I appreciate everyone’s comments on my last post – especially Diane. I admit that for the most part I’m totally new to all of this, up to and including the whole mentality among fiber artists, etc. I have an art degree and having never really pursued my fine art I have not really come across many judgements against what was art, I guess it’s why I’ve waited until I was in my 30’s to pursue all of this.
I do think that in a lot of ways it looks like Diane needed a way to “draw the line” in an already crowded list – and I can totally understand that. I also will reiterate that she has done a wonderful job. I really enjoy that list and all of the folks who are on it.
HOWEVER, I will say that I have not had any problems like hers (people complaining etc) with the Bloggers who Embellish list (which I administer). In fact, I just sent an email to all seeing if folks were annoyed when members didn’t update and the general thought I heard was “yes, but we understand when people’s lives get busy”. By the way, I’m working on a way to send out a little “reminder” and I think for the most part I’ll follow a policy of leniency.
As for Crazy Quilting, well, I think there are a couple things working here. It seems that Australia is MUCH more lenient about them than the US is. However, I also have a book my Mother in Law (Hi Ellen!) gave me on the history of quilts in Australia and I believe (correct me if I’m wrong here gals) they just introduced what we call sane or traditional quilting about the 1970’s in Australia (maybe because of the general heat in the populated areas?). So their history of Crazy Quilting and related quilt techniques is actually much more enduring than it is here in the US.
My understanding is that here in the US it was HUGE at the turn of the century and then fell into dislike as being “ugly” and busy. There was a revival in the 1970’s, but mostly kind of a hippy approach (denims and laces and that sort of thing). I think it is only recently that people are reviving it as a true art form with many variations – I can’t find the link, but the show in France has an AMAZING range of work. Anyway, that’s my VERY brief and probably oversimplified definition. I also know that in the US many cq’ers have a hard time having their quilts show in major shows, etc. All of this is why I find it VERY funny that art quilters who actually see crazy quilting as a more traditional quilting form. I guess we truly are the “black sheep” of the family!
As for me, like I say, I have an art degree and to my eyes all of the most gorgeous pieces I’ve seen are art. I think all of them are gorgeous and frankly it makes more sense for ALL textile artists of all kinds to bond together. There is a HEAP of criticism for women’s arts in the art world and in the eyes of the snobby traditional art world. Fiber art is generally poo-pooed or frowned upon as “women’s art”. Stupid. Frankly it takes as much artistic design to lay out ANY kind of textile art (quilts, hangings, crazy quilts, etc) as it does to paint a painting. On top of that you have to have knowledge of fabrics, stitches, embellishments (if you use them) and all sorts of other things. I think this is beginning to change, my friend Antonia (who’s still in the hospital) recently has a lot of sucess selling her fiber art pieces at a traditional art sale. So, there is room for all of it.
Anyway, that’s the end of my soapbox. As for the CQ’ers – all of them are invited to the “bloggers who embellish” ring, as are art quilters, doll makers, scrapbook or paper artists, felters and anyone else who uses and enjoys embellishment in their art.
Today we finally made it to Tiny Town and it was fantastic. The kids and I are exhausted. I have my Rocky Mountain Crazy Quilters meeting tomorrow morning and the local street fair in the afternoon. Maybe I’ll sleep all day Sunday (ha, ha…yeah, right!)!
