Crafters Anonymous: Quilting is not a craft, but an art
Anne Datko discusses the stitching on one of her quilts in her Ogden apartment on Friday, Mar. 11, 2016. Datko makes art quilts with intricate quilting and abstract dyed fabrics.
Art quilts cover the wall's of Anne Datko's Ogden apartment on Friday, Mar. 11, 2016. Datko's work has been shown around the country and around the world.
Art quilts cover the wall's of Anne Datko's Ogden apartment on Friday, Mar. 11, 2016. Datko's work has been shown around the country and around the world.
OGDEN — Sometimes I think I should just change the name of this column to “Artists Anonymous.”
Anne Datko, 81, of Ogden agrees with me.
She said women’s art “is not valued, so we don’t sign it and we can’t find the history concerning the piece,” whether it is knitted, embroidered, tatted, crocheted or quilted.
I have rarely added a tag to my crocheted items with my name on it. I generally change a pattern because I want a different look or I will think about what I want to make with certain yarns or fibers and come up with my own creations.
And yet, I don’t call it art. My sister would slap me. She says crocheting is an art form using yarn or other materials to create beauty. She is always creating her own patterns, whether it is crocheting, sewing or quilting.
Datko quilts. But it certainly is not the traditional quilting my grandmothers, father and aunts did. It’s art quilting.
Datko has had many of her pieces in exhibitions sponsored by the Studio Art Quilter Associates, which has included exhibits in Washington, D.C., as well as around the world.
Recently she put a piece at the Eccles Community Art Center’s “Black and White” exhibit. She had taken a photo of shoreline in Newfoundland when she lived back East. She used the photo as a reference and created a black and white quilted piece of the shoreline.
She has a colored quilted piece almost exactly like it, except it has a an old clock in it, hanging on her wall in her home.
“We’re just pleased to have fabric pieces included in our exhibits,” said Debra Muller, assistant director of the Eccles Community Center. “Anne (Datko) and a couple of others have contributed beautiful fabric pieces to our competitions.”
Datko loves to see what she can do with fabric, whether it is cutting and sewing it to another piece, dying it to give it a unique look or adding objects to it, like driftwood, nails or buttons.
“I do not make anything that is useful,” Datko said with a laugh and a wave of her arm.
Datko refuses to make table runners, placemats or even a quilt for a bed.
Her quilted pieces tell stories. Stories about the country the fabric may have come from. Stories about something Datko has felt or experienced.
Once Datko starts talking to you about quilting, art, fabric and the process of creating, you should be ready to be entertained. She is not shy at all.
“Quilters are the happiest people in the world,” said Datko, who moved to Ogden from Maryland about two years ago.
Her reason to move to Utah was to be closer to her son and his family who live in Ogden.
Datko’s studio has shelves of fabric from France, Japan, Netherlands, Indonesia, as well as themed fabric, like motorcycle prints and children’s prints.
And there are two wicker baskets filled with fabric scraps.
“Look,” Datko said as she grabbed a handful, “isn’t this a treasure trove? What can we do with this?”
When Datko starts a quilt piece she begins with putting pieces of fabric on work board that hangs on her wall.
She said it is easier to see how the fabric works together when it is hanging up than when she is looking over it laying on her work table.
“I want the quilt to speak for itself,” Datko said.
She uses thread not just to sew pieces together, but to be part of the story she is telling.
One thing Datko misses since coming to Utah is meeting with other art quilters to discuss the craft.
She said she does not want to teach art quilting, but would like to meet with others for discussions about projects. Anyone interested can contact her at datkoa@msn.com.
You can reach reporter Loretta Park at lpark@standard.net or at 801-625-4252. Follow her on Twitter@LorettaPark SE or like her on Facebook.