~As is evident in this elegant quilt, Nadelstern revels in sumptuous fabrics. KALEIDOSCOPIC XVI: More is More, 1996, in the American Folk Art Museum’s collection, was voted among the “100 Best American Quilts of the 20th Century” by a national panel of quilt experts in 1999. In 1994, in the quilt KALEIDOSCOPIC XII: Up Close and Far Away, she recognized the potential of the background as an active player that could introduce a new level of drama and movement. In Nadelstern’s early quilts, the kaleidoscope always appears in the foreground against a neutral, often black or dark, background. Each composition offers a fresh revelation of the complexities inherent in Nadelstern’s labor-intensive approach,” notes Ms. In Nadelstern’s quilts, this approach gives the illusion of a fluid painting. “Manipulations of color and pattern result in shifting movements across the surfaces of the textiles. ![]() She hides the fact that there is any piecing whereas in traditional quiltmaking it is the piecing that creates the pattern. This effect is then multiplied by the number of pie slices to create the full kaleidoscopic circle. Within each of the pie slices any number of subdivisions might occur, but following the optical rules of the kaleidoscope, whatever happens on one side is mirrored on the other. Nadelstern joins the minute pieces of fabric like slivers of colored glass. The magical appearance of the kaleidoscopic circles is an illusion created strictly through the placement of color and light captured in highly patterned fabrics. The number of wedges is determined by the angle of each wedge that forms the circle.~Nadelstern uses only straight-line piecing there are no curved seams. Nadelstern’s method is based on a pie-slice sector, a 360-degree circle divided into triangular wedges (pie slices). Focusing on the kaleidoscopic quality in the symmetry, she developed new techniques and an intricate and distinctive personal aesthetic that has yielded a seemingly infinite vein of creative expression. ~Inspired by a bolt of Liberty of London fabric, the bilateral symmetry of the design stirred Nadelstern’s imagination. It was not until 1987 that her interest in all things kaleidoscopic was sparked. Nadelstern’s first quilt was stitched in 1968 for her bed in her college dorm room. For much of that time her workspace was constricted to a 42″ round kitchen table where she plied graph paper, transparent gridded templates, C-Thru rulers, compass, and sewing implements. Her two-bedroom apartment has served as her studio for more than twenty-five years. ![]() 1951) is a native New Yorker, born and raised in the Bronx, where she still resides. ~Several examples by renowned contemporary scope makers will be installed in the exhibition for visitors to look through. ~Paula Nadelstern continues to be fascinated by contemporary kaleidoscopic innovations. Rare examples of kaleidoscopes by Brewster and the 19th century American Charles G. The approximately 2,900 diamond shapes that form an ever-increasing star radiating from its center is a direct response to the revolutionary visual effects introduced by the kaleidoscope. ~To illustrate this historical context, the 1835-1845 Sunburst Quilt by Rebecca Scattergood Savery in the museum’s collection is included in the exhibition. ![]() The invention of the kaleidoscope by Sir David Brewster in 1816 had a profound impact on 19th century quiltmaking. ![]() Hollander has selected 19 quilts and 12 kaleidoscopic quilt blocks that reflect the constantly shifting color, light and pattern in Paula Nadelstern’s textiles. On view from April 21 – September 13, 2009, the exhibition presents Nadelstern’s innovative and complex designs inspired by the bilateral symmetry of kaleidoscopic images. Kaleidoscope Quilts: The Art of Paula Nadelstern is the American Folk Art Museum’s first one-person exhibition highlighting the work of a contemporary quilt artist. Scintillating wheels, shifting ellipses, and colored fragments all sparkle in the dazzling quilts of Paula Nadelstern. Kaleidoscope Quilts: The Art of Paula Nadelstern
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