I have always had difficulty categorizing my work. In fact, when someone asks me what kind of art I create, I just hand them one of my brochures and let them make up their own mind. I find that so much easier than saying I'm a quilter because everyone has an image in mind of what a quilt is, namely a blanket with block designs like their grandmother made. Even if someone knows what an art quilt is, that doesn't help because what I create is so different from what other art quilters make. I finally started to call myself a conceptual artist, for lack of a better term. Sometimes I call myself a sculptor, but since I also make wall hung work, that doesn't always apply.
Recently, I've read about a new category of art that is called conceptual craft or conceptually-based craft. It is being made by artists who work in what are considered to be traditional craft mediums, but who create fine art with it instead. The concept is the important thing, not the functional or decorative qualities. So, is what I make fine art or or fine craft? As the prominent painter, Roger Shimomura, once said about my work, "There is a split second of non-recognition of what I'm looking at, which should be taken as a compliment given all the things I have looked at and evaluated in my life. You sit right on that dangerous border between art & craft and I respect that stance." So, I guess it's both and it's neither.
Miniature artwork
Here's a gratuitous picture of a new work that I've thrown in to make this post a little less boring. This whole piece is only 8" square and is destined for a traveling exhibit for SAQA's 20th anniversary. It is a non-juried exhibit and will travel for a while, then be given to the International Quilt Study Center for their collection. I don't need that particular line on my résumé because the IQSC already owns a quilt of mine, but I made this as a challenge to myself. I wanted to see if I could make a miniature artwork that was 2D and still reflected my style. When the organizers receive it, they will mat and frame it, so I didn't even need to finish the edges. I even have a second long, skinny quilt like the one I used here that I will make into an artwork for me to keep, although I will probably make the overall size 8" x 10" instead.
