Enduring,
Soulful,
Surprising
Poster
Inside
years
americancraftmag.org
February/March 2017
CONTEMPORARY
CRAFT
18 and 22 karat gold
ring with granula-
tion and turquoise
by Sheila Stillman
at Topaz Gallery.
Limestone Cliff
by Carol Shinn
at Gravers Lane Giant Bowl by
Gallery. 2016. Elizabeth Pechacek
Embroidery. at The Grand Hand
19.75h x 15.25, Gallery. Ceramic.
framed 26.75h x
15.25w
Departments
10 28 36 86
From the Editor Personal Paths Collective Unconscious Wide World of Craft
Come together and create. Under the guidance of his Lets not be supercial; a tree is Halifax, Nova Scotia, boasts
beloved carpenter father, young just as beautiful below the bark. a robust art scene, a plethora
12 Gustav Reyes learned how to Julie K. Hanus spots six artists of hiking trails, and an afford-
Connect With Us work with wood. Yet unlike who remind us to appreciate the able cost of living. Philip Mos-
In letters and on the web. the four-by-fours on construc- rhythmic allure of wood grain. covitch nds out why craft
tion sites, Reyes lightweight artists and craft lovers cant
16 bentwood jewelry and furniture 38 get enough of this coastal city.
Zoom defy the physical properties of Material Matters
Hannah Beatrice Quinns dap- the medium. Brigitte Martin Informed by color theory and 94
per brooms and stools, and talks to the Chicago maker. natures mysteries, Northern Ideas
Block Shops chic scarves made California artist Victoria Wag- From thrones to camp stools,
in partnership with traditional 34 ner transforms chunks of dis- recliners to ergonomic ofce
woodblock printers. Plus: Gal- Personal Paths carded wood using radiant chairs, the furniture we sit on
lery Naga on studio furniture A PhD in molecular biology and spectrums of color, turning tree says a lot about who we are and
as ne art; surprising wooden a thriving art career generally into canvas. Deborah Bishop what we value. Megan Guerber
goods; shows that run the gam- dont go hand in hand, but for has the scoop behind the nature interviews Witold Rybczynski
ut from Prince to minimalism to Idaho woodworker Kristin lovers dual fascinations. about his new book, Now I Sit
Photo: Mark Serr
guns and ammo; new books, in- LeVier, science and art are Me Down, to learn why sitting is
cluding Your Inner Critic Is a Big perfect complements. Diane such a signicant (if awkward)
Jerk; and readers answer: Whats Daniel reports on the artists part of the human experience.
your most essential tool? unique journey.
116
One Piece
Martin Puryears Big Phrygian.
Features
42 52 60 68 76
crafted lives
The Innite Tipping Point Necessary Tension Putting It
and the The Experiment All Together
Innitesimal
Leonardo Drew started Atop a forklift with Practicality and poetry Jon Brooks lives in a Katie Hudnall dees
his art career drawing chain saw in hand, seemingly opposite ends world of his own making, genres, blending illustra-
superheroes; an encoun- Arkansas sculptor of the craft spectrum literally. His cozy New tion, sculpture, and furni-
ter with Jackson Pollocks Robyn Horn approach- balance the woodworking Hampshire home and ture to create interactive
masterfully chaotic com- es her work as a fearless practice of Christopher studio are like something works that cunningly
positions changed his adventurer. Joyce Kurtz. Brian K. Mahoney out of The Hobbit. The unfurl like a pop-up
course. Today, Drews Lovelace calls on the checks in on the Hudson sculptor and furniture book. Deborah Bishop
massive mixed-media hardworking artist Valley artist and nds maker lls his space with chats with the Indianap-
assemblages are like a to learn about her afn- out how craft helps wiry characters, sinewy olis artist about bringing
dense, weathered forest, ity for both wood and ground him. ladders, and furniture her imaginative draw-
to be explored without a stone and the value that looks like its about ings and clever sense
map. Joyce Lovelace talks of listening to materials. to take off. Christine of humor to solid form.
with the Brooklyn artist. Temin pays a visit to
the offbeat artist.
All my joinery
and there are air
quotes around
that word tends
to be visible.
katie hudnall
Functionality is a
springboard rather
than an endgame for
Photo: Michelle Given
QUIET OBOES
TAKE US HOME WITH YOU.
Studio 3103995040
Cell 3107800666
Call us. Were friendly.
MyraBurg.com
MyraBurg@yahoo.com
from the editor
When the world
doesnt seem bright
and orderly, you might
need to create your
own world. Settle your
inner turmoil by putting
your hands to work.
but, paradoxically, my job is Which means silencing the for kindness in our country.
something of a disincentive. editor within: Do not judge As the brilliant Toni Mor-
Every day, I see so much won- anything you want to do or rison wrote after the 2004
derful, polished, expert work that wants to come through election, This is precisely the
that I hesitate to try it myself. you. Your creative self will time when artists go to work. Monica Moses
And maybe its not just me. help you heal and will almost There is no time for despair, Editor in Chief
Newsstand distribution:
COMAG Marketing Group
155 Village Blvd.
Princeton Junction, NJ 08540
POSTMASTER:
Address changes to:
American Craft, P.O. Box 8567
Big Sandy, TX 75755-9793
To
The
Editor
Lose the Labels
I just nished reading your
essay [Read. Roar. Repeat,
Oct./Nov.], and I wanted to
tell you how much I enjoyed
learning about the history of
the magazine. I was so glad to
read your response to the art
critics charge that the maga-
zine doesnt pay much atten-
tion to the difference between
art and craft anymore. I say,
Hear, hear! Why do we have
to pigeonhole the work? Thank
you for standing up for those of
us who are compelled to make.
Master Insight ~Beth Blankenship via email
A true treasure and a genius
[Masters: Gerhardt Knodel, Guts and Glitz
Oct. 10, online video]. The The show of Lois Boardmans
greatest teacher; his words still collection [Jewelry to Think
resonate with me daily. Thank By, Oct./Nov.] is fascinating.
you, Gerhardt! Her taste is brave; wish there
~Pamela Wiley via were more works on display,
Knodel photo: Brian Kelly / Loop photo: Myra Mimlitsch-Gray / Boardman Collection photos: LACMA
though.
An Inside Look ~Nancy LeMay via
What a studio [Masters:
Myra Mimlitsch-Gray, Oct. 3,
online video]! Would love to
Keep in Touch
have a day in it. Inspiring. Well publish a cross section of your
notes as space permits; they may be edited
~Orla OGrady via
for length and clarity.
Myra Mimlitsch-Gray
one of my art heroines. letters@craftcouncil.org
Thanks, American Craft!
~Bentley Utgaard via @americancraft
above: facebook.com/americancraftmag
In our online video,
Gold Medalist Gerhardt
Knodel offers sage
instagram.com/craftcouncil
advice and a glimpse
inside his studio.
from top:
right: Nancy asks, Nancy youtube.com/americancraftcouncil
Recently named ACC gets: Pieces from the
Fellow Myra Mimlitsch- Lois Boardman collec-
Grays Loops series tion by jewelry artists
treats metal like fabric. Gijs Bakker, Carolyn
See her video on our Kriegman, Manfred
website. Bischoff, and Stanley
Lechtzin.
On Turn to page 32 to
The Right
Direction
Block Brushes photo: Alexandra Sklar / Stool and thesis photos: Mark Serr / Other photos: Hannah Beatrice Quinn
Hannah Beatrice Playfully angled, Creative context:
Quinns brooms are powder-coated steel Quinn hails from an
too lovely to store in legs set apart Quinns artistically oriented
a closet. The artist is walnut Type A Stool family. Her mother
committed to crafting without jeopardizing is a graphic designer,
beautiful objects with practicality. her father, a historic-
a purpose. preservation architect.
left: top:
The 24-year-old Quinns Block Brushes
dreams of nding her are made of Douglas r
stylish wares in homes and broomcorn sourced
throughout the country. from a third-generation
These brooms and broom maker.
dustpans were part of
her BFA thesis show bottom:
at California College Framed by Quinns
of the Arts. colorful Bookends
of scrap steel and
cork, well-loved
books become an
artful accent.
retail operation that brings unique, attractive objects that saving measure thats made Quinn a place to think beyond
together artists and product stays true to Quinns insistence it possible for her to continue her usual approach, while
design, providing the nancial on usefulness. her work post-graduation. She remaining rooted in the practi-
backing to carry ideas into pro- Id love in 10 years to walk also participates in a collective cal world.
duction. There, she rened her into a persons house, in, like, with three former classmates Having some sort of boundary
ability to both satisfy her artis- Michigan, and see somebody called Make.Do.; its named for is really nice, she says. So if I
tic vision and produce market- with my broom, she says. a World War II-era campaign have an idea and I want to make it,
feasible goods. Sometimes I think about just by the British government to Ill make it. But then Ill take it,
Quinns Type A Stools are taking stuff to the thrift store encourage creative thriftiness look at it, and go, OK, Ive got
a clear example of this media- to see it just get sold for $10, in austere times. one of these; now what can I do
tion between work and play: and seeing somebody else get The group works together that everyone else can enjoy?
Thick, walnut tops rest on to take it home. on pieces such as the Make.Do. ~andrew ranallo
colorful steel legs that jut out Since completing her stint camp stool, which combines
at varied angles. Her powder- at Workshop Residence, Quinn Quinns woodworking with a hannahbeatricequinn.com
coated steel bookends are simi- rents part of a co-working space textile artists organic cotton Andrew Ranallo is American
larly playful. The result: a set of called Hunt Projects, a money- seat. The collaboration gives Crafts digital producer.
Entrepreneurs and
sisters Hopie (left) and
Lily Stockman at Lilys
home in Joshua Tree,
California.
Both painters, the Stockmans good and do good, they partnered Raju Chhipa, is truly an artist. of our business is our relation-
got the idea for their company with the co-op, and Block Shop The woodcarvings are gor- ships, both with our wonderful
Portrait: Laura Dart / Other photos: Block Shop Textiles
in 2010. That year Lily went to was born. geous. We think of them as lit- family of printers in India and
India to study miniature paint- Today Hopie, 32, and Lily, tle sculptures. our sisterhood of customers,
ing and met a fth-generation 34, collaborate on the designs, At the heart of Block Shops says Hopie. For us, thats
hand-block printer who was which start as watercolors. business model is ethical pro- the magic of Block Shop that
starting an artisan cooperative Twice a year they travel to Bag- duction and transparency in the connection to this little village.
in Bagru. She wound up experi- ru to work out compositions supply chain working directly Being able to show our custom-
menting with him on some fab- and colorways with their team with the artisans, making sure ers exactly whos making their
ric designs. Lily was sending of some 18 artisans. They love theyre paid fair wages. The product makes us extremely
samples to me in my cube, to weigh in, and always end up company also puts 5 percent happy and excited.
recalls Hopie, then an invest- tweaking and improving what of prots toward health pro- ~joyce lovelace
ment consultant in San Fran- we bring over, Hopie says. grams in the Bagru community,
cisco. I was getting excited The designs are then carved including primary care, vision blockshoptextiles.com
about them, sharing them with into wooden blocks used for correction, and water purica- Joyce Lovelace is American
friends. Sensing a way to make printing. Our master carver, tion. The most important part Crafts contributing editor.
On the Edge of Your Seat: a serious, substantive book, objects by 39 makers, from
Chairs for the 21st Century based on a 2016 show of the Sophie Glenns School Desk and
By the Center for Art in Wood
Schiffer Publishing, $60 same name, a collaboration of Mira Nakashimas Concordia
the Furniture Society and the Chair to Po Shun Leongs
on the edge of your seat Center for Art in Wood. Fortune Cookie Stool and Misha
distinguishes itself beginning Moving on from the Pleisto- Volfs 4x4 Bench. Juror com-
with the rst act literally. The cene, readers will nd a sweep- mentary and a succinct essay
text opens with a brief melo- ing pictorial narrative about the by each artist, as well as spec-
drama from the imagination of history of chair design in Phila- tacular photography including
furniture maker Roy Superior, delphia, where innovation in many stunning antique chairs
in which a family of cavemen furniture dates to the 17th cen- make On the Edge of Your Seat
acts out the origin of furniture, tury. This context sets the stage an enlightening addition to any
as well as the history of craft. for the high point of the text: craft and design bookshelf.
Its a humorous prologue for a juried selection of 45 seating ~jessica shaykett
Your Inner Critic Is a Big Jerk: self-destructive creatives. In its precious. Blinded by jealousy?
And Other Truths lively pages, Danielle Krysa, Start confessing it you may
About Being Creative
By Danielle Krysa author of the popular Jealous nd others envy your talent as
Chronicle Books, $17 Curator art blog, pulls from her well. By adding a dose of humor
own and others experiences to to her honest advice, aided by
they say you cant judge give it to us straight, providing Martha Richs amusing illustra-
a book by its cover, but some- exercises to dismantle that jerk- tions, Krysa teaches lessons
times the cover just lays it all of-an-inner-voice and get back that arent so hard to swallow.
out there. Your Inner Critic Is to making with condence. Youll laugh, youll cry, and,
a Big Jerk is one such volume, Afraid of ruining pristine paper? best of all, youll cheer yourself
a self-help guide for all of us Try drawing on something less on. ~megan guerber
Master Your Craft: though, she tired of following covering everything from
Strategies for Designing, Making, others directions and tried design, construction, and evalua-
and Selling Artisan Work
By Tien Chiu making original pieces a shift tion to revision, nding your
Schiffer Publishing, $30 she calls quite traumatic. Mas- voice, and selling. Eighteen
ter Your Craft, she says, is the exercises make the learning
tien chiu began her craft book I wish Id read when I concrete. Throughout, she
career executing the needle- started designing my own work. reminds readers that persis-
Book photos: Mark LaFavor
work and knitting designs of Fourteen chapters take the tence, a desire to learn, and a
others. Trained in engineering, reader through what Chiu calls willingness to fail are as impor-
she was working in software the creative cycle. She offers tant as skill and experience.
development and, though adept her own hard-won practical Chiu embraces trial and error,
at handwork, considered the wisdom, along with guidance and her methodical approach
design process mysterious, and examples from 22 other will encourage readers to do
even magical. Ultimately, artists in a range of mediums, that, too. ~monica moses
Toby Couls
Simplicity, symmetry, repetition: What fabric speaks of luxury in Center for
Art in Wood
The principles of minimalism a smoother voice than velvet?
manifest in two dozen textiles In 44 examples from the muse-
on
from the museums collection. ums collection, this show looks
at designers and producers who
Tunic credit: Panel (from a Ladys Evening Tunic), ca. 1920; restricted gift of Mrs. Edward K. Aldworth / Farrow photo: Courtesy of Catharine Clark Gallery
CA / San Francisco kept velvet classy, even after MN / Minneapolis PA / Philadelphia
San Francisco Museum traditional ways of making it Textile Center, Center for Art in Wood
of Craft and Design gave way to mass production. Joan Mondale Gallery Wood, Revisited
Felt DeCoded Commemorating to Apr. 8
Feb. 11 Jun. 4 His Purple Reign: centerforartinwood.org
sfmcd.org A Textural Tribute to Prince Lasers, computers, and other
Janice Arnold curated this show Mar. 9 Apr. 29 high-tech tools have joined
of her wool felt work. She aims textilecentermn.org handsaws and lathes in many
to honor felts importance in International quilt artists wood artists studios, inuenc-
human history as a medium for honor Princes erce original- ing what gets made and how it
shelter and apparel, while envi- ity and cultural impact in this looks. This show of 27 works
sioning its future uses, both home-state homage that marks from the past two decades,
practical and aesthetic. one year since his death. The curated by Anne Carlisle and
juror is Carolyn Mazloomi, adviser Glenn Adamson, maps
DC / Washington founder of the Women of some of the ways technology
Smithsonian American Color Quilters Network and has altered the eld.
Art Museum, Renwick Gallery an NEA National Heritage
Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
above: right:
Melissa Cody Levi Fisher
at the Houston Ames at the
Center for John Michael
Contemporary Kohler Arts
Craft Center
Shop Talk
Gallery Naga Meg White,
Arthur Dion
McKie photo: Scott McCue / Bennett photo: Alison McLennan / Other photos: Andrea Dabrila
rst show, we were astonished erson, is now president of RISD. lery has mounted since 2001, 17 that, in addition to wonderful
when it was such a sensation. Still, Naga hasnt developed focused on a single maker Judy materials and superb craftsman-
Almost everything sold. He felt a house style. As adventurous Kensley McKie is a prime exam- ship, studio furniture offers
that the eld was bicoastal, and as I think we are, weve always ple. Her tables and benches take objects that have value as works
in 1988 he did an East/West been very strict about function- the form of animals. Playful, yes, of art. ~christine temin
show with West Coast makers ality, Dion says. If its a chair, but, says Dion, her work is like
including Wendy Maruyama and it has to feel good. something living that has paused. gallerynaga.com
Garry Knox Bennett. There Eventually, however, Nagas She summons a sense of animate Christine Temin is an arts
was a lot of material exploration shows began to have themes. spirit that is very affecting. writer in Boston.
on the West Coast metals
and plastics in Garrys case.
In general, the aesthetic was
jazzy. The East Coast aesthetic
was fairly jazzy, but the West
Coast was more so California
unfettered.
In part he did the East/ above:
West show because he was Judy Kensley McKies
benches and tables, evok-
competing with Meredyth Hyatt ing the spirit of animals,
Moses, whose Clark Gallery in are popular at the gallery.
the Boston suburb of Lincoln
right:
was also showing studio furni- California maker Garry
ture. I wanted to get the jump Knox Bennett repre-
sents what Arthur Dion
calls the jazzy aesthetic
24 american craft feb/mar 17 of the West Coast.
1960s design and
midcentury craftsman-
which include cute
details such as the
zoom
ship inspire Brooklyn Woodie models mag-
company Candylab netically attached surf-
Toys heirloom play board can withstand
Goods cars. Made of solid even the most rambunc-
tious play by actual as
Timber beechwood, these
throwback racers, well as inner children.
u
sc
cabs, and trucks candylabtoys.com
pe
Po
n
ia
dr
A
Although good things
come in small packages,
better things may come
in ginormous bundles.
Founded by Catherine-
A. Lalonde, Montreal
studio Atelier 4920 blankets, and hats are
embraces the physical available for purchase,
feat of knitting with along with patterns,
Cou
oversized wool and chunky yarn, and 14-,
rtes
supports those ready 32-, and even 48-inch
y of
to take on the challenge. birchwood needles.
Handmade scarves, atelier4920.ca
Secr
et W
Courtesy of Atelier 4920
ood
Ch
an
te
lH Secret Wood, of
a
Vancouver, British
rd
y
Columbia, conjures
Using locally sourced
handmade scenes of
lumber thats sustain-
wood, resin, and other
ably harvested in the
surprising materials to
Midwest, Rosie Kovacs
wear on your ring nger.
and Hayes Shanesy of
Choose from a dark,
Brush Factory celebrate
mysterious forest, a
traditional craftsman-
real ower blanketed
ship and contemporary
in glow-in-the-dark
design in their furniture
snow, a windswept
and limited-edition ref-
wilderness or some-
erence posters demon-
thing from another
strating sawing and
world all together.
joinery techniques. The
mysecretwood.com
Cincinnati duo special-
izes in custom designs,
but their classic end In central Utah, Light
tables and hip Wooden & Ink artist Lisa Lewis
Bottle Rocks can be preserves the stories
purchased online. within tree rings by ink-
brushmanufactory.com ing and printing salvaged
Courtesy of Brush Factory
hardwood.
~abir ali and
andre sandifer,
furniture designers and
Gold portrait: Trish Reynolds / Awl photo: Pat Courtney Gold / Weller photos (2): Dylan Weller
makers, Detroit
My most essen-
tial tool is probably
my planer. I use this
tool almost every
day. It is a combina-
tion of being ex-
tremely powerful
and easy to handle.
Emily Fishman
Portrait: Ed and Aileen Photography / Simply Wood photos: Sara Johnsrud / Other photos: Gustav Reyes
gustav reyes tapes remind- sites. There, he taught him wood- I absolutely loved my art
ers to his computer. A recent working basics and impressed on history classes; they opened
one: Dont forget to play. him the pride of good workman- my eyes to the world, he says.
Its what my wife wants me to ship. They spent time together But somehow I never felt a con-
remember while I am at work, like that until Reyes was 11, nection with any of the other
he says. I have a tendency to when his father was killed in a subjects offered. I didnt hang
get bogged down by all the work accident. My father was with the artsy kids crowd
detail involved in running my my hero, he remembers. either, so one day I just left
business. The Chicago wood- Some people never really the school.
worker and jewelry maker needs recover from tragedies like that, Reyes soon became a hus-
to be reminded to keep things and Reyes becomes emotional band and breadwinner, working
fun and light, he says. After when he recalls how he made a variety of jobs for the next
all, thats how I went into mak- it through. I coped with his few years while making wood-
ing jewelry in the rst place. sudden loss by making little en boxes in a small workshop in
Reyes gratefully attributes dollhouses, he says. I was his basement. He and his wife
his success to support from his absolutely obsessed with build- carefully planned their next steps
wife and parents. His family ing small spaces for a good long to make his dream of being a full-
moved back and forth between while. His mothers help was time woodworker a reality.
the US and Mexico, where he crucial; she was a rock for Reyes The turning point came in
was born, settling in the US in and his siblings. She encouraged 2005; he had quit his day job and
1973 when he was 5 years old. his artistic inclinations through opened an Etsy shop. When he
The family made Chicago their the teen years and supported was featured on the Etsy blog,
home, and Reyes Puerto Rican him while he studied painting people began to take notice.
father, a carpenter who worked and drawing at the School of But that was only the begin-
construction, sometimes brought the Art Institute of Chicago ning. Shortly after he became
along his young son to work from 1986 to 1988. self-employed, his wife, who
opposite (5):
Reyes Ad Idem
rings (far left and
center) use wood he
salvages from other
craftspeople. The
custom wedding
band sets are from
his Simply Wood
Rings line. A client
provided the gem-
stone ring, which
Reyes surrounded
with rosewood. On
the far right, a ring
with interior wood
from a pew.
bracelets
Reyes adapted a steam-
bending process to coax
wood into small curved
forms. Its a process he
always nds wondrous,
no matter how often he
does it.
top left:
Three-Sided Hickory
Coil, 2014
top right:
Fumed White Oak
Organic Coil, 2013
left:
Walnut Organic
Coil, 2016
personal paths
material is salvaged rosewood
left over from a Chicago xylo-
phone manufacturer that went
out of business. The wood
swings, he says. It has the
perfect balance between stabil-
ity and exibility. Thankfully,
I have a huge stockpile of it.
I can use it for many years.
lighting Looking around the artists
Reyes considers 4,000-square-foot studio in
himself more of a
woodworker than Chicagos Pilsen neighborhood,
a jewelry maker, you half expect Tyra Banks to
which might explain sashay in at any moment and
why hes so comfort-
able taking risks with pull one of his large signature
the material. necklaces from the display to
show off in a photo shoot.
above:
Arc Series Lamp I, Located on the fth oor of
2012, white oak, what used to be an old factory,
walnut, 18.5 in. tall with whitewashed walls and tall
above left: windows overlooking the Chi-
Arc Series Lamp II, cago skyline in the distance, the
2013, red oak, space feels industrial and mod-
fumed white oak,
13 in. tall ern, yet airy and calm.
Reyes and two employees
work in his striking showroom,
running the administrative
their relationships. They treat side of his business, while two
them with respect. other employees create Reyes
As his customers take care, wooden rings in the adjacent
so does Reyes. He believes ear- workshop under his direction.
nestly that, as human beings, A door between the spaces
we should be conscious of our mufes the humming of the
environment, take only what is machines and tools. Master-
needed from it, and leave hardly mind Reyes moves easily be-
Lamp I photo: Cody Wallace / Lamp II and Tie Me photos: Gustav Reyes / Table photo: Erin Beckman
a trace behind. Thats why he tween desk duty and woodshop
has a metal allergy, came to It took only a few months favors wood: Eventually it dis- many times a day.
him with a question. She had before Reyes made his rst ring integrates without harming its Reyes considers his three
curled a piece of paper into a from wood; his customers took surroundings. business segments and every
ring and wanted to know if I note. Some had sent him wood I love my customers, he activity that supports them as
could build her a ring as thin to build boxes for them; now says. They understand the true equal parts of his Gesamtkunst-
as that paper only made from they asked him to make rings value of my work, even though werk. Everything I do feeds
wood, he says. The challenge using everything from drift- it is not made from precious into each other seamlessly,
was all he needed to move in wood collected on a beach to materials. he explains. I couldnt make
an entirely new direction. peepul, which is considered These days, Reyes combines my furniture if I didnt have
At the Art Institute, Reyes sacred in India. Not every kind three distinctive businesses prior material knowledge
had learned about a steam-based of wood is structurally sound under one roof: His brand from developing and working
wood-bending process invent- enough to withstand the bend- Simply Wood Rings features his on my wooden jewelry lines.
ed in the early 19th century by ing necessary to create a ring signature one-of-a-kind wedding I actually consider myself
German-Austrian cabinetmaker shank, but today Reyes always bands; a separate jewelry line he more of a woodworker than
Michael Thonet. He began re- includes at least a bit of the arti- began in 2008 under his own a jewelry artist.
searching the technique in ear- fact in his custom rings, usually name tends to run considerably Reyes approaches the
nest, to learn how to adapt it as an inlay. Everything I work larger, pushing the natural limits adjustments he makes to his
to a small scale. To this day, it with comes with stories and of wood. And taking a cue from website with the same meticu-
never ceases to amaze me that a meaning, which renders my those larger designs, Reyes lous eye for detail as when he
material heavy and solid enough jewelry authentic and deeply recently started a third venture, is designing a new piece for
to hold up a house can also be personal, he says. As a result, a furniture business that scales his jewelry line. Nothing is an
rendered soft, lightweight, and my customers take excellent up his swirly wooden forms afterthought. He is proud of his
malleable when treated differ- care of their wooden rings, just even further to form bases suit- assistants and recognizes their
ently, he says. like they ought to take care of able for tables. Reyes favorite value to his success so much
Table, 2013,
white oak base
below:
Wood is neatly stacked
in Reyes studio,
labeled with the names
of clients who sent it.
gustavreyes.com
simplywoodrings.com
Brigitte Martin is the founder
and editor of Crafthaus, and
president-elect of the Society of
North American Goldsmiths.
a decade ago, kristin levier Dartmouth had a workshop When her husband, a One day, Jim said, Do you want
shifted from researching the where you could walk in without stream ecologist, took a job at to be a woodworker, or do you
behavior of bacteria to shaping knowing how to do anything, the University of Idaho in 2005, want to be an artist? I started
and carving intricate wood she says. It was run by two she decided to stay home with crying on the spot. I wanted to
sculptures. The transition puz- amazing men, and they taught their 2-year-old son and try be an artist, but I hadnt had the
zles some people. you from square one. It helped woodworking full time. She courage to say that.
Im often asked how I could that shes a perfectionist who gured shed make small func- Shortly after they met,
go from work that uses the left follows directions well. tional pieces to sell at art fairs. Christiansen invited her to
Deeply
Ingraned
Dont judge a
book by its cover
and dont judge
a tree by its bark.
These artists
look past surfaces
to the patterns
found within.
spotted by
Julie K. Hanus
Greg Klassen
om
t.c
es
em
rt
fA
o
sy
te
ur
Co
Good Vibrations
Victoria Wagner explores
the mystical properties of color on paper,
metal, and wood.
story by
Deborah Bishop
Portrait: Jessamyn Harris / St. Dorothys photo: Bob Stender / Sand and Path photos: Michelle Feileacan
was almost beamed by a chunk twin passions: color
of the stuff falling from the sky. theory and the mys-
teries of nature.
Wagner, a painter, was
having some diseased trees
taken down on her property in
the rural Northern California
town of Occidental, and the
airborne piece of Douglas r
gave her pause.
I looked at it and thought,
Who are we, anyway, to cut
down a tree? What right do we
have? I need to do something
with this piece of wood, to far left:
Woodrock:
show it proper reverence. St. Dorothys Rest
So Wagner, who had previ- (Frozen River),
ously used paper and canvas as 2016, found madrone,
oil paint, steel,
her, well, canvas, secured the 32 x 14 x 12 in.
wood to her painting table with (including 12-in. stand)
a vise, grabbed a handsaw, and
above:
started faceting the edges. Fol- Woodrock:
lowing organic growth patterns, River Sand in the
she then painted the surfaces Late Afternoon, 2016,
redwood burl, oil paint,
with gradient spectrums of color. steel, 42 x 12 x 11 in.
And suddenly, I had this little (including 24-in. stand)
left:
Geode: 9-Sided,
Silver White to Deep
Violet Blue, 2015, oil
paint, aluminum,
48 x 36 in.
Woodrock:
Ward Street Burl,
2015, redwood burl,
oil paint, approx.
10 in. tall
Woodrock:
Radiant Fall Sunset,
2016, redwood burl,
oil paint, steel,
24 x 11 x 16 in.
Sunset photo: Bob Stender / People photo: Victoria Wagner / Other photos (3): Michelle Feileacan
(including 8-in. stand)
bees, and the chain saw, rather the reective metal to pull the Four color-eld paintings (made by Wagner and CCA
than cutting them away. I viewer into the attened-out are arranged as sandwich alumni) sit atop a walnut slab,
realized that the natural raw depictions of her Woodrocks. boards, a nod to the smoke where they represent the num-
edge was actually a beautiful And Wagner painted directly shops that were the only busi- ber of tribal territories in
expression of the downed tree onto wooden panels for People ness many Native Americans California before Europeans
not something to remove, but from Here (2015), an installation could sustain. Underneath the arrived. In the last week of the
to celebrate. that refers to the Washoe peo- paint are sketches of baskets by show at Yerba Buena Center
Although sculpture has been ple, who lived on a reservation artists including Dat So La Lee, for the Arts, the rst 61 people
central to Wagners work of near where she grew up. (Peo- a celebrated Washoe weaver to arrive were handed a plain
late, she has not abandoned ple from here is the literal from the 19th century and white porcelain vessel to swap
her two-dimensional Spectral translation of washo in the among the rst to trade with for one of the territory vessels,
paintings. She recently began indigenous language, which is European Americans. Sixty- a symbolic reenactment of the
working on aluminum, using all but extinct.) one colored ceramic vessels whitewashing of the state.
For her current project, Mitchell believed that the Colors in relation
Wagner is gazing beyond the planet was part of an enormous
trees and up to the stars, with and interconnected living sys-
to each other
an homage to Edgar Mitchell, tem, and that consciousness create vibrations
one of the astronauts on the was the deepest mystery of the
that can have
Apollo 14 mission, who experi- universe, Wagner explains.
enced a mystical epiphany out And that, in a nutshell, is every- profound
in space. She is pairing minia- thing that I embrace. emotional impact,
ture components of the Apollo
space station with ceramic victoriawagner.com Wagner says.
moon rocks and color-gradient A frequent contributor to American
paintings based on images of Craft, Deborah Bishop is a writer
the moon landing. and editor in San Francisco.
Michael ONeill
cant see around them, can only Worlds within worlds, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, Drew likes to play
imagine the world beyond. Yet different movies on var-
right? he says, offering a hint. during the political and social
ious screens as he works,
on their seemingly impenetra- Think in terms of the innite upheaval of the 60s and 70s a way to connect with
ble surfaces, disparate elements and the innitesimal. Think in some very moving times. Even a completely different
stand out, events erupt. Some- medium. He admires
those terms and then youll get if you were young, you felt it.
lmmakers and has
thing big happens, and its not it. There is micro space, and He inherited his artistic gift more than 3,000 movie
about little things anymore. there is outer space. All of these from his father, who liked to titles in his collection.
Heres a hole, signaling disrup- things can be worked, but you sketch, while his mother, a
130L photo: John Berens
tion, dissent, a connection to have to realize that they are nurse, gave him his drive and
the other side. Over there is part of you. You are not sepa- work ethic. His name was pro-
a thrust point, where pieces rate from them. We are a part phetic: Leonardo drew, con-
break out, escape, try to y. of nature, and youve got to let stantly. My mother used to
A similar tension ani- these things ow through you. try to stop me. Shes a force of
mates Drews looming three- So I think bigger. nature, and she couldnt make
overleaf:
Since the early 1980s,
artist Robyn Horn
has worked with wood,
producing sculptures
small, large, and mam-
moth. Shes pleased
when people have to
look hard to gure out
how she makes her
work. I like messing
with them a little bit,
she says.
Moving in silent
robyn horn has always
loved those lyrics from the
artist, 65. That sense of motion
and volatility the urge to
dominoes, a gust of wind,
a wave gathering momentum
James Taylor song Walking wander, break free, even fall before crashing ashore. They
desperation / Man, which he recorded in apart is what Horn captures lurch, lunge, whirl, teeter, tilt,
Keeping an eye 1974. They even inspired the powerfully in her Slipping and shift and, as she says,
names of two of her sculptures, Stone series, rocklike forms youre not sure exactly where
on the Holy Land / Walking Man (1996) and Hypo- shes been carving out of wood theyre going.
A hypothetical thetical Destination (2003). A for more than 15 years. Ranging Even as they hint at impend-
one-time singer and guitarist from pedestal-sized sculptures ing chaos, the Slipping Stones
destination / herself, shes been a fan of to 10-foot outdoor monoliths, radiate beauty and grace, while
Say, who is this Taylor for a long time. with such titles as Slip Sliding celebrating the gure and grain
Process photo: John Horn
walking man? He had a series for a while Away, Slightly Off Course Again, of the wood and the iconogra-
that had a lot of restlessness and Approaching Collapse, the phy of stonework. Tangible
and movement in it, like he
could never really settle down.
works are geometric abstrac-
tions that suggest moments
vestiges of movement in a
ballet is how David McFad-
Or at least it sounded that way when somethings got to give: den describes her work in The
in his music, says the Arkansas a pile of blocks, a stack of Sculpture of Robyn Horn, to
above: top:
weard Muybridge. Hypothetical Although Horn began
Horns works can look ani- Destination, 2003, her woodworking
redwood burl, career using a lathe,
mated and precarious because
16 x 19 x 8 in. a current tool of choice
theyre so sturdy and expertly is the chain saw.
crafted. Most begin as a single
hunk of wood that she cuts
the top that holds the structure other way. Maybe its a meta- stract art, especially cubism. stones, she explains, stone
together has slipped and lost phor for life: To show weak- She remembers being fascinat- cuts and stone walls, standing
its way, so that the other bricks ness, to be open to disruption ed by Marcel Duchamps 1912 stones, stone circles. By the
appear about to tumble down. and change, requires strength painting Nude Descending a late 90s, though, turning no
Sometimes shell cut a piece out and stability. Staircase (No. 2), drawn to its longer satised her creatively.
Approaching Collapse,
2016, redwood, black dye,
10 x 5 x 2.8 ft.
For one
wedding
anniversary,
Horn and her
husband gave
each other
a forklift.
Swirling Rhythm,
2016, maple burl,
31 x 27 x 5.5 in.
On a visit to the home and studio Theres a stone circle on the something weve done together Asheville, North Carolina.
of Barbara Hepworth in Eng- grounds and a line of 10-foot for 30-something years. For Being able to give students
land, Horn was captivated by stones heading down a hill. one wedding anniversary, some early assistance in their
the late sculptors monumental We had a big party when we they gave each other a forklift, careers through classes or resi-
outdoor pieces. She had already were planting these. A bunch which she uses to hoist herself dencies at these nonprots is a
above:
Horn outlined
Resisting Collapse
(2014), a maquette for
a much larger piece,
with chalk before
carving. The nished
slabs look as though
theyre frozen in time,
right before they top-
ple over.
right:
Nailed, 2016, cherry,
nails, 22 x 21 x 3.5 in.
robynhorn.com
Joyce Lovelace is American
Crafts contributing editor.
top: left:
Suspended between Without making furni-
sculpture and furniture, ture, Kurtz says, hed
(A)Typical Windsor get lost in the fantasy of
Form (2004) became sculpture. Pieces like his
an early calling card for Quarter-Round Ladder-
Kurtzs multifaceted back Chair (2010) bring
approach to making. him down to earth.
Hollow-Leg
Dining Table,
2016, ebonized ash,
2.5 x 9.2 x 3.6 ft.
Furniture photos: Andy Wainwright
Kite photo: Lauren Coleman / Pointe and Stars photos: Patrik Argast
his time with Puryear, his years
of perfecting his technique and
mastering the materials they
add up to the work of one mans
hands. Ideas come from mak-
left:
ing things, says Kurtz.
En Pointe, I like the alchemy of manip-
2012 13, ulating materials with your
handcarved
basswood,
hands, taking a stick of wood
milk paint, and transforming it into some-
monolament, thing magical.
5.3 x 3.3 x 3.3 ft.
The
Experiment To glimpse
into furniture maker
Jon Brooks
fertile imagination,
look no further
than his home.
Sea Sloom and Sidecar photos: Taylor Dabney / Shark Fin photos: Michelle Given
A gentle, humorous
seems most at home in the inter- way to take on the rising
Her surface treatments are affection was not necessarily
stitial realm that exists between waters caused by climate no less intricate. The wood reciprocated.
genres. She has a category on change, Sea Sloom re- much of it small, discarded bits I was terrible at it, initially.
imagines the hull of
her website called Furniturish, a boat as a trailer for
rescued from dumpsters and I just had no natural afnity for
and indeed, its in the -ish pedestrians who might gutted houses is embellished the formal processes of tradi-
that her hybrid creations of the need one that can oat. with pen-and-ink drawings tional furniture making, says
The hatches open both
functional and the fantastical up and out.
and layers of paint, creating Hudnall (who today teaches
seem to take ight. nishes that impart antiquity, many of those techniques as an
With aesthetic inspirations above right (2): suggest decorative wallpaper, assistant professor of furniture
Cabinet With Sidecar,
such as Edward Gorey whose and even painstakingly add design at the Herron School of
2007, wood, metal, glass
detailed pen-and-ink drawings lens, paint, ink, pencil, back the grain thats been paint- Art and Design in Indianapolis).
evoke elaborately imagined lacquer, hardware, ed over. With such illustrative For the longest time I was trying
2 x 2 x 1.25 ft.
(and deliciously macabre) attention to detail, the pieces to cram my concepts onto a clas-
worlds as well as fabulists Telescoping drawers appear almost to have risen, sic furniture form. It took me a
such as Roald Dahl and Jules hide a key to the main fully formed, from the pages while to gure out what I want-
door, which features
Verne, Hudnall imbues her of her sketchbook. Which, in ed to say, and the methodology
a peephole. This is the
assemblages with similarly rst time Hudnall paint- a sense, they have. that would best let me say it.
unexpected elements. Many ed over the grain on a Almost all pieces start as Baby steps in that direction
piece and later redrew
are interactive equipped extremely detailed drawings, occurred after her graduation
it, which, despite being
tedious, made her giggle.
Extending 10 to
18 feet, the structure
is, at certain points,
a mere 3 inches wide.
Theres a beauty about
something that looks
as if it shouldnt be
able to carry its weight:
the scrappy underdog,
defying expectations,
Hudnall says.
left:
Pirate Stool, ca. 2005,
wood, upholstery,
hardware, paint, copper
right:
A Half -Months
Worth, 2013, found
wood, hardware, paper,
paint, ink, lacquer, wax,
string, 5.7 x 1.25 x 3 ft.
katiehudnall.com
Deborah Bishop is a writer and edi-
tor in San Francisco, and a frequent
contributor to American Craft.
Making
our community
stronger
The American Craft Council believes artistry and craft are life enriching, and
inspiration is vital to human expression. No other national organization fosters
craftsmanship the way we do. ACC touches all corners of the craft eld through
a variety of programs and activities designed to champion craft.
The people and organizations on these pages have been generous partners
in this effort. We thank them deeply for their commitment to the continued
vitality and growth of the craft eld.
Every gift is important, and all of our supporters have our heartfelt thanks. Because
of space limitations, this list includes ACCs leadership donors, whose giving has
reached $1,000 or more in the past scal year. A full list of supporters can be
found in our annual report at craftcouncil.org.
Wonderneath photo: Courtesy of Wonderneath / Halifax Crafters photo: Lindsay Duncan / Necklace photo: Meghan Tansey Whitton / Rings photo: Courtesy of Halifax Crafters Society
above:
At Wonderneath,
Heather Wilkinson
helps a young maker use
a handsaw. The work-
spaces free open-studio
events connect artists
with the public.
right:
Harness Round
Necklace by Kiersten
Holden-Ada. Shes Halifax Crafters
among the many artists Society (top), an all-
who came to Halifax for volunteer organization,
NSCAD University and keeps shows affordable
then made it their home. for local makers such as
Sarah Sears (above).
heather wilkinson greets afternoon, there are two dozen of the worlds deepest harbors. College of Art and Design,
me with a big, cheery smile people here many of them The walkable downtown rises which has offered an MFA
before turning to show a teen- kids sewing costumes and steeply from the waterfront in craft since 1973.
ager how to clamp a dowel he pillows, painting, handbuilding. and is close to natural spaces The work produced here
wants to notch. Tighten it on Wilkinson says its all about such as Lawrencetown Beach is pushing boundaries, Markle
each side, and then you can take building relationships between a popular spot for hard-core says. Were not out ahead of
really small strokes, she tells professional artists and mem- winter surfers as well as a people in terms of digital tech-
him. By the time hes made his bers of the broader community. multitude of wilderness trails. nology, but we are in terms of
rst cut, Wilkinson is already Its kind of a delicate ecology Affordable housing, ocean fresh ways of looking at things
across the room, helping a young that we manage. With spaces views, and a thriving cultural that might be traditional, like
boy feed paper into an electric like this, were building up a scene have made the city attrac- throwing vessels or creating
typewriter and explaining how level of support in the commu- tive to many craft artists. hollowware. Connections to
the carriage return works. nity for the work that were One is fashion designer Gary rural life also have a powerful
Its a bright September day doing, she says, before trailing Markle, who came to Halifax inuence on many Halifax mak-
and the rst open studio of the off to go thread a bobbin. from New York City in 1990 ers, and traditional arts such
season at Wonderneath, the In Nova Scotia, a province because he wanted to do life as quilting and rug hooking
North End Halifax workspace that juts out into the Atlantic, a little differently in a place remain popular.
founded by Wilkinson and mutual support has long been where you could get to the Markle points particularly
Melissa Marr, both interdisci- a survival tactic whether in ocean in 20 minutes, hike in to the exuberant crocheted
plinary artists. It provides stu- sheries, the nascent wine the woods, and nd fresh veg- playgrounds of Toshiko Horiu-
dio space for 12 professionals, and craft beer industries, or etables from a farmer, he says. chi MacAdam, who teaches at
along with space open to the the arts. About half of the prov- Today, he is head of the craft NSCAD. Working with her
public for free, twice a week, inces 1 million people live in division at NSCAD University, husband, Charles, MacAdam
almost year-round. This Halifax, which is built on one formerly the Nova Scotia uses a traditionally domestic
above:
NSCAD Universitys
Anna Leonowens
Gallery shows work
by students, faculty,
and other artists. The
gallery is named for
the school founder
who was also the basis
for the ctional charac-
ter in The King and I.
right:
Therese Bombardier
is one of 12 artists with a
studio at Wonderneath,
where she makes ceram-
ic jewelry and function-
al ware.
Toshiko Horiuchi
MacAdam reinterprets
traditional craft tech-
niques in her colorful
crocheted playgrounds.
Farmers Market and Art Gallery photos: Steve Farmer / Woo photo: Courtesy of the artist / Plan B photo: Sean Senechal
The Art Gallery of
Nova Scotia Halifax
(above) showcases
work by Canadian
art form to create huge dyed- without breaking the bank, makers such as jeweler
Kiersten Holden-Ada is
and mixed-media artist
nylon installations that invite she says. Its an inspirational a regular at the Crafters mar- Kari Woo (left).
children to bounce and hang. place to live. kets. She moved to Halifax
(She rst got the idea after Therese Bombardier, who from western Canada 15 years
watching kids clamber onto makes ceramic jewelry and ago to study at NSCAD, and,
one of her textile sculptures functional ware at her studio at like many, wound up staying. time, Wilkinson calls out,
in a gallery.) Her work is Wonderneath, notes that Nova The jeweler says she sees a Just pointing out its 7 oclock!
breathtaking, Markle says. Scotia isnt the most prosper- lot of younger up-and-coming A group of kids handbuilding
Shes at the top of her game; ous place so weve got to be artists and craftspeople here with clay carry on, while across
she is in her 70s, and she is industrious. One organization these days. There tends to be the room, a young woman
unstoppable. helping artists to make stuff a climate of support for each keeps painting. Reluctantly,
The Nova Scotia Designer happen is the Halifax Crafters other, as opposed to really some of the other participants
Crafts Council soon to Society (shes on the board), teeth-gritted competition. begin packing up and getting
become Craft Nova Scotia which many credit with making She credits shared studio ready to go.
has also been nurturing craft the business of craft more fun. spaces, like the one she works The teen who was notching
in the province since the early The Crafters hold two annual out of with ve other jewelers, the dowel when I arrived heads
1970s. Executive director juried shows, with free admis- for fostering the communitys past Wilkinson, a completed
Susan Hanrahan says the orga- sion and reasonable fees for camaraderie. Talents that are stylized arrow in his hand.
nization helps attract artists to vendors. The family-friendly not shared are not talents That looks great! she says.
Halifax; what keeps many here winter show is always lively, reads a piece of paper stuck
is the beauty and affordability with a DJ and snacks. Bombar- to the door. Philip Moscovitch is a freelance
of Nova Scotia. You can get dier says the Crafters keep it Back at Wonderneath, writer and radio documentary
a house with an outbuilding fresh with new vendors and the open-studio evening is producer who frequently writes
you can use as your studio support for emerging makers. winding down. At closing about Atlantic Canada.
left:
During their evening
fairs, Plan B Merchants
Co-op spills into a street
bustling with curious
craft lovers.
below:
Lost & Founds mix
of vintage clothes
and locally handmade
wares is a draw
for Halifax hipsters.
Maritimes photo: Michelle Doucette Photography / Lost & Found photo: Carolyn Hirtle / Hooked rug photo: Susan Lord
above: right:
Made in the Maritimes The Hooked Rug
owners Joel Kelly and Museum of North
Mark Smith, with man- America has a vast col-
ager Krissi MacKenzie. lection of work, includ-
The boutique special- ing The Yankee Peddler, a
izes in goods handmade tribute to famed hooked
in eastern Canada. rug designer Edward
Sands Frost.
If You Go 102
Craft Shop photo: Andrea Saint-Pierre / Citadel Hill photo: Scott Munn
Craft and Design, which 8. Plan B Merchants Co-op
5635 Spring Garden Rd. handmade items. Try Lost &
supports regional mak- 2180 Gottingen St.
jennifers.ns.ca Found for vintage clothes and
ers with a gallery, shops, facebook.com/PlanBHalifax
and studio space. locally made wares. Plan B
Merchants Co-ops sprawl of 9. Made in the Maritimes
5527 Young St.
rooms are chock-full of offbeat
madeinthemaritimes.com
wares, including many hand-
made items by members. Made 10. Lady Luck Boutique
in the Maritimes and Lady 5519 Young St.
Luck Boutique both offer work facebook.com/
ladyluckboutiquehalifax
by dozens of artisans, many of
them local. If youre feeling cre- 11. Wonderneath
ative, stop by Wonderneaths 2891 Isleville St.
free open-studio events on Fri- wonderneath.com
days and Saturdays to make
your own crafts.
Bedford
Basin
322
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2
10
Ma
9
11
.
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Fort 4
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322
6
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Robie
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Halifax
Harbor
349
d Isl an
The traditional shing village Halifax, the towns of Lunen-
(population: 35) is under an burg and Mahone Bay are home
abs
hours drive from downtown to a striking number of galleries,
N
Mc
and lled with seasonal shops. shops, and studios. Take the old
Beales Bailiwick was one of Highway 3 hugging the coast
the rst shops in the country to and stop at the Hooked Rug Seasonal Fairs
Lighthouse photo: Courtesy of Hags on the Hill / Map: Chelsea Hammerbeck
Windsor Chair
An English invention
of the late 17th century,
the Windsor chair, with
its strong, lightweight,
and comfortable design,
remains popular.
Klismos Chair
Its hard to improve
on a good chair: This
design dates back to Wassily Chair
ancient Greece and This low-slung modern
is widely copied today. classic, designed by
Marcel Breuer in the
1920s, looks better than
it feels, Rybczynski says.
So I think chairs, of all the fur- so he designed this chair, which out of wood, and you want designed for walking and run-
niture, are the most personal. was very famous because its to make it light and not too ning and standing. Sitting is
the rst chair where the seat expensive, thats an excellent very awkward because you
And they often remind of us and the back are made out one design, and you cant really have to support the back, the
people. Why is this so? piece of molded wood. But he improve on it. And so people sitting bones. If youre sitting
They remind us of people be- put very thin metal legs on it, simply repeat it. on something hard, you eventu-
cause we use human terms to and its called the Ant Chair Also, sitting hasnt changed. ally get uncomfortable. If
describe chairs. They have because it actually looks like The human body hasnt changed. youre sitting, pretty soon you
arms and legs and backs an ant. Its got these insect-like So a stool that the Egyptians sat cut off the circulation to some
and seats. Its easy, when you legs and then a kind of curvy on will serve us just as well. The part of the body, and that also
look at a chair, to imagine the top, and so it reminded people little folding camp stool is a very leads to discomfort. So its
person in it. If its empty, then of an insect. good example, because that essentially very difcult, if not
you can almost see a person sit- dates back to Egyptian times. impossible, to be really com-
ting in a chair, because its got Why do a number of chair mod- Theres a wonderful quote fortable over long periods of
arms to support, and its got a els including the Greek klis- from Charles Eames, who said, time if youre sitting. Thats
back especially if its a chair mos chair remain popular [Designers] should only inno- really a function of the human
you associate with someone. centuries after being developed? vate as a last resort. We think body, and theres not much you
Theres a long history of A chair, of course, is a tool. Its of innovation as a marvelous can do about it.
chairs that look like animals. used for sitting, among other thing, but really, if you dont
And chair legs traditionally things. And actually there are need to innovate, its always Speaking of comfort, you write
had claws at the end or paws many tools that last a long time. safer not to. Why would you about your Wassily Chair, one
or hoofs or things like that. A claw hammer, for example, reinvent a hammer? of the most iconic modern
Theres a very famous chair that was invented by the Romans chairs around. For years you
I illustrate in the book called the who invented nails; thats why You also quote Niels Diffrient, yearned for one, then realized
Illustrations: Witold Rybczynski
Ant Chair. Its designed by they needed a hammer. famous for his ergonomic it wasnt enjoyable to sit in
Arne Jacobsen, a Danish archi- But if you look at Roman chair designs, who said that once you actually got one. Now
tect. He was designing a factory hammers, theyre basically the sitting comfortably is a rather it serves as a classy clothes
[in the early 1950s], and he had same as hammers today. You unsolvable problem. Why rack in your bedroom. Why
a cafeteria for the workers, and cant really improve a hammer. is it so difcult to make a com- has modern chair design often
he wanted modern chairs. He And chairs are the same. Take fortable chair? ignored comfort?
couldnt nd any chairs that he a Windsor chair, for example: Its the human body. I mean, In the early 20th century, you
liked that would t his aesthetic, If you want to make a chair basically the body is very well have people like Frank Lloyd
Rocking Chair
The American habit of
relaxing on a front porch
likely contributed to the
design of the rocking
chair in the 1700s.
Wishbone Chair
Midcentury Danish
designer HansWeg-
ners mass-produced
chairs balance style
and comfort while
looking handmade.
Wright or Charles Rennie looks rather than the way the porches, and the rocking chairs I was pointing out that posture
Mackintosh or the Austrian person actually is. It favors just somehow became a natural comes rst, that chairs vary
designers who design chairs, one aspect of a chair. thing to put on a porch, because according to posture, and pos-
but theyre not carpenters or you could rock and sit there, ture is not something that
chairmakers. And so designing Many chair designs are closely and the rocking actually creates starts with the chair; it starts
the chair becomes much more tied to customs. For example, a little bit of a breeze. So there with society. People want to
theoretical than if its being de- the rocking chair is a distinctly were a number of things like relax more, or they want to
signed by somebody who makes American design. Why is this? that that sort of encouraged the look more vertical, more strict.
it or knows how to make it. Well, we invented it. The cra- popularity of rocking chairs, The Shakers didnt build the
Early in the 20th century, dle, which is a kind of rocking which eventually migrated to kind of chairs they built be-
when modern chairs appeared, baby bed, dates to the Middle Europe, much later. cause they had technical limita-
its not just that the person Ages. So people knew about tions. They wanted a certain
designing the chair is not the them, and people built cradles Originally, Europeans were kind of furniture because they
same person who makes it; its for hundreds of years. But it taken aback by the design. wanted to sit very vertically.
also that the idea of design be- wasnt until the 18th century in You quote one who called it Shaker furniture is not meant
comes separated from the chair. the United States that somebody a wooden narcotic. to relax in. Thats not the kind
So you can actually talk about combined chairs and rockers. I quote lots of Europeans who of chairs they built, and that
the design of a chair and not talk The earliest American rocking visit America and who are kind was very much part of their
about comfort or how solid it is chair is actually a nurse chair of surprised at the rocking chair, worldview.
or how long it will last. meant for women holding babies. because theyve never seen such Similarly, if you look at
Previously, I dont think So it was invented here, but a thing before. The chair is, in French furniture of, say, the
people thought of design as a it also became very popular many ways, a status piece of 18th century, theres all sorts
separate aspect of a chair. The here. It wasnt just used by furniture. So the idea of a chair of chairs to relax in because it
comfort of a chair, the durabil- women holding babies. It was that moves is kind of anti-status, was a very materialistic, syba-
ity of a chair, the way it was used by all sorts of people, and because it doesnt look impor- ritic society that liked the idea
made these were all combined, [by the 1820s] it really became a tant or serious to see a chair of relaxation and reading and
conceptually. craze, a sort of fad. Its also con- rocking back and forth. entertaining people. And so
Its not necessarily a good nected with the porch, because they developed chairs the
thing when we separate design sitting on the porch is an Ameri- You also say that, in chair chaise longue is a particular
from everything else, because can habit. Most of the United design, form does not follow one that you could recline in
its very articial. Its like talk- States has really hot, humid function; it follows culture. and feel relaxed in, and read
ing about the way a person summers, and so people build What do you mean? books. Reading became popular
at that time. So the posture comes extremely inexpensive chair. furniture designer. I think, If you get tired when youre
from society and culture, and I think the reason that it is such if I had to pick one person, it hiking, you can just sit on a
then the chairs follow from that. a symbol of our time is that its a would probably be him. Partly rock or a tree stump or just on
global chair. The plastics indus- its because he was trained as the ground. So in that sense,
So the chaise longue denes try exists in all countries of the a joiner. He was trained as a we shouldnt make a chair
the values of 18th-century world, and theyre the ones furniture maker, but he ends up more than it is. Its a simple
France. What about con- who really invented this chair. working as a designer for mass- tool thats a pleasure to sit in if
temporary culture? Its also an unusual chair produced furniture. And so its a good chair, and especially
I reached out to three experts because it doesnt come from a he has the skills as a carpenter; if its a favorite chair.
to nd out which chair denes chair designer. It really comes somebody called him the Talking to people since the
our time, and they each chose from a factory making plastic worlds best carpenter. book came out, I realize also
the plastic monobloc chair. buckets and water containers, His chairs are made in facto- that what makes a chair a favor-
I think the reason is that its a and they just are looking for ries, but they also manage to ite is not the design, its what
chair thats uniquely of our time, products to make, because they look like they were made by a you do in it. The chair that you
and theres nothing like it pre- have these huge machines turn- person rather than a machine. read in, for instance, can be a
ceding us. The main reason ing out various things. So they They are beautiful designs, favorite chair because thats
is that its a chair thats made were looking for products, and which are both original and where you take time out of the
out of one piece of material. they just added the chair as one very traditional. day to relax and read a book.
It gets rid of all the joints. And of the things they made in these It wasnt the design of Archie
joints are always the challenge factories. What else did you learn while Bunkers chair that made it his
in chairs. I was surprised when the writing Now I Sit Me Down? favorite. I think it was because
So thats part of the reason, people I asked suggested this I quote design critic Ralph thats where he came home at
and the other one, of course, chair, because I hadnt thought Caplan, who said, A chair is the end of the day and relaxed.
is its a mass-produced chair of it at all. I thought maybe the rst thing you need when
that is literally untouched by the ergonomic task chair is the you dont really need anything. us.macmillan.com/fsg
human hands. Its entirely made chair of our time. But I was And I think theres some truth witoldrybczynski.com
in a machine. When it comes really convinced at the end. in that. Ive written a whole Now I Sit Me Down: From
out of the machine, its ready book about chairs, but its Klismos to Plastic Chair:
to be sat on. It doesnt have to Do you have a favorite chair important not to make chairs A Natural History was published
be polished or painted or any- designer? more than they are. I mean, in August by Farrar, Straus and
thing. And because its made I devote a whole chapter to it is a tool for sitting, and the Giroux. Megan Guerber is Ameri-
from a cheap material, its an Hans Wegner, the Danish truth is, you can sit on anything. can Crafts assistant editor.
Shows
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Make Make
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Baltimore
Baltimore Area Turners The Balvenie Handcrafted
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a public venue for a curated, collective work, ranging from sophisticated
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Laura Hodges
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AND TIME
Oh So Chic Interiors
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Select pieces that are limited in
design and color first, and choose
items with a myriad of options, like
Once you nd a few artisan paint, last.
objects you love, design a room
around them. Thats the premise Patricia Telesco Nicole Ingram
of our popular home dcor Stacy Nicole, Inc.
exhibition, Make Room: stacynicole.com
Modern Design Meets Craft. Your space should reflect you, and
Now in its fth year, Make quality always beats quantity.
Room puts craft in context,
featuring room vignettes Atlanta
created by local interior
designers. This years theme, Alejandra Dunphy
A | D Studio
In Space and Time, asks a-dstudio.com
designers to create spaces
When I design a space, I think of
inspired by ne craft and iconic elements that create a focal point. I
images from the 1940s to today, Gabrielle Schaner add layers of design to enhance and
to illustrate the changing styles create balance within the space.
through the decades in honor of
ACCs 75th anniversary. Leah Atkins
Leah Atkins Design
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Always push yourself outside of
your comfort zone. You dont know
what youre missing until you try
something new.
Laurie Scholl
The Wish List Antiques & Interiors
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Vintage and antique objects can
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will showcase your style and take
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Willem Stear
Tonic Design Studio
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Dont be afraid to mix different
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and allows the personality of the
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Style is a powerful tool to help you
put your best foot forward. Invest in
those quality pieces where t and
fabric matter.
Lori Wynne
Fashion With Flair
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Remember the secret of threes:
Adding a great third piece to any
neutral top and bottom really pulls
together an outt.
Rachel Barnes
R.A.B. Stylist
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how you feel. Dress how youd like
to feel and let your wardrobe speak
for you.
Meet ACCs Style Slam
ambassador Grant Whittaker
at this years Baltimore Nicole Moreland
and Atlanta shows. AriorZoe
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grantwhittakerstyle.com With condence, you will have won
before you have even started.
Amy Nguyen
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DEJAN STUDIO JEWELRY (DEJAN JOVANOVIC)
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Three Ring Set platinum, 18k yellow gold,
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Portrait of Obama - fabric on canvas
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Ad Index
American Craft Maxs ............................................... 9
Council .......................32, 33, 84 85 Museum of Glass .................... Cover 2
American Craft Council Baltimore and Myra Burg ....................................... 9
Atlanta Show Section...........S98 S112 Palm Beach
Anderson Ranch .............................. 6 Contemporary ................................. 5
Arrowmont School Paradise City Arts Festivals .............11
of Arts and Crafts ..........................114 Penland School of Crafts ...............114
Artful Home .......................... Cover 4 Penland School of
Artrider Productions ....................... 9 Crafts Gallery ................................. 6
Corning Museum of Glass ................ 6 Peters Valley
David Patchen................................... 1 School of Craft ...............................27
Fuller Craft Museum ...................... 21 Pilchuck Glass School ....................115
Gravers Lane Gallery ....................... 4 Rago Arts and
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School of Crafts .............................115 Santa Fe Clay .................................114
IndieMe Inc. /ACRE (American Craft The Clay Studio ............................... 6
Retailers Expo) ...................... Cover 3 The Grand Hand Gallery ................. 4
James Renwick Alliance ..................21 Topaz Gallery ................................. 4
Jewelers Outside the Box ..........14 15 Western Design Conference ...........27
Kent County Ofce of Tourism ....... 2 Weyrich Gallery/ The Rare
LAttitude Gallery ............................4 Vision Art Galerie ............................4
Marketplace ................................... 113 White Bird Gallery .......................... 4
american craft council
Board of Trustees
Lifetime Trustees
Leilani Lattin Duke Sara S. Morgan
Pacific Palisades, CA Houston, TX
Marlin Miller Barbara Waldman
Reading, PA San Francisco, CA
Christopher H. Amundsen
Executive Director
camundsen@craftcouncil.org
With
the
Grain
for our wood issue, we easily worked in the direction Puryear trained in the ne it in objects of poetic beauty
asked distinguished sculptor of the trees growth than it is arts; when he went to Sierra such as Big Phrygian.
Martin Puryear to share thoughts across the grain. It cant be Leone as a young Peace Corps Now 75, at the peak of
on the material that has inspired welded like metal, so connec- volunteer in the 1960s, for the a career lled with honors
him for more than 40 years. tions need to be reinforced with rst time he saw skilled wood- (including a MacArthur Fellow-
Wood is seductive, but some kind of joint, which typi- workers who didnt use power ship and the National Medal
its a demanding material, cally involves making cuts and tools; they used traditional join- of Arts), he resists the limelight
he observes. Because it was carefully tted penetrations. ery out of necessity, not as a ne as he always has, preferring to
once a living organism with a Fortunately, he points out, craft. He also spent time with focus his energy in his studio
cellular structure, it swells or humans all over the globe have iconic furniture maker James in New Yorks Hudson Valley.
shrinks with changes in humid- had many centuries to learn Krenov in his studio in Sweden Let the work speak for itself,
ity, and this movement has to work with woods idio- another turning point. he urges, citing the wisdom
to be taken into account by syncrasies, and the result for He went on to take wood of the Japanese philosopher
the craftsman-artist, he says. todays creator is an enormous to expressive heights as a sculp- and craft advocate Soetsu
And because wood is brous, reservoir of knowledge, which tural medium honoring the Yanagi: The thing shines,
its much stronger and more is being rapidly updated. material in a way that transcends not the maker.
Martin Puryear
Big Phrygian, 2010 14,
painted red cedar,
4.9 x 3.3 x 6.3 ft.