VISTAS: Reaching Back, Looking Forward with the Qu’aint Collaboration by Sarah Atlee
When you think about quilts, you might picture Grandmother’s house—a four-poster bed, well-worn cottons sewn together in traditional patterns, keeping you warm on winter nights. Sound familiar? Sound like ancient history? Some say quilting is a lost art. The Qu’aint (Quilt + Paint) Collaboration is here to show audiences that quilting is thriving and inspiring contemporary artists to reach new aesthetic ground. Our collective of seven Oklahoma artists is engaged in an ongoing conversation between painting and quilting, past and present. These two art forms may appear different at first, but they overlap in various ways. The maker’s use of shape, color, line, and texture are ever-present concerns. Styles can range from the obsessively tight to big, broad strokes. The comparison also raises some interesting questions. Is there a meaningful difference between craft and art? Functional and decorative objects? Do people talk about quilts and paintings differently? Agnes Stadler (OKC) sees quilting as a fascinating way to stand between two worlds. “One is that of traditional sewing patterns and intricate rows of stitching, techniques that were devised by generations of quilters that came before me. The other, much more exciting realm, is the artistic expression of how I see the everchanging world around me.” I’ve been on both sides of this dialogue, having learned both painting and quilting in high school. Painting was my primary medium until 2016, when quilting elbowed its way to the front of my brain. I made it my mission to connect with other quilters in Oklahoma. By joining the OKC chapter of the Modern Quilt Guild, I met future collaborators Agnes Stadler, Ann Solinski, Brenda Esslinger, and Elizabeth Richards. Through membership with Fiber Artists of Oklahoma, I learned about the quilts of Susan R. Michael (Tulsa), and was immediately hooked on her style: meticulous, yet organic. For painter Jason Wilson (McAlester), quilts have always been a part of his artistic consciousness. He has fond memories of
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the quilts that his grandmother and greatgrandmothers stitched by hand. Wilson’s paintings, hard-edge geometric abstractions full of vivid colors, are strongly influenced by those patchwork treasures. In 2018, the OKC Modern Quilt Guild held an exhibition of quilts at Artspace at Untitled in Oklahoma City, concurrent with Fiber Artists of Oklahoma’s Fiberworks show nearby. At Fiberworks, Wilson spotted a quilt by Brenda Esslinger (OKC) that looked like something he would have painted. After visiting the two shows, Wilson began talking with other quilters, myself included. Wilson visited Esslinger’s studio soon after, and the Qu’aint Collaboration was born. First, we chose one of Wilson’s paintings. Each of the quilting artists interpreted that painting in fabric. We’ve repeated the cycle several times. For the next phase of the project, Wilson has been making new paintings based on our quilts. Ann Solinski (OKC) sees this process as both an opportunity and a challenge to share her passion with the public. “I am especially excited about our creative growth as a group and individuals.” Collaboration is a journey. In our case, we begin and end at the same points, but all take different paths to get there. Brenda Esslinger says that Qu’aint has been good for her creativity, “challenging me to move in new and exciting directions. The support and inspiration I receive from my fellow artists has kept me motivated during these trying times.” For Elizabeth Richards (OKC), creativity and community go hand in hand. “The Qu’aint Collaboration has given me a chance to explore my style as a quilt artist. I am inspired by this group of artists, and enjoy their friendship and encouragement.” Several shows later, we’re going strong, in spite of some personnel changes, the pandemic, and a near-fatal car wreck Wilson experienced in 2019. (After the accident, we naturally responded by making Wilson a quilt. We titled it Group Hug.) We are excited to present Qu’aint’s fifth exhibition, Vistas, at Leslie Powell Foundation Gallery in Lawton. Viewers can see how our work has evolved through the project’s stages.
Wilson is proud to honor his grandmothers’ skills. “The dream that was born from their painstaking work that turned fabric into art is now reality; our Qu’aint creations are being seen in galleries throughout Oklahoma, and one day I hope they will be seen around the world.” Susan R. Michael finds the collaborative adventure a way to connect with history. “I feel fortunate to be a part of the quilting tradition.” Explore tradition through a contemporary lens at Vistas, on display at the Leslie Powell Foundation Gallery through August 27, 2021. The gallery is located at 620 SW D Avenue, Lawton, Oklahoma. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 12-4 pm. For more information visit lpgallery.org or call 580 357 9526. Follow along with the Qu’aint Collaboration at facebook.com/ quaintcollaboration. n Sarah Atlee (OKC) pivoted to quilting fulltime after 20 years as a professional painter. Visitors are always welcome at SarahAtlee.com.
Sarah Atlee, Signal Aspect, 2019, deconstructed garments and other fabrics, machine pieced and quilted, 29” x 37”
