The Quilts of Gee's Bend

The Quilts of Gee's Bend at the de Young Museum in San Francisco
15 July 2006 —31 December 2006

The exhibition of quilts from this forgotten community with roots that reach deeply into American slavery evoke a rich interplay of emotions; unexpected rhythms of delight, grief, curiosity, shock and warm comfort. Springing from the basic human need for warmth, these quilts speak loudly of strength of spirit and community in the face of poverty. To call this work art is both an understatement and a commentary on temporary art audiences.

Hailed by The New York Times as "some of the most miraculous works of modern art America has produced," the nationally acclaimed Gee’s Bend Quilt exhibition honors the aesthetics of women’s traditional craft. Indeed the work is visually stunning and is a creative departure from both traditional and most contemporary quilting aesthetics. On the other hand it is impossible to separate aesthetics from context. By bringing this work into the halls of High Culture are we not glorifying the poverty and oppression of African American Communities? Somehow, the dirt and stains of slavery become art when exhibited in the galleries of the stunning new de Young Museum.

The historical context is provided to viewers through photographs depicting the hard life of sharecroppers of the 1930’s, and audio and video recordings of the women singing spirituals as they quilt together. The stories of hardship survived through strength of spirit are directly evidenced in the worn ragged quilts. I could weep with compassion for a lifestyle so distant from my own experience of privilege and relative ease.

As an artist I’m inspired by the direct indication of women’s hands. These quilts do not aim for perfection. The ragged patching, bunched up seams, and irregular shapes exude a kind of homey comfort that only human touch can offer. I can imagine these quilts piled on tip of an old bed, heavy with the warmth and love of a God prayed through a woman’s hands as stitched.

I am inspired to allow my hand to show in my work; to allow the loose ends and rough edges to remain. But if I disjoin my aesthetics form my life my work is not art will remain superficial and lack depth of meaning. I fear seeing this testimony to human flourishing turned into a style or a fad designed for commercial profit. As contemporary artists allow the Quilts of Gee’s Bend to inform and influence their work I would advocate the deliberate action of prayer also be worked into our pieces and squares. Perhaps through our work we can acknowledge the frailty of our lives and the precariousness of human survival.

For us, on the outside, it is easy to focus on the aesthetic qualities of worn recycled fabrics and naïve technique so that we don’t have to think about the cause of poverty or feel the pain of racism that is at the core of this work. The Quilts of Gee’s Bend are the highest of art in that they combine the exquisite and authentic sense of design with the power and meaning of utilitarian craft, politics and spirituality.
Vin