Quilts and Graffiti

Friday afternoon I went to the Indiana Heritage Quilt Show in Bloomington.

Later, I went to panel discussion on Democracy and Politics in the Arts in conjunction with the Writing on the Wall exhibit at IU's School of Fine Arts Gallery. That exhibit included the work of five local graffiti artists who were asked to create something specifically relating to democracy.

Of course the quilters created their works on whatever theme they wished. While many were abstract, nature and family were often referenced. There was one quilt from Germany that addressed the problem of industrial encroachment on farms and farm life. And one of my favorites was "Turtles all the way down" by Jan Hutchison which ""refers to an infinite regression belief about cosmology, the nature of the universe"".

It was interesting to me how many women (and a couple men) attended the quilt show. While it's an annual event (the 17th), I had never been, although I heard people saying how impressed they were by the quilts. Quilts have historically been a terrific bonding experience for women, especially when they work as groups making quilts for important life events for each other. They are also a wonderful way for women (mostly) to be creative.

In the days when women made many of the families clothes, quilts might have various pieces of cloth from clothes that represented various stages of a person's life. Whether a quilt was made to hang on the wall or be something which provided warmth and comfort, quilts carry a lot of meaning for people.

I had the pleasure when I co-managed an apartment complex for the elderly to work on a group quilt project. We had about 16 of us creating squares which were pieced together and then quilted on a quilt rack. While many of the quilts at the quilt show had been machine quilted - the experience I gained in hand quilting - learning from those experienced women gave me an appreciation for the process that I wouldn't have had otherwise.

As far as Writing on the Wall goes, it was also a good show. In addition to the grafitti there were several panels where people had been invited to write their ideas of democracy. I enjoy these kinds of group projects as well. It's somewhat quilt-like in a way–not as organized, not something to keep, but a group effort nonetheless. The first participants often take up lots of room, while later ones must try to squeeze their message in.

The four men and one women graffiti artists who were invited created some interesting work on their assigned panels. I liked the one of the American flag (more or less) that included dollar signs and the word, "fear" sprayed over and over so much you couldn't read it but it looked organic.

There was some discussion about graffiti artists vandalizing others properties and perhaps being excluded from traditional expressive outlets from respect in general. An anarchist way of making his angst and opinions known. In some places graffiti is the expression of gangs - a bonding outlet not so unlike quilters groups. Except that they see themselves at odds with society and the law - where quilters would be integrated to an extent.

It did become an issue in the 20th century as part of feminism, that women's arts are generally ignored by the art establishment - while men's are celebrated. That was part of Judy Chicago's message with her Dinner Party work. That work included many of the sorts of art that women typically have done that have been ignored by art museums. The banners, the quilted and embroidered table runners, place settings. Of course by having "in your face" plates that referenced women's genitalia the work was controversial enough to get attention and to become an important part of American culture and the American art world. I'm glad I finally saw it in person.

Meanwhile, as was brought up in the panel discussion, graffiti artists like Keith Haring have been embraced by the Art Establishment. And not because of anything profound that I know of. I brought up the lack of art by women in the IU Art Museum. Nobody was very interested in the topic. Joe Lamantia suggested as a response that children's art should be featured as well. So it seemed that people either didn't get it, didn't care, or something.

I had done a survey of the art shown in the modern section of the IU Art Museum and there was one art work by a women that hung on the walls. One floor piece and a few pieces of jewelry in a case. It disturbs me that images created by women are not included. Women do often have a different point of view. Like Mary Cassatt and so many images of mothers and small children. Georgia O'Keefe and her sensual images of plants.

Going into the future, images and iconic types of artists may become a thing of the past. As art becomes more democratic, perhaps it becomes less about the individual. But I think that there will always be famous artists. I hope that it's not mostly those who are able to shock people the most - but the ones with the most profound insights and abilities to express them.
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Looking back at the Texture post and the Monumenta project... sometimes I wonder if there is some kind of subconscious (or conscious) effort to keep Men's art in the forefront. In other words - as women got more involved in the art scene - art changed to embrace more typically male enterprises and aesthetics. To some extent - the world changes and art changes with it. But I think people should be skeptical if the art world mostly revolves around whatever the males of the species are doing.