European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 23, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine creative quilting by Carol Lawson new York times Ince the Early Days of the Republic Iho american spin has served As a powerful ionic or the age old Craft of quilling. In the United slates More than anywhere else in Iho world quilting has nourished inspired by Homespun innovation today that innovation is propelling quilt making Inlo new territory. Contemporary quilt makers Are Iran lorning the Craft. Their works ate As Lar removed from what came out o the old fashioned quilting Bee As the microwave oven is irom the Wood burning stove the  Quill has a whole new aesthetic Loil said Paul Smith director Emelus of the american Crall museum in new York. In Iho last 10 to 15 years Here has been a lot of  with i tie quilt format. Otic lets Haw broken Wilh traditional Geometric patterns and materials and have expanded the vocabulary of the traditional Quill no longer interested in creating decorative covers Tor the bed contemporary quilt makers Are piecing and stitching fabric into visually exciting works intended la to Hung on Walls like paintings. No longer bound by the patterns of traditional quilts they arc creating abstract and allegorical patterns of Elwir own. And no Tonges lied to Iho tradition of hand stitching they Are using the sewing machine for part and gome limes All of the work some contemporary quills look As hard edged and jarring As of Art others have Iho playfulness of pop Art. The subject Mailer is As varied As current events lol Klora color experiments and personal statements about War and peace. According to crafts experts in the last year there has been a substantial increase in the collecting of quills for Homes end offices. Modem quilts Are being bought by a wide variety of people. Irom serious Art collectors to people who have never bought Art Poloie. To the process prices have reached Levels tha quitters say they could not have imagined a Short time ago. Prices have jumped quite a Bil in the last year said Penny Lemorris an Art historian in Bowling Green Ohio who in an auth out on quills. Two or three years ago you Cook get a N.C. contemporary quilt for �2,500. Now that quilt is More Likely to be about $7,000. Some Are reaching $15,000 " the driving Force behind contemporary quills is a of War if fir pal Attr on we ttys Nancy Crow i Aht placet together a new quilt. New in it mini cadre of quitters who were Art students in Iha 1970s, when All handicrafts began to enjoy renewed popularity. They Are working across the country in big cities As Well As Rural hamlets. Among the  quilters Are Nancy Crow of Baltimore. Ohio Michael James of Somerset Village mass. Yvonne Porcella of Modesto Calif. Pamela studs ill of pipe Creek ten Faith Ringgold of new York City and Terrie Hancock Mangat of Cincinnati. Many contemporary queers laugh themselves to  Mcmorris said they began experimenting and adapting new patterns in old ways. Now we am seeing the results of their work these quitters consider themselves artists and Hoy refer to their works As Art quilts their Label has been adopted by collectors and crafts authorities an Art quilt is a one of a kind original expression Par of a body of Woik produced by s serious studio Arlist said James 36, who has been quilling full time since 1976. James whose strongly coloured linear designs Are reminiscent of Frank Stella paintings has a Gia Duale degree in painting irom the Rochester Institute of technology. I did t have any conscious desire to be a quilt maker he said i Usi got attracted to quilts and one Day tried pulling some fabrics together he described his quills As expo rations of color and the interaction of color with linear design " he said to was drawn to quilling because of the lab fic i relate better to the material than to  other prominent Quill cars also Lalk about the Appeal of working with fabric. "1 love the touch Ernoll fool of the  said Crow. 43. Who works in a so year old barn on her farm in Ohio. It is very comforting to have fabric near you and to Louch  Crow who has a master s degree in ceramics f 0m Ohio slate University began experimenting with quilting playing around Wilh fabric in me late 1970s, her quilts have bold abstract Geometric designs. Known As a colons she said she likes Strong graphic effects Youong contrasts Between Light and  Porcella. 51, of Modesto Calif., was an operating room nurse and a designer of wearable Art Belore teaching herself to quilt in 1930. Her recon works have been pictorial statements about experiences in her life. Earlier works were abstract images inspired by combinations of color. Orcelia said she was drawn to quilting because of the tremendous Power of graphic arts in quilts and because she Leos a personal sense of attachment to fabric " contemporary quills Are As diverse in materials and techniques As they Are in subject Mailer. Fabrics Rango from Cottons and Silks to ski slip and polyester. Outliers olten employ a variety of techniques used by contemporary artists including airbrushing. Silk screening and photography. The contemporary quilt has Pio Ducco an aesthetic Peculiar to the period we live  said Rotnem Bishop director of the museum of american Folk Art in Manhattan adding that the sewing machine is part of Hal aesthetic. Today so Many quilts arc Imide by machine to said. Many Are quite Ted Simul and should not be  according to Mcmorris the Art his Lonan who has Mitten books on quilling contemporary quills Aro beginning to Luin up in Art Gallegos. Nol just Calis galleries in new York the Somite Slein rum Gill by in Soho is showing quilts by Faith Ringgold there have also been recent exhibitions old urls in galleries in Cincinnati and Chicago. Until recently a Morns and. Quilting was nol  As seriously As other crafts because it was branded As women s work quills have always been Low on the crafts totem pole a Crall done by Little old ladies it seemed unit Porlant. Even among the other Liber arts " among Collet lors. Flobell and Aidis James who live in  county in new Woitt. Have Swiat  agree is the largest co Lechon of contemporary quills. The Jameses avid collectors of Bolh antique and contemporary quills have six quilts by Michael James in their collection As Well us works by Pamela Stu Sliu and Terrie Hancock Mangal Mangal s Quill memory jars a lab eau of three Large jars studded with childhood mementos plastic charms Mott pins. Buttons a Rosary miniature toys is mounted above the fireplace in the living room to Only buy what to like and we buy quills by people who arc going to be around said Jamen. Who is building a private gallery onto her House for the nearly 270 quills she has acquired Wilh Sci husband since they began collecting in 1381. Or. Philip Hess and his wife Cathy of Charlolle. N.c., have two quills by Michael Jamoo in their contemporary Glass and Brick House Hess said me quilts were a Happy solution to irreconcilable differences Wilh her husband about Art i like Folk Art my husband likes contemporary things. The quills Are a wonderful blend of Bolh  quilt collectors pay that even though their purchases Are increasing in value they do not buy them or investment. Ii they did l appreciate we would love them anyway James said. My husband says this is More fun than the Slock Market. And he said that prior too i 19," wednesday March 23. 1968 the stars and stripes Page 13