I was musing last week about the quilts that have changed my life - made me look at quilt making, art, and my own creative goals in a completely new way.
I am still searching for a picture of the very oldest quilt I can remember that had a smack-to-the-side-of-my-head effect - it was so long ago (1987) that I don't remember the maker's or the quilt's name, only the visceral visual and conceptual impact. :) And I know that it was in the Quilt National exhibit when I saw it. Eventually I'll find my catalog and talk about that quilt, too.
The second quilt I can remember having such an effect on me is shown above - Corona II by Caryl Breyer Fallert. Take the time to click on the link and go to her web page to read about its construction; I found the story compelling. I first saw this quilt on the cover of (I _think_) the American Quilter magazine from AQS - it won the Best in Show prize from the big Paducah, Ky quilt show in 1989.
There are a number of reasons this quilt hit me with full-force impact. First, the colors and visual structure blew me away - I discovered that I truly love curved designs. Previous to seeing this quilt, my main interest in quilt making was in the geometry of patchwork and the glorious combinations and secondary designs you could generate. Applique quilts were few and far between in my then-experience, curved piecing had never been introduced to me, and the idea of a _representational_ quilt design was revolutionary, for me. :)
Secondly, my husband is an astronomer (PhD Astrophysics, actually) and the content of the design was instantly awe inspiring for me. I trained as a scientist and have always had an appreciation for the beauty and artistic potential inherent in scientific subjects. Here, in brilliant, beautiful color was a subject that I found compelling and an execution that was riveting! No wonder I stopped dead in my tracks on the way upstairs as I sorted through my mail that afternoon - the cover of the AQS magazine with Caryl's quilt on it was 'show-stopping' for me. :)
Over the years I have been a quilt maker since seeing Corona II, I've learned many ways to make curvilinear designs in fabric - patchwork, applique, foundation piecing, free-hand rotary cutting, etc. I have changed the focus of my personal art making several times ... but I have never forgotten the impact, the personal importance to me of that quilt. Never think that something you make might not be important to anyone else - you never know how your quilts will have effect on some else's life!
:) Linda
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