juried shows | Mr X Stitch

Welcome to Quilty Pleasures where we showcase the best quilt art and review techniques and books to help you develop your own quilted passions. This time we've got a terrific textile art book review for you! Exploring Art Quilts Cover Exploring Art Quilts: Volume 1: New Directions I never cease to be amazed at the diversity and depth of art quilts. Just when I think I have an understanding of the direction many art quilters take in this art I find new depth and perspective emerging. This is most certainly the case when I started delving into Exploring Art Quilts: Volume 1: New Directions which is put out by Studio Art Quilt Associates, Inc. I was sent this publication to review and I have to say I was just amazed, and impressed, with the variety of artistic approaches as well as how the publication was put together. This publication did not simply provide pages upon pages of different pieces of art but rather provides the reader with interviews, juried galleries and articles. I really enjoyed the diversity provided by offering up something that was not just comprised of pictures. The reader really gets an overall look at art quilts in ways that demonstrate how art quilts are incredibly diverse, as are the makers. In addition, I appreciated that with most of the individual pictures of various works the publication provides the website of the artist so that the reader can delve further or contact the artist. Too often I find that many publications only provide the artist and it seems to be up to the reader to search for other works by the artist on their own. There is truly something for everyone in this publication and I will do my best to offer you up a look at just some of what you can find therein! I start, in the picture below, with a juried artist member theme gallery titled Power of Nature. Below are a few examples see on one of the pages. I think this shows you the diversity of what can be found in Exploring Art Quilts. I really appreciate the 3 dimensional works that are offered up in the volume. Power of Nature Next up, below, is titled Rosso Cinquecento by Rod Daniel from Italy. He is the topic of one of the interviews. In the interview he states, “'When I discovered quilting, it bit me and wouldn't let go.'” The piece below is titled Refuge or Refuse: Offer sanctuary or discard as trash by Jim Hay from Japan. He is another quilter who has been interviewed in the publication. In his interview he states, '”I don't like work. I allow ideas to grow. Each moment is creative.'” Here is another 3 dimensional piece. It is titled Cautious by Deborah Kuster of Arkansas, USA. Cautious by Deborah Kuster Another interviewed artist is Miki Rodriguez of Texas, USA. The piece below is titled Blindspot. In her interview she tells us, “'Out of respect for our environment, I deconstruct and reconstruct found materials, such as cardboard, plastic, and paper…I see consumerism as a cause for many of the problems associated with pollution.'” Blindspot by Miki Rodriguez I was very impressed with the presentation of Exploring Art Quilts. I loved the interviews, the creative processes described therein, the various juried pieces and the fact that the publication presented juried shows from around the world. There is so much creative food for thought, as well as inspiration in Exploring Art Quilts! I highly recommend it and feel there is something for everyone in this beautiful collection of art pieces. Exploring Art Quilts: volume 1: New Directions is available to purchase through this link.