QUILT (5769)

Sterling Ruby works across a diverse range of mediums that include sculpture, painting, collage, drawing and ceramics. Textiles are fundamental to his practice and include his 'BC' and 'FLAG' paintings, soft sculptures, quilts, and ready to wear clothing range.

The influence of fabric can be traced back to the artist’s upbringing. Ruby grew up in a small town in rural Pennsylvania with a predominantly conservative Amish population. There he was introduced to the crafts of woodworking and quilting. At age 13 he became interested in sewing, using fabric scraps to modify his own clothes.

Ruby assembles his quilts from remnants leftover from past works, bought and found pieces.
"A number of pieces in the quilts are very old, moth-ridden wool blankets from the Civil War era. There’s a lot that comes from where I grew up – I buy from auction houses back in this region. Blanket after blanket sits in my studio, distressed textile pieces from the 1800s to early 1900s. And there’s no provenance – you don’t know who made it. I’m mixing timelines and these significant regional qualities."1

1. Hili Perlson, ‘I Was Angry and I Sewed’: Sterling Ruby on How Growing Up in Small-Town America Drove Him to Make Art—and Break the Rules’ Artnet 29 Apr 2022
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/sterling-ruby-sprueth-magers-berlin-2104855 accessed 6/4/23