Monday, June 9, 2014

Modern quilting -- the show


I got a notice last week about QuiltCon, the big show sponsored by the Modern Quilt Guild that will be in Austin in February 2015.  I've written in the past about Modern Quilting and what it is, and my fascination with how MQ is different from what I do continues.  (I think it's different, but can't really tell.)

One clue to the things an institution values is how it structures the categories for its shows and awards, so I checked out the QuiltCon juried show info.

In addition to Applique, Fabric Challenge, Youth Quilts, and Group Quilts, definitions that seem pretty obvious, the show has categories for Handwork, Improvisation, Minimalist Design, Use of Negative Space, Piecing, and Modern Traditionalism.  You can enter only one quilt per category.

I can guess how they would judge Handwork, but the rest of them mystify me.  (Detailed category descriptions will appear on the website later.)  Much of my work, for instance, could easily be classified as piecing, improvisation, and minimalist design, and I guess most has some negative space.

More intriguing is trying to imagine the judges' thought process.  "Quilt A is by far the best in design, composition and color, but Quilt B has better negative space!"

The prize money isn't nearly as generous as at that other big quilt show in Texas -- $5000 for best in show, several $1000 prizes and $500 in each category -- but you might want to check it out.  Especially if you are good at negative space.























what do you think?  is this minimalist design?


5 comments:

  1. My plane ticket is bought and hotel room is booked for QuiltCon. Now I just need to get some quilts made. I am more interested in showing my work than winning a prize as judging is so subjective.

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  2. That whole negative space category makes me laugh! I would like to see the examples of that.

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    1. maybe Patty A will report back on what happened in that category

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  3. I don't think of this as minimalist. I think it is complex. And perhaps if you reversed it, maybe it would sit with all the works that are "white" based. My work is complex, and I don't see how it would fit in the Modern Quilt world. But I do like that the photos of the 2014 conventioneers have beer drinkers.

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  4. I do not think it is "modern". My view. Very interesting. I really like it a LOT!

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