A quilt has been an popular item for many years as a bed covering and the art of making these items was prevalent in the 1960s and 1970s. Fiber art quilts are different from the traditional quilt. They are not intended to be useful but to have aesthetic value. Instead of lying at the foot of a bed, they are made to be hung on walls and admired.
Others chose to give free reign to their creativity, breaking most traditional quilting rules and developing a much, more free flowing means of expression. They no longer saw a quilt as a utilitarian object but more like a new type of canvas. They experimented continuously with techniques and materials to create this new art form.
There pieces are intended to take their place alongside other forms of art displayed in houses and galleries. They are not bed coverings any more. Artists often have all sorts of ways of handling the fiber they use. They tear, stamp, dye and paint until they are satisfied with the result. Colors, textures and shapes are used in arresting new ways.
In the past, a quilt was stitched in a certain way so as to keep the layers together. With this new form of art, stitches have much more than a purely practical function. The variety of threads available make it possible to use them to add all sorts of color, texture and shine. There are also many techniques used for stitching such as embroidery, knitting and weaving.
Many of the artists are inspired by nature. Some of the work is representational and beautifully and accurately created. Other artists produce more impressionistic or abstract works. Any idea or concept can be seen as a catalyst for a new piece.
A quilt as an artwork can be finished using various different techniques. Some are finished with binding and some with or without borders. Installing such a piece on a wall is very important as it has to be done in such a way as to cause no damage to the artwork. Too much pressure on the fabric, uneven hanging or slippage has to be avoided.
Prices of these items can be fairly high as many hours of work and lots of materials go into each piece. The number of hours taken to design and execute the piece plays a large part in the price. The materials used is another factor taken into account as well as whether the piece is framed. A price per square foot is usually arrived at after all factors have been considered.
These artists often say that until they became involved in this type of quilting, they had not found their true form of expression. Their passion is seen in their work, giving each piece its aesthetically pleasing quality. The deep rich colors, satisfying forms and variations in texture give this form of expression a unique appeal.
Others chose to give free reign to their creativity, breaking most traditional quilting rules and developing a much, more free flowing means of expression. They no longer saw a quilt as a utilitarian object but more like a new type of canvas. They experimented continuously with techniques and materials to create this new art form.
There pieces are intended to take their place alongside other forms of art displayed in houses and galleries. They are not bed coverings any more. Artists often have all sorts of ways of handling the fiber they use. They tear, stamp, dye and paint until they are satisfied with the result. Colors, textures and shapes are used in arresting new ways.
In the past, a quilt was stitched in a certain way so as to keep the layers together. With this new form of art, stitches have much more than a purely practical function. The variety of threads available make it possible to use them to add all sorts of color, texture and shine. There are also many techniques used for stitching such as embroidery, knitting and weaving.
Many of the artists are inspired by nature. Some of the work is representational and beautifully and accurately created. Other artists produce more impressionistic or abstract works. Any idea or concept can be seen as a catalyst for a new piece.
A quilt as an artwork can be finished using various different techniques. Some are finished with binding and some with or without borders. Installing such a piece on a wall is very important as it has to be done in such a way as to cause no damage to the artwork. Too much pressure on the fabric, uneven hanging or slippage has to be avoided.
Prices of these items can be fairly high as many hours of work and lots of materials go into each piece. The number of hours taken to design and execute the piece plays a large part in the price. The materials used is another factor taken into account as well as whether the piece is framed. A price per square foot is usually arrived at after all factors have been considered.
These artists often say that until they became involved in this type of quilting, they had not found their true form of expression. Their passion is seen in their work, giving each piece its aesthetically pleasing quality. The deep rich colors, satisfying forms and variations in texture give this form of expression a unique appeal.
No comments:
Post a Comment