"Crime Does Not Pay" / John Dillinger Quilt

"Crime Does Not Pay" / John Dillinger Quilt

Designed by Ed Larson; Executed by Fran Soika
Circa 1985
35 x 35 inches
New Mexico and Ohio

Ed Larson, born in 1939, is a highly acclaimed American artist who usually worked in painting, wood-carving, sculpting, printmaking, and more forms. He was not a quilt maker, but starting in the 1970's, Larson began designing quilts.  Once he drew out his design, the actual needle work was done by experienced quilt makers Ed came to know (and acknowledged on the face of his quilts.)  See photos.

If you'd like more information about Larson, keep reading to the end where you can enjoy a beautiful description of him by a great thinker, the late Bob Shaw.  You'll also find a link to a 1980 New York Times article about Larson and his art.

Offered here for sale is a rare item: Larson's wonderful pictorial quilt that he called "Crime Does Not Pay."  It is Larson's interpretation of the FBI Wanted poster (top) and (below), a pictorial depiction of the demise of John Dillinger, one of America's most well known gangsters.  He died when the FBI shot him in 1934.

A bank robber extraordinaire, he was considered a folk hero by some, because during the Depression, the banks were despised -- and Dillinger was robbing banks.  Some envisioned him a kind of Robin Hood; his story is legend. Note that Ed reminds us that "CRIME DOES NOT PAY."

Excellent, apparently unused, condition.  Measuring 35 x 35 inches, this folk art treasure would be perfect for that small wall...  You know, that last wall without any art on it?  Prepared for having with strips of velcro hand sewn to the back. (easily removed.)

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Collaborative “Picture Quilts” by Ed Larson

By Bob Shaw (with some tweaks by Julie Silber)

Ed Larson is a true American original and a national treasure. Now more than 90 years old, he’s now retired from a lifetime of work as a prolific painter, sculptor, woodcarver, wind toy maker, printmaker, and quilt designer who, for many years, worked out of a shop in New Mexico, under a handmade entrance sign that read "Jesus said buy folk art."

Larson was born in Joplin, Missouri in 1931, and while living there in the mid-1970s, he started designing what he calls “picture quilts.” Because Larson does not sew, he has always approached quilts as collaborations and worked closely with experienced quilt makers, including the late Fran Soika and the late Yvonne Porcella who execute his designs. He draws a full-size design on paper, from which the quilt maker can trace the various pieces needed to make the quilt. He says his quilt designs are just like his paintings, except they made of sewn cloth rather than paint on canvas. In both media. Larson has explored American myths, tall tales, politics, and history, portraying events and people from colonial days to the present, and his quilts frame a central picture within a broad irregular border.

Larson’s quilts are reflective of his wide range of subject matter, his unique approach to design and collaboration, and his often off-kilter sense of humor. Individually, they are delightful, while collectively, they embody Larson's joyful philosophy of life and his abiding and compassionate wisdom about the human condition.

Before you purchase, please read below: 

• We want you to be happy with your purchase.  For this reason, all our quilts are sold On Approval (unless noted that it is sold As-Is). You may return a quilt for any reason. Buyer will be responsible for return shipping fees, unless we have made a significant error in our description. 

• If you wish to return a quilt you purchased, please contact us within 72 hours of delivery to you. 
  
  
• If you have a tax exempt ID number, get in touch with us before you make a purchase. In your message, include which item(s) you would like to buy, along with your name, resale id #, email address, and shipping address. We will send you an invoice without taxes.

Shipping

• Shipping in the contiguous United States is $25 flat.
  
  
• Local pick up available (Berkeley, CA), please contact us after purchase

• We ship on Wednesdays (although your item may be sent out sooner).