Displaying art quilts The versatility of the medium means you have many choices by Cynthia Wenslow
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ince its inception in 1989, SAQA has been instrumental in moving art quilts into the mainstream art conversation and bringing art quilts to contemporary galleries and museums around the world. Exciting exhibitions like Stories of Migration: Contemporary Artists Interpret Diaspora — created by SAQA in collaboration with The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum — are now being envisioned specifically with these venues in mind. With this increasing acceptance and the structural diversity of art quilts, the question of ultimate presentation of the artwork has become more complex. Artists are examining their practices to meet expanding opportunities. SAQA members creating two- dimensional work employ a wide array of finishing and presentation methods. Options include unfinished edges, overstitched edges, facings, traditional quilt bindings, hanging from a fabric sleeve, stretching the work on stretcher bars like paintings, mounting on canvas, matting like a photograph, framing with glass or without, and many combinations of the above. In making these presentation decisions, the artist must consider several factors. These can be broadly divided into aesthetics or purpose. By understanding the choices artists make, collectors can make more informed acquisition decisions as their collections grow. In a recent online discussion,
SAQA members provided some insight into their current thinking about mounting and framing art quilts.
Aesthetics When it comes to the aesthetics of mounting or framing art quilts, artists generally possess one of three mindsets: yes; no; it depends. Susie Monday, a Texas SAQA member, prefers to present her work stretched on wooden frames or, in the case of small works, matted. “I think of my work first as art and second as quilt,” Monday said. “I like the tautness
of the surface and the preciseness of the shape, and that the work stands out from the wall when the textile is stretched. “Although the quilt loses some portability, framing or matting adds formality to the presentation. My work thus can be seen as comparable to a painting on canvas on stretcher bars. Collectors see my work in that way and are willing to consider paying more, too,” Monday concluded. SAQA juried artist Jean M. Judd differs in her outlook. “I have never framed or mounted any of my artwork,”
Susie Monday left: Escape Velocity, 26 x 19 x 3 inches, 2012 right: Pomegranates, 16 x 12 x 1.5 inches, 2015 showing work stretched on wooden frame
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