Amish Abstractions: Quilts from the Collection of Faith and Stephen Brown [Hardcover]

Joe Cunningham (Author), Robert Shaw (Author), Janneken Smucker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 2009

At first glance, Amish quilts may appear curiously similar to works by the great abstract artists of the twentieth century. With their vibrant colors and bold geometric forms, the handcrafted designs seem reminiscent of paintings by Joseph Albers, Mark Rothko, and Frank Stella, among others. This visual coincidence invites a deeper appreciation of the quilts and the communities in which they were created. Closer examination reveals that the principles of the Amish faith--simplicity, humility, discipline, and community--are masterfully stitched into each design. Colorful and dynamic, the remarkable quilts radiate the harmony and dignity of Amish life while providing a window onto the history of American art and textile traditions.

Published in conjunction with the exhibition organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Amish Abstractions: Quilts from the Collection of Faith and Stephen Brown explores the origins, techniques, and context of these visual masterpieces. More than seventy-five quilts originating in communities throughout Pennsylvania and the Midwest from the 1880s to the 1940s are presented with contributions by three quilt experts: Joe Cunningham, a well-known quilt artist, author, and lecturer; Robert Shaw, an independent curator of numerous quilt exhibitions; and Janneken Smucker, a doctoral candidate at the University of Delaware specializing in quilts from the Amish and Mennonite traditions.

Includes Collector's Note by Faith and Stephen Brown. 128 pages with more than 90 color images. Size: 9 x 10.5 inches. Smyth-sewn casebound book, with jacket.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

About Joe Cunningham: Joe Cunningham's early mentors were steeped in quilt history and traditional techniques, leading him to a life of studying, making, and writing about quilts. He travels widely to lecture and teach on the subject. Cunningham lives in San Francisco with his wife and two sons.

About Robert Shaw: Robert Shaw, former curator at the Shelburne Museum in Vermont, is the author of American Quilts: The Democratic Art, 1780-2007 and numerous other books. He has curated quilt exhibitions in the United States, Europe, and Japan; written articles for The Magazine Antiques and other publications; and served as a consultant to private collectors, museums, and Sotheby's.

About Janneken Smucker: Janneken Smucker is a PhD candidate in American civilization at the University of Delaware. Research for her dissertation, 'From Rags to Riches: Amish Quilts and the Crafting of Value,' has been generously supported by fellowships from the Smithsonian Institution, Winterthur Museum and Library, the International Quilt Study Center and Museum at the University of Nebraska--Lincoln, and the American Quilt Study Group.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Pomegranate (November 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764951653
• ISBN-13: 978-0764951657
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 9.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #170,020 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amish Quilts At Their Best - A Truly Unique Collection, January 23, 2010

By 

Marie "ZQuilts" (Friday Harbor, WA, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Amish Abstractions: Quilts from the Collection of Faith and Stephen Brown (Hardcover)

I have been enamored with Amish Quilts for more years than I care to admit to! My obsession with them began with an exhibit of Amish Quilts at the Whitney Museum in New York City in the 1970's. I have always thought that Amish quilts represent the height of quilt artistry and I've collected books on Amish quilts for many years. I am, therefore, thoroughly delighted to review this new book from Pomegranate Communications!

"Amish Abstractions: Quilts From The Collection of Faith & Steven Brown" is a lush, beautifully printed, book presented by the San Francisco Fine Arts Museums and is, as mentioned above, published by Pomegranate Communications . I have known about Pomegranate as a purveyor of fine cards, book marks and calendars, but I was not aware of their extensive, very beautiful, line of art books. Their catalogue is impressive!

The forward to "Amish Abstractions" is written by John E. Buchanan, Jr. Director of Museums/ Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Faith & Steven Brown have written an excellent `Collector's Note' about their superb collection and the book contains essays written by noted quilt historians; each essay is both interesting and very informative.

Janneken Smucker, quilt historian, presents an excellent, very enjoyable, essay entitled `Quilts In Amish Contexts : Traditions and Adaptations' in which she explains a bit about the history of the Amish, the Amish aesthetic, and how the tradition of Amish quilt making began. This essay offers a compact history of how the Amish began making quilts, initially large scale patterns made from fabrics left over from clothes making - progressing to how the Amish ultimately used more mainstream patterns in their quilt making.

The eminent quilt historian Robert Shaw has contributed an essay entitled "Fundamentally Abstract: The Aesthetic Achievement of Amish Quiltmakers". This is a well written essay that describes the evolution of Amish design work and the historical differences between the quilt styles of various Amish sects. From the Lancaster Amish and their brilliant central diamond designs that feature large open spaces filled with beautiful feathered quilting patterns to the Midwestern Amish quilt makers who favored blue & black, used pieced patterns, and used more main stream cottons and other fabrics as opposed to the wools used by Lancaster County quilters - this essay is an excellent preview to the history of Amish quilt patterns.

An essay contributed by Joe Cunningham, another noted quilt historian, is entitled "All In The Details: The Making of Amish Quilts". It's a concise, well presented introduction to the history of the quilt patterns that were most often used by the Amish.

What I enjoyed the most about this book is that the Brown's collection of Amish quilts contains some amazing examples of quilts that I have seldom seen. The plates in this book offer some prime examples of the large, beautifully quilted, wool quilts of the Lancaster Amish, but there are also some spectacular examples of quilts made from main stream patterns. Amish crazy quilts, abstracts, nine-patch and variations, ocean waves, hole in the barn door, broken dishes - all `main stream' patterns that, in the hands of the Amish, become works of art. The Amish aesthetic and their utilization of colors make the patterns sing and their use of juxtaposed colors raise the patterns from traditional patch work to artistic masterpiece. I think that the artistry in Amish quilts is what has always fascinated me about them - they are brilliant, bold, aesthetically pleasing and, to my eye, they always represent the epitome of quilt artistry.

I highly recommend this book for quilt enthusiasts in general but most certainly quilt historians and those who admire Amish design will be especially pleased with the Faith & Steven Brown Amish quilt collection presented in this book. The color plates are very well done and the text portions of the book are excellent reading. I could go on and on about the patterns and color plates in this book - but it is probably best if you just buy the book! All in all, although I seldom provide the rating, I believe that this book deserves five stars!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars gorgous, September 15, 2010

By 

Tonya Ricucci "unruly quilter" (South Florida) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Amish Abstractions: Quilts from the Collection of Faith and Stephen Brown (Hardcover)

an absolutely beautiful book full of beautiful quilts. I love the fact that there aren't just traditional examples of what you'd expect from Amish quilts but also some real originals made by innovative thinkers. Very inspirational and lovely to look at over and over and over again.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible images, March 14, 2011

By 

Monet - See all my reviews

This review is from: Amish Abstractions: Quilts from the Collection of Faith and Stephen Brown (Hardcover)

I have a small collection of Amish quilt books and this one is by far the best. If you only buy one Amish quilt book, buy this one...it showcases some of the most beautiful examples of Amish quilts I've ever seen. Faith and Stephen Brown amassed quite the collection of Amish quilts over the years, and they did so with a discerning eye for design and detail. This is not simply a collection of Amish quilts, but a collection of the BEST Amish quilts! It contains many of the usual examples of Amish quilting (Bars, Hole in the Barn Door, etc), but also some very unique and innovative designs that I had never seen in an Amish or any other quilt. The essays are fantastic and showcase some of the more recent scholarship on Amish quilting. I look at and read this book frequently!