Quilts: Art or Craft?

Quilting: Art or Craft?

Coming to Terms with Definitions

by Patricia L. Cummings

He who works with his hands is a laborer. He who works with his hands, 
and his head, is a craftsman. He who works with his hands, his head, and
his heart, is An Artist. - St. Francis of Assisi

In this, the twenty-first century, there seems to be an ongoing debate as to when a quilt is considered “art,” and when it is simply a craft. The roots of this discussion have evolved in the midst of those fiber artists who use quilting as a medium. Often, the dialogue has more to do with how the person making the quilt perceives himself/herself, rather than what the final product entails. Lately it seems that in some circles, the word “quilter” has taken on a denigrated meaning, as in "just a quilter, not an artist.”

This kind of snobbery is difficult to understand. If we look at quilting traditions from an historical viewpoint, we will see that the concept of “art quilting” has been with us since at least the end of the nineteenth century.

Chadwick Crazy Quilt

Crazy Quilt from the Lewis Collection. photo by James Cummings

Art Needlework in Victorian Times

The Victorian Era and the Royal School of Art Needlework in England promoted “art quilting.” Crazy Quilts and Redwork Embroidery both fell into this category. In fact, quilt historians consider Crazy Quilts, with their asymmetrical designs, painted patches, and widespread use of embroidery, to be the very first art quilts. Concurrent to that trend, Redwork was also found to qualify as “artistic,” and, in fact, was called “etching on linen.” At the height of the popularity of these two techniques, upper class women who engaged in them, were loathe against patchwork” and viewed it as antiquated, backward, and totally behind the times.

Does A Quilt Have To Be Non-functional To Qualify As "Art"?

Crazy Quilts and Redwork are primarily decorative in nature and as such, they seem to parallel the production of art quilts today, i.e. objects made as art for
art’s sake. No self-respecting quilt “artist” would think of making a quilt for the intended purpose of keeping someone warm. The plan is to create images that are best viewed in a vertical plane, not a horizontal one. However, with that concept as a definition, what if we throw into the equation old Amish quilts which were made to be functional, yet have strong graphic elements that make them “look” like art when placed on a wall?

How about the Quilts of Gee’s Bend, those “discovered” quilts made by a multi-generation enclave of Black quilters in Alabama? Their quilts were produced for a useful purpose, yet by our terms, are also highly “artistic,” so much so that they are finding a place in shows in major museums such as the Whitney Museum in New York, and are being reviewed in such magazines as Newsweek and Home and Garden magazine. They are said to rival such artists as Paul Klee. When does a quilt get elevated from the ordinary to the extraordinary?

The discussion should not be about traditional quilters v. art quilters. There is room for everyone! Labels only serve one purpose and that is to alienate. We all have so much to learn from each other, no matter which “camp” you may find yourself in. Personally, I can balk at a traditional quilt that is poorly done, as often as I can take issue with an art quilt when it is obvious that its maker, in a hurry to be “self-expressive,” has not learned the rudimentary lessons needed to produce good art of any kind. Not to be snide, but it is helpful to understands color concepts, and it is important to have sufficient needlework skills to be able to execute the design so that the resulting image is cohesive and meaningful, ideally, to both the artist and the viewer.

Tolerance A Necessity

The key to understanding the debate is tolerance. Some quilters, especially beginners, do not want to take the time to design their own quilt. They rely on the tried and true. They prefer patterns, or even kits. As one advances more and more into quilting and the needle arts, it is easy to see the potential for self-expression. More and more quilters, urged on by professionals, are translating their own photographs or drawings, into magnificent works of art. To be able to do this, one has to simply open up one’s eyes to the possibilities.

Be aware of the colors and design possibilities around you. They are everywhere. One of the most outstanding and beautiful examples of someone elevating the common and mundane into a work of art is a quilt seen at A Quilter’s Gathering show. Made by Stacie Mann of Lee, Maine, Spring Fever features Bright Lights Swiss Chard that was growing wild in her backyard. Her gradations of color are striking and result in a memorable quilt.

We all need to be open to our own abilities to grow, as both traditional quilters and as quilt artists. The two groups are not decidedly different, but rather as a continuum of each other. They both stem from an urge to be creative. Exclusionary labels usually do not have any real function, except as a divisive one. As a quilt community, ideally, we can come together and celebrate the best of what we all have to offer. You’ll be amazed what we can learn from each other, if only we keep an open mind.