Unconventional and Unexpected | The Plaid Portico

What a wonderful way to take in a quilt exhibition, by following an excursion with visitors into Sonoma Valley. The Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, right off the Sonoma town square is hosting an exhibition of quilts from Roderick Kirocofe’s book Unconventional and Unexpected: American Quilts Below the Radar, 1950-2000, through May 17, 2015.

True to curator and quilt collector Roderick Kiracofe‘s eye for maverick quilts, this show is unconventional. Hung not only on walls, there are also quilts hanging from the ceiling and draped over pedestals and the exhibition includes not only finished quilts, but quilt tops and backs of quilts.

A small subset of the many quilts included in the book, it is a refreshing view of these quilts made by “primarily anonymous, often self-taught women working below the radar of the art world….articulate many of the same issues that have been at the core of the development of modern art during the second half of the twentieth century”.

One day I saw this exhibit and soon after I found myself at Quiltcon viewing the special exhibition of quilts from Gee’s Bend and also quilts from the 70’s. And then on to see the very large exhibition of new modern quilts in the main exhibition…it’s amazing. We’ll be covering all the exhibitions of Quiltcon here in the next several weeks, but if you have a chance to see this show in person, please take advantage of it! With the intense momentum of the “modern” quilting, the collections, books and exhibitions of quilt experts and curators such as Roderick Kiracofe are timely and have an immense value as part of the discussion of the modern quilt movement.

Nine Patch (double-sided) c..1975-2000 Found in Texas from the collection of Roderick Kiracofe

Nine Patch (reverse side) c..1975-2000 Found in Texas from the collection of Roderick Kiracofe

Fan c. 1975-2000 Found in Wood County, Texas. From the collection of Roderick Kiracofe

Unconventional and Unexpected Exhibition at The Sonoma Museum of Art

String Diamond c. 1950-1970. Found in South Carolina, from the collection of Roderick Kiracofe

Unique Yo Yo 1964, by Laura Otto (b. 1881 d. 1971) Fairview Park, Ohio, from the collection of Roderick Kiracofe

Mosaic Rose (based on One Patch) c. 1950-2000, found in Arkansas, from the collection of Roderick Kiracofe

Star, variation, c. 1925-1950, found in southwest Ohio, from the collection of Roderick Kiracofe

String (unfinished top) reverse side, c. 1940-1960. Found in Ohio. From the collection of Roderick Kiracofe.

String (unfinished top) c. 1960-1990. found in Alabama, from the collection of Roderick Kiracofe

Grandmother’s Flower Garden, variation. c. 1950-1975 attributed to Donna Settles, Cook County, IL. From the collection of Roderick Kiracofe.

Double Wedding Ring, found in Altadena, CA., c. 1975-2000, from the collection of Roderick Kiracofe

Original Design. c. 1950-1975, attributed to a Mrs. Sparks, found in Anderson, Indiana, from the collection of Roderick Kiracofe

Courthouse Steps (Log Cabin), variation, c. 1950-1975, Found in San Francisco,from the collection of Roderick Kiracofe

Original Design, c. 1975-2000. Found in Alabama. From the collection of Roderick Kiracofe

Flag. 1960-1990. From the collection of Roderick Kiracofe

Brick Wall, 1950-2000, found in Akron, Ohio, from the collection of Roderick Kiracofe

Brick Wall, c. 1950-2000. Found in Akron Ohio. From the collection of Roderick Kiracofe

Strips, c. 1975-2000, found in Southern Louisiana, from the collection of Roderick Kiracofe

X (unfinished top) c. 1950-1970, found in West Tennesee,from the collection of Roderick Kiracofe

House c. 1960-1990 Found in Alabama, from the collection of Roderick Kiracofe

An advance copy of Roderick Kiracofe‘s new book is in my hands, and wow! It is another must-have. Unconventional and Unexpected: America Quilts Below the Radar 1950-2000, a substantial book at 225 pages, is full of photos of 150 “eccentric, maverick and extraordinary quilts made predominantly by anonymous quilters”. Ok, I clearly should not have read the inside cover before doing this review because it just says it all so perfectly. These quilts “represent a twentieth century quilt movement that remains mostly undocumented–until now…..these..represent a freer, more casual, soulful yet bold aesthetic..”.

Roderick Kiracofe COLLECTS quilts. Yes, I continue to be jealous of this. Collecting fabric is great, but collecting whole quilts, ..yum! The introduction is its own soulful rendition of Roderick’s journey to quilt collector and quilt authority. There are incredible essays by quilters, quilt historians and curators that form the structure of the chapters, all sharing in the joy and importance of this collection in different ways.

I am interested in modern quilting, whatever that is. If one is given to speculate about the origins of the current modern quilt movement, with established quilters saying that it is nothing new, then this book sheds some light on the subject. For me, it is an exploration, through actual quilts, of the influences that decidedly are part of what we call modern quilting today.

These are mostly everyday quilts, created for warmth and utility. But what results are quilts that are outside of the box, improvisational, expressing the artistry of the maker. Each makes an indelible mark. Looked at not through current trends, but through a historical lens and a curator’s eye, these mostly anonymous, unique, one-of-a-kind quilts share so much love and history.

Reading this book or just leafing through the pictures is a journey of discovery itself. Thank you for sharing Roderick Kiracofe. This book is an important work. Highly recommend. Surpassed my expectations.