An eye can threaten like a loaded and levelled gun, or it can insult like hissing or kicking,
or, in its altered mood, by beams of kindness, it can make the heart dance for joy.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson
 

Artist: John Furnival, who has/had works on display in Great Britain

	Bristol - Arnolfini Trust
	London Arts Council of Great Britain British Council Tate Gallery Print Collection

Artist: Kathleen Sharp of Monte Sereno, California

Sharp takes inspiration from architectural forms and makes her soft fabrics suggest the solid materials of construction.  The title of this work is "Calling All Hearts."

This Particular Deck...

Published in 1994 by Lark Books of Asheville, North Carolina, this deck started in 1992 when artist Sue Pierce "became intrigued with the idea of interpreting playing cards in fibre."  Pierce then contacted professional quilt artists across the US, asking them to participate in the project.  She mailed each of 54 artists the playing card they were to interpret.  Each quilt had to be 28 x 18 inches (meeting a standard bridge card's 14:9 ratio), have rounded corners, and meet the project's definition of a quilt - "a stitched construction of three or more layers using fabric as the primary material."  Pierce also encouraged each artist "to make a quilt in a style that would be representative of their work."

The result was first displayed at the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery in 1995 before embarking on a 3-year tour of the country.  A book documenting the project, Art Quilts: Playing With a Full Deck by Sue Pierce and Verna Suit, Pomegranate Artbooks, ISBN 0-8765-300-X, was published in 1994.  The first part of the book describes the genesis of the project, explains some of the diverse processes used in creating the quilts, and contains brief sections on playing-card and quilting history.  Following this are 2-page spreads for each card: a bio of the artist along with inspiration and techniques involved in the quilt's creation on the left and a full-colour photo of the quilt on the right.

Finally, in a move which Pierce says "brought the project full-circle," the photographs were made into a deck of cards in 1994.

Source: The Bob Lancaster Gallery of Unusual Playing Cards!, an unusual site, worth a visit...

Clicking the "Up" button below will take you to the Table of Contents for this section where you can view thumbnails of this entire deck.