Martha Sielman has put together a book documenting and celebrating 40 quilt makers and their art with beautiful photography, an insightful intro for each artist by Sielman, and commentary from the artist. Every page is a visual treat. A book of this type of art was long overdue, and this volume is everything one interested in quilt art (or any textile art) could hope for. Bravo!

I just love all the wonderful artists in this book. The pictures are wonderful and it's a book to look at over and over again. By having ten pages for each artist you really get to see a good representation of their work. I hope they do another one to add all the wonderful artists still out there.

I highly recommend this book for your quilt library whether you create or just admire fine art quilts. The artists selected are varied and talented. The format allows the reader to follow the growth of each artist over a period of years. The photos are wonderful and inspiring. When my quilting friends saw this book, they rushed to order it.

Beautiful closeups, lots of words from the artists themselves on their style, practice, etc. Fantastic! I'm reading it slowly to savor it.

I just finished reading, devouring and enjoying the lastest book in the Lark Masters series. This book is a must have for anyone interested in the Art Quilt form. This book includes quilt artists from around the world.

The indepth writing and personal notations from the included artists give you the feeling of being in the room with them and discussing their journey, so far in the Art Quilt genre. It is a very fresh approach to presenting an artist and their work.

I applaude the curator, Martha Sieman, in her job of selecting these artists. There were many more who could have been included in this book, but maybe that is for Masters: Art Quilt II! The Art Quilt genre is growing by leaps and bounds and more artists are further exploring this area. Look for many more unique pieces to follow.

This is a gorgeous book with quilts to inspire every type of quilter from traditional to art! Love it.

Masters: Art Quilts is a slam-dunk in contemporary art! Art quilts (or "studio quilts" as many folks call them) range from minimalist compositions to conceptual nuances to outright gaudy explosions of fabric, paint, and embellishment. Although all the forty "masters" in this book are not necessarily my forty masters, the stimulating and sometimes challenging quilts illustrated here clearly indicate why these artists were selected. Martha Sielman, whose succinct and informative comments accompany the work of each artist, gives us the welcome news in her introduction that this volume is the first in a series. The quilt world now has 150 or more artists at or near the caliber of these forty, and I eagerly look forward to the next volume. In future volumes, it would be helpful to have the quilts of each artist in chronological order. I kept flipping pages back and forth trying to see each artist's development. Also, I am sure that readers would like to know how many years each artist has been working in the quilt medium. When we read that Miriam Nathan-Roberts has been involved with quilts for 53 years, our curiosity is provoked concerning the others. Lark Books has done itself proud with this production, gorgeously designed and with a pleasing balance of serif and sans-serif fonts.

There are loads of books filled with gorgeous color photographs of quilts, but this one is so much more. Martha Sielman's curatorial eye has resulted in a portable exhibition of the most exciting art quilts of our time. By grouping them as she has, you get a sense of each textile artist's progression and depth, not just a repeat visit to iconic images seen over and over already. The quality of this solid effort coupled with the price make this one of the great bargain books around. A great gift for quilters, and a must for the libraries of all quilt-lovers, quilt-collectors and quiltmakers.

"Masters" is an overview of quilted art and represents 40 of the most highly respected figures in quilted art today. The inclusion of 12 pieces by each artist, along with the quotes and introduction of the artists, gives the book an unexpected range and depth. Many of the works shown have been widely exhibited and published, but when put together with lesser known works by the same artist, a new breadth of understanding of the art and the work can be obtained.

Quilted art, generally wall hung, is a specific form of art, with its own attributes and boundaries. It is a highly stylized form, which surprisingly seems to have more in common with Jeff Koons than with Van Gogh.

The tradition of layers, embedded in traditional quiltmaking, becomes a perfect place for the quilt artist to use the traditions to form untraditional imagery in collage manner. John Lefelhocz says that the physical layers "push me to think in narrative and metaphoric layers." Even the artists who paint their work, like Nancy Erickson, who says she does "layered, stitched paintings" rely heavily on line and layering. Most of the quilts are designed using layered and pieced fabrics. In this sense they are clearly a part of the older tradition of bed quilts.

My one criticism of the book is that the quilting stitches are not evident in the photos of many of the pieces. This is due to the large size of the works, of course, but as the quilted line is part of the graphic design of quilted art, it would have been useful to include it more forcefully. Next time, maybe.

"Masters" is one of those books that will act as a resource for many years to come. It's a compendium of what quilt artists have been able to achieve and, as such, will form the basis for studies of the form.

I just got my copy of Masters: Art Quilts, by Martha Sielman, published by Lark Books and it is perhaps the most important book to come along since the first book on art quilts many years years ago.
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This is a great way for us to study the masters so that you all have the benefit of seeing what's good about the best of the best. Studying the work of the artists in this book should be a good exercise to help you with your own work, not in the sense of copying someone else, but in understanding the design elements each artist has used to get the results that have made him or her famous. It is also good to know the artists individually as this is the living history of our art heritage.

If you are a member of an art quilt group, you can use the book as the basis for study of each artist's unique style. As an individual artist, it is a great way to study art quilts without having to leave home. What I like too is that the writer doesn't use a lot of difficult to understand terms so even a beginning fiberartist can readily relate to whatis being discussed. Martha Sielman writes in a very comfortable and down-to-earth style.

I like this book as there are a wide variety of artists covered and each one is discussed in depth regarding the artists' backgrounds and lots of good notes about the artists' techniques and styles.

Aside from all of this, it is the most fantastic opportunity to see the works of artists whose works you might not otherwise have an opportuni'ty to see. We so seldom get an opportunity to see a number of each artists pieces . This book is definitely a visual feast. and one it is truly hard to put down. I think my only regret is that I didn't want the book to end!

This book is wonderfully presented by giving ample coverage to the quilting artists within the book. Photographs are top quality. Best art quilting book on the market today!

This is one gorgeous book! The photographs and paper they are reproduced on are of first rate quality - you can almost feel the texture of each of the many many works included.

From forerunners in the art quilt world like Michael James to some of the newest innovators in the genre like Pamela Allen, this book's author has judiciously chosen from a wide array of artists the ones that reflect the diversity of this medium.

This book has become my favorite book on the art quilt shelf!

I have so many art quilt books and doubted that I needed another until I caught a glimpse of someone else's copy of Martha Seilman's Masters: Art Quilts: Major Works by Leading Artists. I knew that this was one more book that I had to own. When it arrived I first gave it a swift perusal and then went back to enjoy each artist in delectable leisure. She gives an in-depth treatment of each artist with several pages of pictures and commentary, some by the artist, some by Martha. Lots and lots of glorious colored photos!

The quality of the paper and photography add to the overall appeal of the book. Would I recommend this book? Most definitely!

Well.My first Lark book I would have not bought if I could find it in a Montreal bookstore first.
I am not into photomontages and reveiws of what won prizes years ago.Alot of what is pictured is downright self seeking and kind of ugly to look at.
About 1/3 is of what is presented is cheerful and non political,but not new either.
I got it today, and will return it to amazon tomorrow.I am sorry to sound so dismal about this book,but I have to say if you want something more interesting for your own inspiration,maybe try going to a few quilt shows,or try looking up something from Katie Pasquini,if you think she can lead you to something new.
I am returning this book tomorrow.I am getting just a little bit tired of seeing quiltmakers recreating their personal shrouds of Turin,especially with tire tread tracks photocopied onto cotton,photocopied again, over photocopies of other deceased persons...if you are a recent graduate of an art school,you will get my drift of images of photocopies over more photocopies,embellished with sewing machine tracks of threads to re-instate what veiwers already can see.
The variety of work promised on the cover does not live up to what is inside.I don't know what is,in fact, masterful about most of the work in this publication,but don't care at this point.I am returning it,I want my 16 dollars back.I really am dissappointed with it.

This is a beautiful book,and I don't regret buying it. I was quite disappointed, though, to see several artists who have done wonderful work over the years, but haven't grown or dared to step outside their box. They are now too predictable and a bit boring. On the other hand, it was a pleasure to see Michael James' growth. Also, I must agree with the reviewer who was surprised not to find some of her favorite artists in the book--talented, well known, and respected art quilters who definitely should have been included. I'd like to know what the inclusion criteria was. There would have been plenty of room for them if less information had been given about each person. Quite frankly, I don't care why a particular work was made or techniques used. All artists create for the same basic reason--We can't NOT create, and we do it any way that works for us!

The latest installment in Lark Books' Masters series is a celebration of the art quilt. Martha Sielman has used a discerning eye to include a wide-ranging cross section representing this medium. The selected artists are notable for the expansive body of work which defines them. Their inclusion here attests to their imprint on the art quilt sphere. It also provides much more of a true picture of each artist, as opposed to a mere survey book. Anyone interested in discovering an artist's evolving form will appreciate this approach. Showcasing several works from each artist renders a more comprehensive and thought-provoking study.

The diverse works have in common fiber and stitch, layers and textures. How these are brought to fruition is remarkable in many ways. The underlying tradition of quilting is sometimes obvious, sometimes subtle, but the roots are apparent. There is something to fascinate every viewer, whether your taste runs to the abstract or the objective.

The tactile essence of quilts is captivating. When seen in person, the compulsion to touch and feel is part of the experience. Masters Art Quilts is no less compelling in capturing that sensory experience. It may even inspire you to take up needle and thread.