Thursday, October 16, 2014

Vintage Quilts: Freeing Color


While modernists were struggling to free color from
imagery, quiltmakers were nonchalantly
setting a standard for abstraction that is hard to meet.



Quilts born of necessity and available fabric
seem perfectly modern when displayed on a wall.







Even quilts made in conventional patterns
can look like mere structure for applying color
(sort of like toast as a structure for applying butter.)





Color depends on technology. It's only in the
mid-20th century that dyers have been
able to give consumers a true range of colors.












Although some turn-of-the-20th-century
women did quite well with the limited
shades available at the time.



6 comments:

  1. These quilts are nothing short of thrilling! Thanks for pointing out how quilt-makers, through necessity, came up with modern looks long ago.

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  2. Marvelous quilts - thank you for sharing!

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  3. Encore merci for these inspiring quilts !

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