I heard good things about The Quilts of Gee’s Bend on NPR a couple years ago, and I’ve finally taken a look at the book for myself.
Here’s a little background– the Gee’s Bend community is impoverished, geographically isolated and populated by decedents of slaves and sharecroppers. Their unique style of quiltmaking caught the eye of outsiders and the quilts are now internationally known and respected.
Gee’s Bend quilters use a lot of material from worn-out clothing and factory scraps. What makes the quilts look unique is their seemingly haphazard geometry. While the patterns have a geometric layout, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a straight line or right angle anywhere.
I enjoyed this book but I’m not sure what to think of it. The book shows quilts and short biographies of the women who made them, along with a brief history of Gee’s Bend. I think it’s always hard to be entirely comfortable with a book that describes people so far removed from its intended audience. It’s so difficult for me to relate to the people of Gee’s Bend; what their lives were like and under what conditions these quilts were made. If the quilts were shown without the personal and historical context I’d be left wondering about their provenance. Reading the background in this format is either too much or still not enough information for me. I feel like a voyeur and it makes me feel accountable, but for what?
I think the quilts are beautiful and their organic quality is very pleasing to me. It may be that the unease I have with this book is the very feeling I should have– there is no way for me to be comfortable with their circumstances if the quilters were not comfortable themselves. But it’s not clear to me if they lead happy lives or not… and maybe it is not for me to know. I respect their quiltmaking, and that’s where I’ll leave it.
