Book review: Cutting-Edge Art Quilts

You know that I review a lot of books.  And since there's only a certain number of hours in each day, it is rare that I read every single word in each book, especially because many contain very similar material.  HOWEVER, every now and then a book comes along that I spend many hours with until I feel that I've absorbed all it has to offer.  And then I read it again.

Cutting-Edge Art Quilts by Mary W Kerr (published by Schiffer Books) is such a book.  Mary has collected the work of dozens of artists into one amazing volume.  Each artist has shared a statement about his or her work, including inspirations, methodology, materials, and when appropriate, technique tips for the reader.  As my eye darted back and forth between these words and the incredible images of work that is included, I felt a swell of pride in these artists.  These are the people who make us proud to work in mixed media and in art quilting.  These are the people who have worked for years and years to master their craft, and the spectacular results are arranged from cover to cover in this book.

Mary arranged the artists according to some broad categories: color, alternative fibers, threadwork, special techniques, 3-D designs, and photographic inspiration.  Some of the quilt artists could easily have been showcased in more than one category, but I'm not going to quibble with that.  When you've got such a diverse group of artists, you've got to find some way to organize them!

It was so difficult to pick favorites, but I finally settled on two to show you, largely because these two favorites were so different from each other, but I loved them both.  Cara Gulati was profiled in the color section, and I think you'll immediately see why.  Her quilts create a sense of movement and excitement:

Magna Cum Laude, 2006, 36 x 60, Cara Gulati
Photo by Gregory Case Photography

    
Another of my favorites is Wen Redmond, who is found in the special techniques category due to her exciting work with creating "holographs" with fabric.  As I read about her technique, I realized that no photo can ever capture the magic that these quilts must achieve.  I hope someday to be able to see one in person!

Winter Tree, 2008, 26 x 21, Wen Redmond

If you are a fabric lover, a mixed media dabbler, or an art quilt practitioner, you desperately need to see this book.  It will set your head spinning and your fingers itching to start stitching!


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