The MQG are the self-professed keepers of he modern movement, and defining it is important to them. QuiltCon is their flagship show, and the set the rules to support their definition. I’m not sure why it was important to speak about the “derivative”. I think they should have perhaps spoken to their membership before they did it, but they are soliciting input now. I hope it was done to hopefully encourage some really original work, and that we keep an eye on and call out any inclusion of what seems to be the popular cronies. As for rejection – as long as judging is in the hands of humans (who are as different as snowflakes) there will always be differing opinions as to what is acceptable and/or good. With rules, you have something by which to measure these very subjective things. I will say this tho… if you want to enter this or any other show, read the rules and follow them. Don’t deliver something that doesn’t fit and then be surprised to be rejected.

Can’t think of one off the top of my head. The fine art I see copied most in fiber is Klimt’s work – the women in gold. Anything that tiles in different colors is usually a riff (knowingly or otherwise) on Warhol – who got inspiration for that by being in church with his family a lot, looking a walls and walls of paintings of orthodox icons. Art comes from anywhere and everywhere!

Thanks. Fascinating! Seems the fame of the baptism painting came after Leonardo became famous for his own work. Is there anyone famous for a piece that is totally in a master’s style, almost a copy? (And not one first mistaken for the master’s)?

As to quilt show/publication, what you describe shows the parallel almost exact. One would not submit for publication to a journal with a very different mission than the article submitted.

Hi Claire – one of the most cited examples in art history is a young Leonardo Da Vinci’s angel in a Verrocchio painting – info here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Baptism_of_Christ_(Verrocchio). Camille Claudel did a lot of hands and feet for Rodin, and had a career as a sculptor herself, but her career was stunted by Rodin’s refusal to support her talent (while continuing to enjoy a relationship with her as his mistress). He was a brilliant artist, but not a great human 🙂
As for the quilt show… each show makes its own rules, so it’s important to know what they are when you enter. It’s effectively their party, so they can refuse to invite the quilts they don’t deem a good fit for whatever reason. Some shows are happy to hand examples that have obviously sprung from other sources (like patterns), others look for something else. Knowing what they want is the first step to getting in.

I’m also making a comparison to writing. I’ve written many a term paper that was a good exercise in learning, but it was not publishable. To what extent is a quilt show like/unlike publishing?

thanks, this was a delightfully stimulating way to start my day!

Thank you Ursula!

Hi Allison
Actually, my comment system put your comment on hold because of the links you put in it (it tags those automatically as spam) and I just missed seeing that it wasn’t active. I don’t actively hold comments for approval, I sort of let the chips fall as I think an active dialog is a good thing, as long as it’s not hostile 🙂 I think I’ve killed maybe a handful of comments over the lifetime of my blog – all for what I consider to be an unacceptable level of ugly – this is, after all, my house.
As for the links you shared – I did not add them to my blog because 1: I’ve been traveling so handling this wasn’t at the top of my list and 2: 13 Spools says “its OK to copy my quilts even if you don’t buy the pattern” and I just want to boil over on that statement. It’s NOT OK. The people creating the intellectual property are owed a portion of the revenue stream, and saying this hurts us all. She has another job, so she can afford to say it, but I don’t – this is my entire livelihood, and I need the support of all makers to raise the bar on this. Every time we give something up for free, we teach the buying public that free is the going rate. When a blogger/designer legitimizes it through writing it on their blog, it now can be pointed to as evidence that “she doesn’t mind” so why am I whining about getting paid?
Anyway – thanks for caring enough to write. Yep… interesting times.

Sorry, I see that you have now approved my comment. Thanks. I didn’t see it for a while and was concerned I had put my large boot in my big mouth and done something to offend someone that I was intending to support.