[The Guardian] American history all sewn up – in pictures

American history all sewn up – in pictures

Once a luxury item, since the 17th century quilts have evolved into a democratic art form that celebrates collaboration. Fabric of a Nation, a new book, brings together quilts spanning more than 300 years from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. It’s a snapshot of America – Native American history, women’s suffrage, the construction of the railway, the civil rights movement. “Quilts are incredibly accessible objects,” says Jennifer M Swope, who curated the book and exhibition running in Boston. “They have been made and treasured by so many – rich and poor; women and men; urban and rural; white makers and artists of colour. In this way, quilts speak to many threads of the story of America.”

Fabric of a Nation: American Quilt Stories (MFA Publications, £35) is out now; the exhibition will be at Museum of Fine Arts, Boston later this year

Continue reading...
Source: American history all sewn up – in pictures

Feeds culled from https://www.theguardian.com/uk/rss