Exhibition 19: QUILTS

 

 

 

Magicdryclean creates quilts from old and antique patchworks collected from across the USA. While the final quilts are assembled and sewn in Germany, the patchworks stem from early 1900 to midcentury America. Supported by a new batting (the middle layer) and a sturdy backing (the bottom layer), old patchworks (or “quilt tops”) are brought back to life as functional pieces of art, to be displayed and also used as duvets or tablecloths.

In America, quilting goes back to colonial times where it was a practical way to create bedding by stitching together various pieces of cloth. Over time, it grew into an art form, adopted by all social, ethnic and religious groups.

At a first glance, the geometrical patterns and arrangement of colors catch one’s eye. But a closer look reveals intricate details, imperfections and tiny secrets stitched into a mosaic of fabrics that recall other periods in history. Vague hints to personal backgrounds sometimes appear in embroidered names or remnants of small notes left during the process of assembly. 
This is why each finished patchwork quilt has a name, individually chosen to fit the quilt’s distinct character and style.

Magicdryclean gets its own name from a family-owned dry-cleaning business, which had a similar concept of maintaining the character of clothing, while giving it a chance to sparkle again.

Dreamed up by a former art restorer, Magicdryclean is based on the concept of continuation and transformation, not to mention a love of textiles. With each quilt, Magicdryclean preserves a patchwork’s cultural heritage, while creating a new context for the piece to be used and enjoyed, not as a relic but as a modern design with an appreciation for the past.