Quilting Reflects Culture in Unique and Sometimes Controversial Ways
No other craft in American Culture is more unique or infused with history, politics and
cultural identification than the art of quilting, and yet it may be one of the most
overlooked art forms being practiced today.
What makes it so unique is that quilting reflects our history in ways no other art can:
It is a highly individual American tradition because it has been developed to serve as a
creative and artful reflection of a union of different ethnic and cultural traditions.
From a historical perspective, quilting’s roots are not as symbolic or even emotionally
creative. Quilting began as a necessary household chore: patching together bits of
fabric to make blankets, clothing and other items was a necessity.
Today, of course, quilting is much more than a household chore. It is viewed by quilters
and non-quilters alike, as a genuine art form. Along with the development of our
country, quilting has been preserved as a symbol in our tradition as a country.
For many, quilting is a genuine symbolization of the union of African and European
traditions; a unique joining of the two, rather than a separation, and is often
considered to be a symbol of deep, highly personal themes of self-expression; a union of
opposite values or people; the formation of close bonds among women and kin; a cherished
“patchwork” of someone’s heritage, history, family, comfort, love, and commitment.
American quilting has become a type of symbol used not only for individual artists or
authors, but as a symbol for nationalism. The fabrics are the bones of the canvas, but
how they are pieced together and the mixing of fabric with other items that “belong” to a
culture or history, are an extension of the heart.
Quilting is of course symbolically linked to American Colonialism and stands as a
national symbol of the forging of new lands, new ideas, and ultimately the creation by
immigrants of a new country, independent of European and/or British rule.
Quilting is a compilation of contrasting shapes, colors and patterns, and as such, serves
as an ideal medium for expression of opposing ideas; an intermingling of cultural
practices; and a collectivized tradition of imbuing present culture with pieces of a
culture that perhaps no longer exists.
The colorful variety of fabrics used in creating quilt projects is highly textual, but
not only in the literal sense. The landscape of a quilt is as much a narrative symbol of
the hands and culture behind its making as an documentary or novel, and it is the fabric
that tells the story.
If you happen to know the creator of a quilt, you can know a little about the stories
behind the quilt itself, and sometimes there are many stories patched together. It is
possible for anyone to navigate the intermingling of squares, colors, textures and styles
of fabric used to put the quilt together and, piece by piece to build a narrative that
reflects the emotional, political and intellectual history behind it. When that happens,
you have come to realize that a quilt is not just a blanket.
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