Faces in Cages
‘Faces in Cages’ is an art quilt made by Deborah Fell. The 100″ x 100″ is completely stitched by hand. Completed in 2020, the art quilt won a Juror’s Choice Award in Quilt National 2021.
Art Statement
The entire quilt is stitched by hand. The random, uneven stitching, the rawness of the materials, the not squared borders—this is my acknowledgement to humanity. Flaws are seen everywhere, including the back of the quilt, and furthers the evidence of humanity.
This quilt has taken two years. The initial intention was to bring awareness to our country’s southern border treatment of refugees. Two years is a long time. It is June 1, 2020, and as I was stitching tonight, it occurred to me that these faces go beyond the border crisis. So my question is—who’s faces are these? Are these the faces of the Covid 19 pandemic that has taken over 150,000 lives in our country? Are they faces of people in the food pantry line? What about the children who have been killed in school shootings? Are these the faces of Holocaust murders? Is it George Floyd? I don’t know the answers. You decide. Have we lost our way?
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Founded in 1979, Quilt National was intended to demonstrate the transformations taking place in the world of quilting. Its purpose was then, and still is, to carry the definition of quilting far beyond its traditional parameters and to promote quiltmaking as what it always has been — an art form. Celebrating the forty-second anniversary of the premier contemporary quilt biennial exhibition, The Dairy Barn Art Center presents Quilt National ’21.
Founded in 1979, Quilt National was intended to demonstrate the transformations taking place in the world of quilting. Its purpose was then, and still is, to carry the definition of quilting far beyond its traditional parameters and to promote quiltmaking as what it always has been — an art form. Celebrating the forty-second anniversary of the premier contemporary quilt biennial exhibition, The Dairy Barn Art Center presents Quilt National ’21. Quilt National ’21 features 84 new artworks by artists living in 14 countries and 5 continents. Juried by Nancy Bavor, Brigitte Kopp, and Karen Schulz, selected the artworks that compose the 22nd biennial exhibition.