Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
A Florida quilter works his magic in color and texture and shape.
By BRANDY STARK
© St. Petersburg Times, published October 18, 2001
Just in time for the cool fall weather, Tarpon Springs Cultural Center presents "Anthony Jones, Quiltmaker." Known for his use of deep colors, unique combinations of fabric and exploration of images, Jones offers a wealth of textile works.
Jones, 50, a native of Gainesville, started his sewing career in a high school tailoring class. To make extra money during college, he worked stitching double-knit pant suits. However, it was a friend's request for assistance in making a quilt that first introduced Jones to what would become his passion.
"I was not afraid to pick up a needle and thread. My prior experience had taught me much about fabric, sewing and how to put things together," Jones says. "In order to understand what we were making, I started doing research on quilts, and that is when I really became hooked. I loved the geometric patterns, and I started to ask myself, 'How did they do that?' My interests really bloomed from there."
Jones sometimes derives inspiration from other images he sees. The idea for the meandering pattern in Milky Way came from a pink and white antique child's quilt the artist acquired. Reworking the pattern, Jones creates a contemporary quilt utilizing vivid colors with rows of interlocking blue and orange shapes stretching across a busy background. Two layers of green and blue checkers, located at the top and bottom, carry the viewer's attention across the face of the work, allowing the mind to absorb the intricate use of color contrast.
Patterns are the subject of several works. Serengeti, a work created by Jones and fellow quilter Jinene Harvey, is made of small squares of animal prints arranged in careful order. The eyes follow spots, stripes, and fur in an intricate pattern filled with the leaping energies associated with life in the African plains. Egyptian Chain also bears images of Africa as a lush forest pattern overlaid with a web of hieroglyph images.
Someone to Watch Over Me is an intricately woven work. Two angels garbed in long gowns hover serenely before the viewer's eyes. Emerging from the star-filled backdrop are four other angelic beings, hands clasped before them, wings extended in flight. A second angel work, Miss Liberty, also hangs in the show. Though a smaller piece, it is no less powerful in its subject matter: A butterfly-winged angel stands proudly bearing her patriotism in red, white and blue. Her overcoat flows with a pattern of myriad American flags, and metallic stars burst like fireworks around her.
Jones provides several examples of celestial creations, including Four Stars. This small quilt is reminiscent of folk art with its four oversized, soft-pointed stars, each containing a pink heart in the center.
Star Search holds a similar theme but has an entirely different effect. Multicolored stars emblazon a deep blue backdrop. Each star varies slightly in shape, some with elongated points, others perfectly triangular. The expanse of the fabric night sky dwarfs the stars, creating a sense of universal vastness.
Feline fanciers will love the pieces inspired by the artist's own pet. One work, How Many Cats Is Too Many Cats?, features rows of catlike patches, each cut from holiday fabrics. Tail Spin shows four cats, two brown, two black, each facing a cardinal direction. Their crooked tails merge together creating a central square of spiraling colors.
Jones also teaches quilting. Though many of his students are women, Jones is pleased to announce he has also taught 14 male students.
"I love how this industry has opened up to men. I remember when I first started making quilts, store owners asked me if I was shopping for my wife. Now, there is a lot of information out on quilting, and it has become easier to learn about it. Once others understand that you know the languages, differences, including gender, disappear."
ART REVIEW: "Anthony Jones, Quiltmaker" at the Tarpon Springs Cultural Center; 101 S Pinellas Ave., Tarpon Springs. Free admission. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; (727) 942-5605.