Alexander says.
Alexander, who has been quilting for 15 years, cites Crow as one of her major inspirations.
“She’s a fantastic teacher and a brilliant artist,” she says. “She really changed my life.”
Gabrielle Benton is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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