In 1992, Sue Pierce conceived of a novel project - she wanted to see a deck of cards interpreted as quilts. So over the next two years, she contacted artist-quilters across the US to interest them in the project. Her requirements were straight-forward: each quilt must measure 18x28 inches (the same 9:14 proportions of standard playing cards), must have rounded edges, and must meet her technical definition of being a quilt. The fifty-four artists she gathered each worked separately, and they produced a wide array of quilts, distinct in style, technique and substance.

American quilting, far from a pedestrian and unexalted craft, is in fact a mature and versatile art form, with some remarkable and beautiful work to its credit. Major artists across the centuries have recognized the liberating and challenging aspects of working in textile (see Sonia Delaunay's work in particular), and quilting is just another avenue for textile construction. The materials themselves range from muslin to leather and beyond, and sometimes to anything the artist can imagine. Quilting images can be constructed as a fabric collage or painted and dyed right on the cloth, and a variety of texture can be created with different materials. And the work ranges from the pictorial to the abstract to the decorative.

In 1995, the quilts were shown together for the first time at the Smithsonian's Renwick gallery, and they are now on a three year tour of art galleries across the US. And finally, the works were reassembled back into a deck of cards, their original inspiration, and published by Lark Books. Lark also has published a book about the project, including the history of the project, biographical information of the artists involved, and large and vivid pictures of the works themselves. Quilters and card collectors alike would delight in the book and the deck.

The Joker is by Kathleen O'Connor. The back design is a collage of suit symbols from other cards in the deck.

All images © their respectove artists, displayed here for commentary, analysis and appreciation only.
 

Other cards in this deck can be seen at the Bob Lancaster Gallery of Unusual Playing Cards.