Archives of American Art

Oral history interview with Carolyn Mazloomi

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.mazloo02
Creators:
Mazloomi, Carolyn
Cubbs, Joanne
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America
Dates:
2002 September 17-30
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
16 Items
Sound recording: 16 sound files (4 hr., 33 min.)
digital, wav
56 Pages
Transcript
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
An interview of Carolyn Mazloomi conducted 2002 September 17 and 30, by Joanne Cubbs, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in West Chester, Ohio. Mazloomi speaks of growing up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with a family of self-taught artists; the positive influence of her aunt and teacher Dr. Carter; the generation of African American quilt-makers who followed a gap in quilt-making post-slavery; she describes her previous career as an aeronautical engineer and her transition to quilt-making; how she identifies herself as a craftsperson, not an artist; her experience with Baltimore album and Appalachian quilts; learning to quilt; the Women of Color Quilter's Network and its economic and social development programs; her book, "Spirits of the Cloth"; the positive and negative aspects of travel; the false generalizations of African American quilts in academic circles; the importance of gender, race, and ethnicity in her work; her connection to "praise songs"; she discusses functional vs. nonfunctional quilts; the market for "hand-crafted" quilts; agents and galleries; she describes her working environment; adopting the use of a sewing machine in her work; the importance of community; her technique; her accomplishment of placing African-American quilts in the Renwick Gallery; the influence of magazines, including "Raw Vision;" her aversion to commissions; expanding her use of materials and technology; her exhibitions; her role as an advocate and dealer; finding inspiration in black and white linocuts and her use of color in quilts; and making a connection with her audience. Mazloomi also recalls Marie Wilson, Cuesta Benberry, Edjohnetta Miller, Roland Freeman, Robert Cargo, Martha Connell, Penny Sisto, Minnie Adkins, Nkosi Johnson, and Lauryn Hill.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Carolyn Mazloomi (1948- ) is a quilt maker from West Chester, Ohio.

Administration

Sponsor
Funding for this interview was provided by the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America. Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.
Existence and Location of Copies
Transcript available online.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.

Digital Content


Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.

More Information

General

General
Originally recorded on 4 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 16 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hrs., 33 min.


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Decorative arts Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sound recordings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Interviews Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Baltimore album quilts Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Quiltmakers -- Ohio Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
African American artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
African American quiltmakers Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
African American art -- African influences Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women textile designers Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Quilting Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Adkins, Minnie, 1934- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Benberry, Cuesta Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Cargo, Robert T. Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Connell, Martha Stamm Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Freeman, Roland L., 1936- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hill, Lauryn Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Johnson, Nkosi, 1989-2001 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Miller, Edjohnetta Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sisto, Penny Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Wilson, Marie Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women of Colour Quilters Network Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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