The Quilts of Gee's Bend [Hardcover]

William Arnett (Author), Alvia Wardlaw (Author), Jane Livingston (Author), John Beardsley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 23, 2002

Since the 19th century, the women of Gee’s Bend in southern Alabama have created stunning, vibrant quilts. Beautifully illustrated with 110 color illustrations, The Quilts of Gee’s Bend includes a historical overview of the two hundred years of extraordinary quilt-making in this African-American community, its people, and their art-making tradition. This book is being·released in conjunction with a national exhibition tour including The Museum of Fine Art, Houston, the Whitney Museum of American Art, The Corcoran Gallery of Art, The Museum of Fine Art, Boston, The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Milwaukee Art Museum, The High Museum of Art, Atlanta, The Mobile Museum of Art, and The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Gee's Bend, Alabama, is a hamlet of 750 residents, most of whom are the descendants of slaves from the former Pettway plantation (and bear the surname Pettway), who during the New Deal purchased farms from the government. For much of the last century, the women of Gee's Bend have produced some of the most striking examples of American vernacular art, sharing them among the community and storing them within their homes. Aside from a brief stint of notoriety during a Civil Rights-era "Freedom Quilting Bee," this catalogue, accompanying an exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and New York's Whitney Museum of American Art, marks the work's entry into the public sphere. Founded by art collector William Arnett and Jane Fonda, the nonprofit Tinwood Alliance devotes itself to the cultural legacy of Gee's Bend, here offering 195 illustrations (162 in full color) documenting the quilts and the lives of many of their makers. The oversize format allows the many full-page reproductions to approximate the sensation of a large quilt spread on the page; the many "Housetop" quilts, with arresting geometric patterns and terrific color sense, speak for themselves. The book and exhibition make an important contribution to American cultural history.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

At first glance, the quilts of this collection are simply stunning--rich colors in surprising combinations, refreshingly irregular geometric compositions with hardly a right angle among them, big blocks whose seams virtually vibrate with energy. Then consider the history of the community they come from, and these quilts become a stunning illustration of resourcefulness. Gee's Bend, a remote peninsula on the Alabama River, is an isolated place, one that has known extreme poverty and struggle. Its quilters of the twentieth century are showcased here. Three insightful essays on the community's history and its quilting tradition make up for a self-consciously scholarly introduction. The words of the quilters themselves follow. Brief accounts of their lives and thoughts on quilting accompany full-page photographs of their accomplishments. This large-format hardcover, and coinciding exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art, should guarantee the women of Gee's Bend the prominence they deserve in the story of the American quilt. Marya Graff
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Tinwood Books; First Edition edition (September 23, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965376648
• ISBN-13: 978-0965376648
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 0.9 x 13.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #320,852 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

88 of 93 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Long Over Due!!! January 19, 2003

By Donna Pettway

Format:Hardcover

Congratulations!!!! A few of these women are my aunts and they have been working so hard at this all their lives, I am so happy that they are finally getting the recognition that they deserve. They used to make so many quilts when we were younger and just give them away to family members as Xmas gifts, now they are being hung in museums around the US and I have proudly displayed my childhood quilts so everyone will know just how proud I am of them!!! Now I know the Pettway woman will always be remembered for the proud and strong women they are.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtaking, Eyeopening, and Extraordinary. A Must Have October 31, 2002

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

While in Houston for the International Quilt Festival, I went to the Museum of Fine Arts to see this exhibition. Fitting this into the already busy schedule wasn't easy, but am I glad I did. I have never been more moved in my life. It is hard to imagine that anything could be more moving and beautiful than the story of these remarkable women. Except for their quilts. Words can not describe these creations. I am struck by how the beautiful images in this book capture so well the actual quilts in the exhibition. In addition to looking for adjectives to describe the quilts, I am struggling to find something to compare them to-without any luck. They defy comparison or definition. I applaud the museum and the publisher for making this available to us all. This book will stay on my shelves, front and center. My Christmas shopping is complete.

54 of 59 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars don't let the word "quilt" fool you! A coffee table art bk. January 8, 2003

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is truly a coffee table art book, not just a "quilt" book. The quality of the photographs, book paper, etc. has the look, feel, and smell of a fine art book. I was very impressed. The quilts themselves are beautiful -- some were more my taste than others, I'll admit; but all respectable. Many of them had a very modern art feel to them-- brilliant colors, textural, geometric. The supplemental photographs and text are also wonderful-- crisp black and white photos of the artists and worthy biographies. These are the best examples I've seen of African-American quilts, and indeed this is a stunning art book all the way around.