Many pieces to make a whole
Quilting is a uniquely American art form born from pragmatic use of old cloth. Chen Nan takes a close look at how this simple craft has evolved into stunning artwork.
In her decades-long career, African-American quilt artist Edna J. Patterson-Petty has never used patterns, photos or drawings.
"It's all in my head," says the 67-year-old artist from East St. Louis, Illinois. "My ideas come to me in dreams and from talking to people or listening to a favorite song. In essence, I draw ideas from my everyday existence."
Patterson-Petty's upcoming workshop at Beijing's Ullens Center for Contemporary Art is intended to be a cultural exchange. The artist will guide group discussions, encouraging people to jot down thoughts, words and shapes that come to mind when they think of themselves.
Edna J. Patterson-Petty's works function as testaments to the inventiveness of African-American culture. Photos provided to China Daily |
When she creates a new patchwork block, she simply tears up strips of cotton and folds the fabric. When she is making something for a client, she wants to hear their stories so she can get a feeling for what they really want. Then she marries her creativity with their stories to make an art quilt that is specifically for them.
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"My art is more than art quilts. It is an emotional journey filled with pleasant memories," Patterson-Petty says.
Fascinated by fabrics since childhood, she started by helping her mother recycle their worn-out clothes for a bed quilt. Her mother taught her how to remove waistbands from skirts and pants and they had a jar for buttons and a bag for zippers.
She doesn't remember the first piece, but she remembers how creating it made her feel. "It makes me happy. It always allows me an outlet, a way of maneuvering through life," she says.
Her mother made quilts by hand because she didn't have a sewing machine. Patterson-Petty learned to sew by machine at high school and for a long time made her own clothes.
Her grandfather gave her first sewing machine, and she taught her mother how to use it.
It wasn't until she was a mother of four that she enrolled in art school and learned how to use dyes and paints.
"Though fabric is not my only medium, it's my first love," she laughs.