Modern Art – Modern Quilting

There is a great movement going on in modern quilting and home décor right  now. It is happening so fast that it will make your head spin. The fabric choices have never been better. The colors are bright, bold, crisp, and clear. They make you happy! But recently I was amazed to find that these colors were the “in” thing almost 100 years ago.

This painting pictured above by Marsden Hartley was done in 1916. What do you think?  Modern? The colors are so bold and bright my photo does not do it justice. Or what about this painting by Josef Albers?

The painting was done in 1964. Again my photo does not capture the true crispness of the colors. These colors could be found in many of the fabrics available to quilters today.

These paintings and many more can be seen at the Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, Arkansas. Beauty for the eyes both inside the museum and outside on the walking trails. A new children’s museum is being added that will be completed next spring. You can be certain that I will be taking my granddaughters.

As a quilter, I was thrilled to see that the colors we use in modern quilts have an artful history. I guess that saying “everything old is new again” really is true.