QUILTS

 

The old things I found in our basement, the garage, or my grandmother’s home around the corner in a small town in Indiana, delighted me. When I was in high school I started going to auctions in the neighborhood and on farms surrounding my hometown. These objects represented the vestiges of an earlier time. They intrigued me, and I was hooked.

My curiosity about the “unexpected” quilts of the last half of the 20th century led me to eBay and other sources for seeking them out. The quilts that I am most passionate about are pieced, often crudely quilted or tied, and full of printed fabrics.  Most importantly, they are the quirky, funky, and soulful expressions from a quiltmaker who broke the rules.

 

 

PHOTOGRAPHY

 
 

I found myself drawn to objects that held memories and histories as I began collecting photographs and quilts. Collecting fine art photography and the occasional found photograph expanded into exploring online. Several themes began to emerge and drive my collection of vintage pictures and snapshots, including the photographer’s shadow, odd and unexpected situations, and the male form and desire.  

 

 

 

QUILTS AS CONTEMPORARY ART

 

Flannel as grid on the back of String Diamond, c. 1950 - 1970

Now in RK COLLECTION at International Quilt Museum (IQM) Lincoln, NE

Attributed to Sally Owens, c. 1975 - 2000

Stripes or a flag? c. 1950 - 1975

Now in RK COLLECTION at International Quilt Museum (IQM) Lincoln, NE

Ellsworth Kelly inspiration as One Patch, c. 1975 - 2000

Evoking Abstract Expressionism in Original Design, c. 1930 - 1960

Flag, variation (irregular), c. 1960 - 1990

Now in RK COLLECTION at International Quilt Museum (IQM) Lincoln, NE

Concentric Frames, c. 1950 - 1975 | Housetop pattern echoes Josef Alber's "Homage to the Square"

Log Cabin, variation, c. 1950 - 1975

Found in Alabama, Original Design, c. 1975 - 2000