I This is my latest quilt. It is called Wild Women #1 and is the first in a series of quilts of myself and 3 friends after painting our faces and posing for the camera.
I know they say that you need to have a thick skin when entering your work in shows, but I think my work is great, and this quilt has been rejected from the last two shows I entered. WAAAAAH!!! One was a museum where my own group was showing and the other was a gallery. I can understand the gallery as my work is bound and not framed, and there is possibly some resistance to quilting as “art”, but I still feel let down. This morning I went to see the show that I was just rejected from and there was work in the show that I considered marginal as compared to mine. I guess it is true that judges and curators are just people with their own taste and they choose work according to their own bias and from their own background. I just feel a little low. I am going to start entering the same quilt in as many shows as I can. Maybe someone will like it…
January 21, 2008 at 1:37 am |
Ranell…I can’t understand why this quilt was rejected!
Your work has power and shows an understanding of the fabric, colours and colour placement. The wild face with the pastel pink shirt (or top) makes the viewer take a second look and wonder about the meaning of the piece!! Isn’t that what we want in a strong art quilt?
I sometimes wonder, when I see a show of rugs or quilts or other art/craft pieces why the particular pieces were chosen! But I think you are right. (The judges must have their own preferences and something outside their comfort zone might be rejected because of that.) Did the judges give any reason for the rejection?
Keep on entering that quilt…let’s hope the next time will be an acceptance!!!! : )
Happy Quilting! Sunnie : )
Folk Art at Old Crow Farm in Vermont
January 25, 2008 at 6:55 am |
It’s their loss Ranell! It is a great piece of art. . . original, vibrant and exciting. I think they’re afraid of stepping out of their comfort zone. Keep trying. Here’s one of my favorite quotes: “Only those who dare to fail can ever achieve greatly.” Go for it!
January 27, 2008 at 6:22 am |
I had the pleasure of seeing this quilt in person today. It is indeed, very powerful, and very mysterious. Ranell, keep working on the other wild wimmin’! This group will take the quilt world by storm!
February 1, 2008 at 7:03 am |
Great attitude! Yep, some folks are blind to the value of things outside of their own definition of art and fine art, but this piece is very good and you should keep entering anywhere and everywhere you feel called.
June 12, 2008 at 7:38 am |
I have a friend who entered an wonderfully beautiful quilt into a major show. She even sent in her entry form early so that there would be no way she could be overlooked. She was devastated when they rejected her quilt!
My theory is that they start from the top of the stack (the last entries) and work their way down to the entries that were mailed first. When they get enough quilts to fill the show, they start sending out rejection notices.
Her quilts really are fabulous. She is a wonderful appliquer and technician, and has one of the finest machine quilters in the country quilting them. Together they make quilts that are absolutely breathtaking. Couldn’t get into that show, though. That quilt later won a second place at Paducah!