Amish Abstractions
Quilts from the Collection of Faith and Stephen Brown
San Francisco : Pomegranate Communications : In collaboration with the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, 2009.
Format: Book
Description: 127 pages : color illustrations ; 28 cm
At first glance, Amish quilts may appear curiously similar to works by the great abstract artists of the twentieth century. With their vibrant colors and bold geometric forms, the handcrafted designs seem reminiscent of paintings by Joseph Albers, Mark Rothko, and Frank Stella, among others. This visual coincidence invites a deeper appreciation of the quilts and the communities in which they were created. Closer examination reveals that the principles of the Amish faith-simplicity, humility, discipline, and community-are masterfully stitched into each design. Colorful and dynamic, the remarkable quilts radiate the harmony and dignity of Amish life while providing a window onto the history of American art and textile traditions.
Published in conjunction with the exhibition organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Amish Abstractions: Quilts from the Collection of Faith and Stephen Brown explores the origins, techniques, and context of these visual masterpieces. More than seventy-five quilts originating in communities throughout Pennsylvania and the Midwest from the 1880s to the 1940s are presented with contributions by three quilt experts: Joe Cunningham, a well-known quilt artist, author, and lecturer; Robert Shaw, an independent curator of numerous quilt exhibitions; and Janneken Smucker, a doctoral candidate at the University of Delaware specializing in quilts from the Amish and Mennonite traditions.
Contents:
Foreword / John E. Buchanan Jr. -- Collectors' note / Faith and Stephen Brown -- Quilts in Amish contexts : traditions and adaptations / Janneken Smucker -- Fundamentally abstract : the aesthetic achievement of Amish quilts and quiltmakers / Robert Shaw -- It's all in the details : the making of Amish quilts / Joe Cunningham -- Plates -- List of works illustrated.
Subjects:
Brown, Faith A. -- Art collections -- Exhibitions.
Brown, Stephen (Stephen C.) -- Art collections -- Exhibitions.
Amish quilts -- Exhibitions.
Quilts -- Private collections -- United States -- Exhibitions.
Brown, Faith A. -- Art collections -- Exhibitions.
Brown, Stephen (Stephen C.) -- Art collections -- Exhibitions.
Amish quilts -- Exhibitions.
Quilts -- Private collections -- United States -- Exhibitions.
ISBN:
9780764951657 (hardcover)
Availability | |||
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Call Number | Location | Shelf Location | Status |
ART Design Decorative Smu | St. Andrews Indoors | Nonfiction | In |
Published on the occasion of an exhibition held at the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, Nov. 14, 2009-June 6, 2010.