Material Language:
Contemporary Quilts by Robin Schwalb

Robin Schwalb explores the rich variety of the written word in her graphically compelling quilts and fabric collages. The use of written symbols in her work balances an appreciation of their abstract beauty with the desire to include the "found art" of relevant texts. However, since the natural tendency to read a text disrupts emotional or intuitive responses to the work, the artist tries to circumvent this in several ways: by using individual letters or ideograms from exotic or obsolete languages; by using the text decoratively as a repeating pattern in the background; by so cropping and chopping the text that it becomes illegible; or by concealing the text in stitching. A wry sense of humor informs her choice of image and text, which are manipulated and combined for maximum visual impact. The desire to use specific, personally meaningful images dictates a process-oriented approach. Schwalb transforms her basic material with photo silk-screen printing, stenciling, dyeing and painting, in addition to the standard repertory of piecing, appliqué, and quilting.

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