What Do You Think About This?
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Becky |
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Art and Artists, Design Magazines, Design Press | 8 Comments
Are you really excited about this or does it bug you (it’s a rug)?:
This weekend I devoured the Design Fall insert in the NYTimes. It was a great issue. There was one ad that bothered me, and I’m not sure why. I am obsessed with the Gee’s Bend Quilts exhibit. It was one of the most moving exhibits I’ve ever attended. I was excited when they were put on stamps. I send the notecards. I didn’t care when some of the quilts were reproduced, though I really wouldn’t want one. But somehow, seeing it on a rug just bugs me. Am I nuts? Perhaps it’s that the originals were crafted from old used worn out denim overalls and mattress ticking, and you could see the dirt and stains on them, and see the handwork in the stitches and picture the woman making it, and imagine what her life was like. That kind of beauty does not seem to translate to a luxury rug for me. What do you think? I couldn’t find any information about whether or not Gee’s Bend is benefiting from the sales of the rugs, which cost thousands of dollars each. This might sway me more the other way.
- photo from abchome.com
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October 2nd, 2008 at 9:29 am (#)
the pattern is not as beautiful without the texture and depth of the multiple pieces of fabric. The flat uniformity of a rug kills the handmade imperfections inherent in the originals.
JSpooner
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:00 am (#)
I’m with you, Becky. The beauty you could find it the originals can’t be replicated onto a fancy smancy rug.
October 3rd, 2008 at 3:43 am (#)
I agree. I think part of the problem is that it looks faux homemade, which is a pet peeve of mine. It’s meant to look like something which derives its beauty from being homemade, yet the rug itself is mass produced. There’s some cognitive dissonance there; the lines on the rug aren’t parallel although you know they _could_ be, unlike with the homemade quilt.
October 3rd, 2008 at 7:29 am (#)
Well said you guys. I knew it bugged me, but I could not put my finger on why, much less express it so astutely! Thanks!
October 7th, 2008 at 2:22 pm (#)
You may want to contact Barbara Barran of Classic Rug (classicrug.com). I believe she owns the company manufacturing the line and could probably shed some light on whether the people of Gee’s Bend are benefitting from the rug sales.
December 28th, 2008 at 7:17 pm (#)
Thank you, Troy, for suggesting that people go right to the source for information. I was one of the first people to sign a licensing agreement with the quilters, and we are currently working on a renewal. Naturally, I pay the quilters a royalty for the use of their designs; in fact, I was one of the few license holders who were not sued by two of the quilters.
I totally agree that the quilts are more beautiful than the rugs; however, the quilts are one-of-a-kind museum objects. I call my rugs a translation of the quilters’ work. Each one is completely made by hand, not mass produced, and I replicate the size and color of the original quilts as closely as I can. The rugs are meant to honor the designs of the quilters, and in person, they are quite lovely.
Licensed products represent a major source of income for the quilters. They are very happy with our agreement, and I am proud and honored to be associated with the women of Gee’s Bend.
December 29th, 2008 at 8:41 am (#)
Troy, thank you for the information. Somehow your comment slipped right past me when you left it – I just saw it for the first time today.
Barbara, thank you for the clarifications as well. While the rugs are certainly not for me, I am happy to hear that the quilter’s are benefiting from the production of the rugs.
Becky
September 9th, 2009 at 8:29 am (#)
Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog.
Cheers! Sandra. R.