Crossroads: Constructions,
Markings, and Structures by Nancy
Crow
Evolution Of A Quilt Artist
A collection of 25 improvisational quilts, this compilation from one of the
premier colorists in contemporary American art represents work from three
distinct series of quilts, all of which are photographed in sensational colors
and with extensive detail. The quilts in the first series, Constructions, are
large complex pieces created from hundreds of strips of fabrics. The next,
Markings, is a series of nine quilts in which the artist explores calligraphy.
In the final series, Structures, the artist repeatedly places silk-screened
images directly onto cloth, creating blocks of color. Featuring the works-in-
progress alongside the finished artwork, this showcase provides
fascinating insight into the artistic process.

Personal Review: Crossroads: Constructions, Markings, and
Structures by Nancy Crow
Nancy Crow is a very prolific, hard working quilt artist whose innovative
work never fails to fascinate. In the almost forty years that she has been
quilting, teaching and leading developments in the quilting community, her
work has evolved from quilts inspired by the grid type patterns that many
quilters traditionally use to works that have more in common with
contemporary paintings. She was one of the earliest quilters to break away
from the traditional concept of the quilt as something made for the bed and
instead has made quilts that are more suitable for hanging on the wall.
Whereas her earlier work was characterized by complexity, the work she is
doing now is focused on simpler shapes and more graphic qualities.
Taking a cue from African American quilter Anna Williams (whom she
credits for the inspiration) Crow moved to using spontaneous and intuitive
cutting and piecing in the last decade. Despite her innovations, she
continues to machine piece her works and she employs a hand quilter who
finishes them.
This book is the fourth book that she has published in her extensive
career. Like all of the others, the book is of very high quality, replete with
fascinating photos and excerpts from the journals she keeps. The book
accompanied a 2007 exhibit of twenty-five quilts at the Snyderman Gallery
in Philadelphia, PA. The exhibit focused on three series she is working on,
"Constructions," (machine pieced and quilted cottons that she hand dyes in
her studio; "Markings," (screen printed and monoprinted fabrics that are
pieced in large sections and hand quilted) and "Structures" (whole cloth
quilts that are screenprinted and then hand quilted). Some of the
"Structures" quilts are very reminiscent of the African Bogolanfini textiles.
I have to admit that I was at first quite taken aback by the evolution of
some of her work in this book. These are not "pretty" quilts. A number of
them are reminiscent of and are named by expressions of her inner anxiety
and turmoil, which she writes about in the journals. No, these are not
"pretty" quilts, but they are very powerful, very graphic, very beautiful, and I
have grown to like them as much as I have liked her other work. The quilts
in the "Construction" series had me wondering "How does she do that?"
They are fascinating works.
An extensive introductory essay by David Hornung pays tribute to Crow as
an artist, teacher and leader in the quilting community. For those interested
in learning from her, Nancy Crow teaches classes on her farm in Ohio and
around the country.
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