One of my recent influences are the quilts of Gee's Bend. I had seen a show of them at Ameringer Yohe Gallery a couple of years ago and I really got caught up in them. When I saw the quilts at the gallery they were mounted on unprimed canvas and hung on the wall like large abstract paintings. They were definitely striking and very beautiful when shown this way, but there something sort of anemic about it as well. Presented in a spartan setting with the perfect lighting, they took on a certain aura which made them easier to consider for their own aesthetic merits, but one of the things that I find so interesting about these quilts is their context.
Recently, my sister gave me the catalog from the MFA, Houston show for my birthday, so I've been reading about the social history of Gee’s Bend and their incredible journey. I think that maybe this is some of the best kind of political art. The aesthetics are so powerful, but combined with the historical context, it really just take the work to another level of meaning. I love how in the catalog there are photos of the the women and their quilts - thrown over a fence in the yard, in their houses - it is so integral. It was also informative to see old photos of the vernacular architecture of the slave cabins with their whittled looking wood and chinking and then looking at a quilt that was so reminiscent of those shapes. There is so much personal history in them as well, as the quilts are often made from old clothes. The women from Gee’s Bend have an incredible personal vision, built on a very deep tradition. They take their quilts in unexpected and compelling directions that are flat-footed in one sense, but also so vibrant.
