American_Craft_2013-12-2014-01.bak

5/24/2018 American_Craft_2013-12-2014-01.bak

1/100

americancragmag.orgdecember / january 2014

NathalieMiebachtranslatesweatherdata intowondroussculptures

Guide toPortlandMakers

SuperRealisticCheetoMosaic

NewOrleansCo-opGallery


2/100


3/100


4/100

PROMOTION


5/100

BILLY

THE TREE

2617 Jewell RoadBelleair Bluffs, FL 33770(866) 677-7735www.BillyTheTree.com

HEART OF THE HOME

28 S. Main StreetNew Hope, PA, 18938(215) 862-1880www.HeartOfTheHome.com

A MANO GALLERIES

At the Five & Dime42 N. Union StreetLambertville, NJ 08530(609) 397-0063www.AmanoGalleries.com

MOONSTONES GALLERY

4070 Burton DriveCambria, CA 93428(800) 424-3827www.Moonstones.com

ENVIRONMENTAL REALISTS

Tlaquepaque A 107336 State Route 179Sedona, AZ 86336(928) 282-4945www.EnvironmentalRealists.com

ON THE MAIN

234 Main StreetOqunquit, ME 03907(207) 646-9280www.OnTheMain.com

MMoCA

MUSEUM STORE

227 State StreetMadison, WI 53703(608) 257-3222www.mmoca.org

GREAT TIMING INC.

[email protected]

www.watchcraft.com U718-786-3713 [email protected]


6/100


7/100

08From the EditorWhy we need craft now.

010LettersReaders chime in.

016ZoomJohn Souters seductive ceramics

and glass artist Amber Marshalls

savvy evolution. Plus: New

Orleans RHINO Gallery co-op,three new books on artistic lives,

advice for young artists from

Robert Lee Morris, and readers

describe their most memorable

educational experiences. And

never fear: Weve got you cov-

ered with spectacular goods and

shows to see this holiday season.

036Collective UnconsciousBooks are powerful symbols

of language and learning and lusciously tactile objects

in their own right. Julie

K. Hanus spots a group

of artists who dont judge

anything by its cover.

038Personal PathsRonan Peterson grew up in

the North Carolina mountains,

immersed in the rhythms and

abundant beauty of the seasons.

Today, Peterson translates

growth and decay in his sur-

faces with a working

style that remains

decidedly down

to earth. Diane

Daniel pays

him a visit.

040Material MattersWould you like some Twinkies

with that? Mosaic artist Jim

Bachor is your man, mixing all

manner of unusual materials

and wry messages into his work.

Joyce Lovelace reports.

084Wide World of CraftPortland, Oregons coll

tive culture makes it an

tional incubator for crea

and crafty enterprises. C

Hazel Drake takes us on

of the town.

092IdeasShould craft education a

its focus on materials in

of an emphasis on desigAmerican Craft Counci

tor of education Perry A

ponders the question.

096One PieceTaking her cues from th

tive drawing her childre

to do, Anna Torma rem

embroidered wall piece

was lost 20 years ago.

On the cover:

Nathalie MiebachsAndrea Gail(2011),a sculpture madeof reed, wood, andweather data.Photo: Nathalie Miebach

page 072

Departments

Amber MarshallDappled vases,2012,acid-etched glass,left: 20 x 11 x 6 in.right: 7.5 x 5 x 3.5 in.page 018

Don

Casper

Vol. 73, No. 6

December/January 2014

Published by the

American Craft Council

www.craftcouncil.org


8/100

044 / crafted livesPlease Touch the A

At Catalina Diez and Juan C

Ortizs home, midcentury

ern furniture cozies up to fo

and pieces by emerging art

all of it touched, used, lived

and loved. Joann Plockov

to the Miami couple.

050The Alchemist

Last summer, Agelio Batle

known for his unusual ma

of graphite, turned to anot

unlikely material, taking u

with opaque plastic milk c

tainers during his tenure

his family at the Worksh

Residence in San Francisc

Deborah Bishop has the st

058It All Adds Up

Hilary Pfeifers mixed-me

works are cheeky, cheerfu

menageries, incorporating

tiple elements as well as

and serious themes. Elizab

Rusch talks to the Portlan

Oregon-based artist about

as a craft-influenced sculpt

064Industrial Strengt

As a craftsman and an artis

Stephen Yusko excels in t

realm of details, from the m

ulous handwork evident in

metal creations to the anal

athleticism of his design pr

Joyce Lovelace reports.

072

Composing ChaosWith skills honed studying

ketry, Boston-based Nath

Miebach takes scientific d

and explodes it into three di

sions. Joyce Lovelace catc

up with the artist, whose w

tests the boundaries betwe

scientific research and aes

expression.

Im tryingto invest foundmaterial witha craftsmansaesthetic.

stephen yusko,

metal artist

Stephen YuskoBlue Box: Beacon,2011,forged and fabricatedsteel,7.5 x 3.75 x 3 in.page 064

Features


9/100


10/100

heres one of those ques-

tions I get from casual readers

of this magazine: Whats the

difference between art and craft?

How do I answer? Well,

I say, the lines are blurry, but

craft has a legacy of functional-ity. And mastery of material

tends to be more central to craft

than it is to art. Finally, I offer,

most craft is in three dimensions,

while art is often in two.

That last quality, in particu-

lar, sets apart the work in this

magazine. We dont cover paint-

ings and photography, generally

speaking. Almost none of the

work in these pages hangs flat on

the wall. The work we show is

dimensional. It wants to be seen,yes, but it begs to be touched.

It calls out to the hand.

And thats true for both view-

er and maker. Take the ceramic

work of emerging artist John

Souter, for example (page 16).

Part of its appeal is its visual

form and use of color, sure.

But to appreciate it is to want

to run your hands over the

matte surfaces made nubby by

multiple firings, and the con-

trasting sleek, shiny spans.

And how does Souter work?

By pulling this color out and

making it a tangible thing, shap-

ing it and forming it, he says.You can imagine his dexterous

hands at work touching,

manipulating,handling.

The same is true of cover

artist Nathalie Miebach (page

72). What Miebach does in all

her work, writes contributing

editor Joyce Lovelace, is take

scientific data and render it in

tactile, three-dimensional form.

Part of what makes Miebachs

work so interesting is the riot

of different textures unleashedby her materials: reeds, wood,

bamboo, plastic, paper.

Yet what fascinates me is that

not everyone finds such tactility

appealing. In fact, throughout

history, art works distinguished

by their physicality have often

been less valued.

Why? In part, we can thank

(or blame) Aristotle, who viewed

sight as the noblest sense

followed by hearing, smell, and

taste, with humble touch at the

bottom. His thinking permeates

the cultural ideals of Western

civilization and our inherited

ideas about art and craft.David Howes, an anthro-

pologist at Concordia Univer-

sity in Montreal, argues that the

long-held primacy of sight over

the other senses has made art

more prestigious than craft.

The privileging of vision in

turn informs the ranking of

painting given its association

with the eye as the finest of

the arts, he says, and basketry

along with all the other so-called

handicrafts, as belonging to theopposite, manual (read: crude)

end of the value spectrum.

No wonder theres an aura

around conceptual art; it sounds

so brainy, so untainted by the

body and our animal heritage.

No wonder theres a stigma

attached to manual labor.

Yet the question of whats

for the eye and whats for the

The Perennial Question

Monica Moses

Editor in C hief

hand what is art and wha

is craft seems less releva

today. And maybe touch m

ters more than ever. Mayb

hands yearn for the textur

Souter and the wild dimen

ality of Miebach because tthey so often go unfulfilled

Consider how much time m

of us spend with handheld

tronic devices, with their s

smooth, unreal surfaces. T

may have touch screens

they are without texture.

We need what weve tr

tionally called art. But we

need craft, with its multi-se

aesthetic. We need tofeel.

So, with apologies to A

tle, far from seeing craft asthan art, I see it as more. S

thing to look at, yes but s

much more.

Nathalie MiebachsAntarctic Explorer Darkness to Lightness(2007). Each weavein this data-drivenwork represents onehour in Antarcticastransition fromcomplete darknessin midsummer to 24hours of daylightin midwinter.

John Souters TheTunnel(2013), withdetail. The artist reedly fires his workcreate distinctive ttured surfaces.

from the editor

08 american craft dec/jan 14


11/100

editorial

Monica MosesEditor in [email protected]

Julie K. H anusSenior Editor

jhanus @craf tcounci l.org

Mary K. BaumannWill HopkinsCreative Directors

Andrew ZoellnerAssi stant E ditor

azoell ner@c raftco uncil .org

Judy Arg intea nuCopy Editor

Joyce Lov elaceContributing Editor

Carlo ApostoliDesigner

Barbara HaugenShows Editor

Elizabeth RyanInteractive [email protected]

John Bel lCalendar [email protected]

Quad/GraphicsPrinterwww.qg.com

DigilinkPre-Presswww.digilink-inc.com

publishing

Joann e SmithAdver tisi ng Sale s Mana ger

jsmith@c raftco uncil .org

Kathy PierceAdver tisi ng Coord inatorkpier ce@cr aftcou ncil. org

Jim Mot rinecCirculation Director

jim.mo trinec @proci rc.co m

legal

American Craft(ISSN-0194-8008)is published bimonthly by the

Americ an Cra ft Counc il1224 Marshall StreetNE , Suite 200Minneapolis,MN 55413www.craftcouncil.org

Periodicals postage paid atMinneapolis, MN, and additionalmailing offices. Copyright 2013by American Craft Council. Allrights reserved. Reproduction inwhole or in part without writtenconsent is prohibited.

Basic membership rate is $40per year, including subscriptiontoAmerican Craf t(formerlyCraft

Horizon s). Add $15 for C anadi anand foreign orders. Address allsubscription correspondence to:

America n Craft Co uncilP.O.Box 3000Denville, NJ 07834-3000Phone (888) 313-5527

For change of address, give oldand new address with zip code.

Allow six week s for change to takeeffect. The opinions expressedinAmerican Cr aftare those of theauthors and not necessarily thoseof the American Craft Council.

Addr ess unsolic ited mater ial to:

America n Craft ,Editor in Chief1224 Marshall Street NE, Suite 200Minneapolis, MN 55413

Material will be handled withcare, but the magazine assumesno responsibility for it. AmericanCraft is indexed in the Art Index,Design and Applied Arts Index,and Readers Guide to PeriodicalLiterature. Book reviews are alsoindexed in Book Review Index.

Newsstand distribution:COMAG Marketing Group155 Village Blvd.Princeton Junction,NJ 08540

POSTMASTER:

Addres s changes to:America n Craft ,P.O.Box 3000,Denville, NJ 07834-3000

Printed in theU.S.A.


12/100

To

TheEditor

Rural Artisans Get

Short Shrift

I was delighted to see AndrewZoellner cover Arkansas for the

October/November edition of

Wide World of Craft. Expecta-

tion was particularly high after

reading the introductory para-

graph, which references the role

of the back-to-the-land move-

ment and craft, a topic on which

I have just received research

funding from the Center for

Craft, Creativity & Design for

my masters thesis. However, I

was quite dismayed at the mostlyurban craft Zoellner chose to

represent the state.

Most glaringly left out was

the town of Mountain View,

which was a vital part of the

back-to-the-land movement;

the birthplace and continued

home of the Arkansas Craft

Guild, founded in 1963 (then

known as the Ozark Foothills

Handicraft Guild, modeled

after the Southern Highland

Craft Guild); and also hometo the Arkansas Craft School,

which offers weekend and

weeklong workshops with

regional and nationally known

craft artisans (arkansascraft

school.org). Many of the resi-

dent craft artisans in Mountain

View continue to practice the

back-to-the-land lifestyle pro-

moted in the opening paragraph

of the article. To leave this

important center for craft history

and continued practice out ofthe picture was a huge oversight.

~Terri Van Orman

Executive director,

Arkansas Craft School

Mountain View, AR

A Woman After My Own Heart

This is the first time Ive read

your magazine and I was imme-

diately hooked by the letter

from the editor [Value Propo-

sition, Oct./Nov.]. I too have

a tiny diamond ring, which Idiscovered my husband was

still paying for six months after

we got married. (Mistakenly

found the jewelry store bill and

had to ask!) He did buy me a

bigger diamond for a birthday

one year, but it has never been

on my left hand. The little dia-

mond reminds us where we

started and how far weve come

in the 32 years weve been mar-

ried. And its been one hell of

a journey!~Chris Austin

Louisville, KY

For the People,

But Not for Everyone?

Rochesters Memorial Art Gal-

lery deserves recognition as it

prepares its Centennial Sculp-

ture Park [Inside Out, Aug./

Sep.]. However, I am among

countless Rochesterians who

find MAGs selection and dis-

tinct placement of Tom Otter-ness statues to be indefensible.

My first glimpse reminded me

of seeing nouveau architecture

in Bratislava, Slovakia, dimin-

ished by the thick gray paint of

Communist domination. Otter-

ness pieces seem similarly

primitive and tasteless, taking

the place of what could have

been inviting and complex.

In Creation Myth,Otterness

seeks to reflect the Pygmalion

story, with genders switched.

Now the female is in charge as

she creates the male, an alleged

form of feminism. However, in

the myth, a female is carved to

be exquisitely beautiful. This

superficial creation of a mate,

based solely on appearance, has

no grounding in feminism. It isa chauvinistic misstep by either

sex. To make matters worse,

the female creator is unskilled:

Otterness says each statue she

creates has got a problem.

And the chisel she holds behind

her back seems a weapon with-

held from his sight. He will con-

form to her will, a violence held

in the balance.

The girth and placement of

these 12- to 13-foot statues makes

them hard to ignore. They can-not easily be walked away from

and dismissed as a viewer might

leave one exhibition area for

another. Author Sebby Wilson

Jacobson notes they are given

a prime site at the parks busy

corner; even passersby cannot

be spared these obstacles.

Knowing they will remain,

I have tried to believe they are

a stretch of some kind of a

deconstructionism that es

me. But I can only conclud

these statues are simplistic

ing, and chauvinistic. Not

do they underestimate the

ligence of our community

they also eclipse the acqui

and public placement of ed

aesthetically challenging a

~Valerie McPhersonRochester, NY

How It Comes Together

The article about Michael

Bauermeister [Of the La

Apr./May] was most inter

ing, but it was difficult to e

sion all of his work. Pictur

his latest line of work at di

ent stages of its developm

would have enhanced the a

A video of his work in pro

would have been even mofascinating. Thoughts from

another woodworker.

~Carol McElvaine via the we

Even More Destinations

Love the list [Craft Road

Trips, Jun./Jul.]. Here ar

more additions in Wiscon

the Concrete Park in Phill

and Sievers School of Fibe


letters


13/100

Arts on Washington Island,

which not only is a school but

also a store filled with textilesand textile-related equipment

and supplies.

~Susan Smith Leschke via

I want to recommend the

Museum of American Glass

in West Virginia. More than

15,000 items of American-made

glass are on display. The museum

publishes a quarterly magazine,

All About Glass,and includes a

library, archives, and a gift shop.

~Kristen GribbleBaltimore, MD

In the Midwest? Check out

Iowa City, UNESCOs only

City of Literature in the United

States, and home to some stellar

American craft venues (Iowa

Artisans Gallery and AKAR, as

well as Chait Galleries) and the

University of Iowa, which is

famous for its printmaking pro-

grams and ceramics woodfiring.

Its a concentrated arts scenewhere the arts are integral to

the downtown.

~Iowa Artisans Gallery via

Colonial Williamsburg is a

major omission on an otherwise

excellent list.

~Bill Pavlak via

Guys, Youve Got Fans

Good for Geoffrey Keating!

Loved West by Midwest

[Aug./Sep.]. My hubby and Italk about moving to Colorado

Springs all the time.

~Audra Estes Lay via

We love seeing @American-

Craft focus on Ken and Julie

Girardini [Among Friends,

Aug./Sep.]. Weve been huge

fans for years.

~Artful Home via

Resonating with Readers

So true: Inspiration often

comes from surprising places.Beautiful saddle leather and

steel furniture [High-Plains

Classic, Aug./Sep.].

~Carolina Designer Craftsmen

Guild via

Recommended Reading

Just spotted this nice writeup

on my book, The Invention

of Craft,Think, Make, Look

[Aug./Sep.], that says it all.

~Glenn Adamson via

How About More Work

in Leather?

I would love to see the work

of some of this countrys most

talented leather crafters and

artists such as Howard Knight,

Al Gould, Bob Klenda, Jesse

Smith, Bob Park, and Don But-

ler. Is this an art form that has

been overlooked by your maga-

zine, or did I miss something?

~Ralph Harmon

Sebastopol, CA

@americancraft

@craftcouncil

facebook.com/americancraftmag

facebook.com/craftcouncil

youtube.com/americancraftcouncil

Keep in Touch

Well publish a cross section of yournotes as space permits; they may be edited

for length and clarity.

[email protected]

letters


14/100

craftcouncil.org/extras.

the library staff at t

American Craft Council h

been hard at work roundinresources for craft enthusiWant to know which schohave craft workshops andcourses? What about a dirtory of museums that colleand exhibit contemporarycraft? Thats just a smidgewhats available. Plus, cheout a list of top 10 craft reses beyond the ACC Librar

Now

OnlineIf the magazinecant contain yourcraving for craft,head online forextended stories,

video interviews,show highlights,and more at

American C raftis published by thenonprofit AmericanCraft Council, whichalso presents craftshows in four citieseach year, offers edu-cational programming,and recognizes out-standing work in thecraft field through itsawards programs.

for this education-themedissue, we sought top-notch advicefor creative students about toembark on their careers andwe found it. Head online toread jewelry artist Keith Lewisinterview with Apple cofound-er Steve Wozniak for his takeon grades, true success, andhow to solve the creativity/career dilemma. Meanwhile,flip to page 23 for Lewis con-versation with jeweler Robert

Lee Morris.

in early october, brook-

lyns UrbanGlass opened thedoors at its newly expandedhome in the former StrandTheatre after undergoing a two-year, $35 million renovation.

American Crafts editor in chief

Monica Moses checked in withthe organizations new execu-tive director, Cybele Maylone,to learn more about the renova-tion, what people can expectfrom the new space, and howMaylone became interestedin the glass world.

earlier this year, the

Center for Furniture Crafmanship in Rockport, Mamarked 20 years as a worlddestination for woodworkfrom beginners to veteran

American Craftassistant edAndrew Zoellner caught u

founder and executive dirPeter Korn (above right) fQ&A on the center. Turn page 22 for a review of Konew book Why We Make T

and Why It Matters.

fiber/mixed-media artistand ACC Fellow WarrenSeelig was on hand for Some-thing Old, Something New,the Cheongju InternationalCraft Biennale in South Koreain September and October.Read his special dispatch fromthe event and learn more about

the award winners, includingHeechan Kim and JiyoungChung, who were recently pro-filed inAmerican Craft. Theeighth annual craft competitionhad nearly 1,200 participantsfrom 55 countries.

The NewUrbanGlass

Wordsfrom Woz

Ramping UpResources

Warren Seelig:Reporting from South Korea

Celebration Ti

HeechanKims#9(2012)

Jiyoung ChungsWhisper-Romance:The Life(2009)

YunkilGu

JiyoungC

hung

YunkilGu

StevenMays

NikHarrison

web extras



15/100


16/100

PROMOTION


17/100


18/100

A timely survey of shows, views, people, and work

On Our Radar

Fired Up

john souters ceramics can, at first

glance, look like elaborate confections.Rendered in vivid colors and unexpected

forms, his sculptural porcelain works com-

mand attention and enchanted curiosity, like

rows of sweet treats in a bakery window.

His hallmark technique of multiple fir-

ings sometimes up to 20 times is the

icing on the cake. It results in a reticulated

glaze, lending a unique textural element

that begs for a closer look. Some might see

beads of dew, or sweat; others will think of

sponges or nonpareils, even a patch of snow

thats been doused in freezing rain.For Souter, 24, leaving each piece open

for interpretation is the whole point.

I want them to be ambiguous, he says,

because anything ambiguous is going to

invoke contemplation; its going to remind us

of things. The titles of his works (Cadillac,

for example, or The Yin) hint at his thought

process, but ultimately, its up to each per-

son to decide what the work means: I want

the viewer to see what they want to see.

Souter didnt set out to be an artist

but his brief foray into the corporate whe worked part-time at a Philadelphia

insurance company for a year in colleg

left him uninspired. He recalled that h

had enjoyed throwing on the wheel du

a brief pottery unit in high school art c

and got a job at a ceramic supply comp

where he also rented a small studio spa

One thing led to another, he says, an

wound up transferring to the Univers

of the Arts.

Chris, 2013,porcelain, glaze,6 x 5 x 4 in.

From One Home

to the Next,2013,porcelain, glaze,4.5 x 5.25 x 3.75 in.



19/100

In art school, Souter was intrigued by

color theory and architecture Johannes

Ittens The Art of Color and Chartres Cathe-

dral were among his many influences and

the ways color and form interact. I became

interested in these color relationships, and

seeing those colors as an object pulling

this color out and making it a tangible thing,shaping it and forming it.

As he built a foundation in ceramics,

throwing pots and mastering the basics,

he learned about the concept of multiple

firings and became intrigued by its possibili-

ties. I was just tired of looking at brown

pots, brown everything, he says.

As he began experimenting with hand-

building, I was making a lot of mistakes.

Most people, they get upset and they throw

their work away. But thats the most excit-

ing part to me. Its not ruined; its a step in

the process, its unexpected.

To this day, Souter doesnt have a pre-

dictable process. Nor does he have an idea

of what, exactly, he wants each piece to look

like when he starts out, he says. Sometimes

he sketches, sometimes he doesnt. Some-times he has colors in mind, other times not.

The journey itself is important leaving

room for unexpected twists and turns.

Since graduating from the University of

the Arts in 2012, Souter has been busy: the

work exchange program at Philadelphias

Clay Studio, residencies at the Guldager-

gaard International Ceramic Research Cen-

ter in Denmark and at Anderson Ranch Arts

Center in Colorado, and a solo show his

first at Snyderman-Works, which

sents him. John was an instant aha

moment that Ruth and I both had w

first saw his work, says Rick Snyd

(Ruth Snyderman, his wife, is co-ow

and founded Works Gallery in 1965.

of his pieces have a certain look, but

they do have is a signature, which isent. That distinctiveness is very im

because its what distinguishes a com

artist from a potentially great artist

Hes the best unknown artist you

heard of, Snyderman says. But that

for very long. ~danielle maestr

john-souter.net

Danielle Maestretti is a frequent contri

toAmerican Craft.

Cadillac, 2013,porcelain, glaze, poplar,

8 x 11.25 x 7.5 in.

Smitten,2013,porcelain, glaze,6.5 x 4.5 x 4.2 in.

Dream-Spun,2013,porcelain, glaze,6.75 x 5 x 5.5 in.

Jackson,2013,porcelain, glaze, enamel, poplar,

5 x 7 x 4.5 in.

The Tower Began to Lean, 2013, porcelain, glaze,

6.5 x 7.25 x 6.5 in.

To My Yang,2013,porcelain, glaze, poplar,

9 x 10 x 9 in.

dec/jan 14 american


20/100

sometimes success breeds

its own challenges. By the time

glassblower Amber Marshall

turned 35 last year, she realized

she had hit a crossroads. I feltlike I was sitting in the turn lane,

says the artist, based in Spruce

Pine, North Carolina. I had to

go full time or move on.

Two years before that junc-

ture, she had decided to begin

marketing her work in earnest.

I realized I needed to get seri-

ous about selling my work. For

me, that meant the traditional

craft-show circuit. Marshall

had graduated with a degree

in glass sculpture from IllinoisState University in 2001, moved

back to her hometown of St.

Louis, where she worked as

an assistant to two glass artists,

then became a teacher at Third

Degree Glass Factory. There

she began to develop her line

of vessels and other functional

pieces. Having found her style

and created an inventory, she

tried the shows.

While not always easy

at an early show, she broughthome an award but didnt sell

a single item the shows have

taught her a lot. They are her

marketing lab as well as an

important source of income

and exposure to a larger public.

What are some of the lessons

shes learned?

Color is key, she says. I

used to make my pieces in clear,

white, some celadon. Very

clean, all texture and line. But

people dont see that at a show.

Product Placement

Show Business

Theyre drawn to color. The

distinctively simple color rang-

es she developed in response

have become a signature. For

Marshall, less is still more.Resisting the temptation to

overload a form with color,

she infuses each shape with

palettes she has developed for

glass. Rather than muddying

one another when light travels

through the work, the colors

retain harmony when illumi-

nated. Form and texture take

center stage.

People also respond to a

visually coherent body of work,

she says. To look at a displayand be able to see a common

thread through it is really

important.

Images an artist uses for

the jurying process will usually

be used for that shows promo-

tional material, she notes, which

can play a key role in attracting

people to the work.

Since 2010, Marshalls work

has been favorably received at a

number of craft shows, includ-

ing the Cherry Creek Arts Fes-

tival (Denver), the Smithsonian

Craft Show (Washington, DC),

and the Philadelphia Museumof Art Contemporary Craft

Show. Following the Smithson-

ian Craft Show in 2011, her work

was profiled on the influential

design siteHandful of Salt.

As her show schedule filled

during the last couple of years,

Marshall was finding herself

stretched thin. Between teach-

ing, assisting other blowers,

working a part-time day job,

and producing her own work,

she was in danger of burning out.

After about eight years at

Degree, she was ready for

challenge. I had tried the

and I was willing to comm

that as my sole income.In 2012, as key to that c

mitment, she won a three

residency at the EnergyX

in Burnsville, North Caro

an hour from Asheville. T

innovative green program

Fueled Up, Apr./May 2

a craft business incubator

viding affordable studio r

and free use of glass furna

and kilns powered by me

gas from the former landfi

which the complex is buil

Dappled vases,2013,blown and acid-etchedglass, 7 to 17 in. high


zoom


21/100

Photos:DonCasper

The EnergyXchange allows

me to have the freedom to fail,

she says. (Her experiments

would otherwise be extremely

expensive.)Whats next for Marshall?

Im addicted to the acid-etched

surface, she muses, making it

soft and sexy. We can look

forward to seeing those sensual

surfaces and whatever else she

comes up with in her latest

creations at the shows.

~rachel schalet crabb

ambermarshallglass.com

Rachel Schalet Crabb is a fiber

artist and writer in Minneapolis.

Bubble bowls,2012,acid-etched glass,7 x 11 in. dia. each

Topo vases,2013,blown glass

Topo vase,2011,blown glass,

9.5 x 9.5 in. dia.

Bowls,2013,blown glass,

9 x 11 in. dia. each

Marble Tufted jars,2012, blown and

acid-etched glass,14 in. high (tallest)


22/100

on a sticky summer eve-

ning in 1991, a group of New

Orleans artists gathered

and took a leap of faith. They

would take over operations ofRHINO Contemporary Crafts

Co., a 4-year-old gallery on

Canal Street. Our goal, at that

point, was simply to keep the

gallery going, recalls Vitrice

McMurry, a jewelry artist in

that founding group.

Over the years, RHINOs

membership has swelled and

contracted, and programming

has evolved, as have artists

expectations. The constant is

the nonprofits impact on artistslives and advocacy for craft

as its name proudly proclaims

Right Here In New Orleans.

American Craftspoke with

McMurry about RHINOs

unusual model.

Perched on the second story

of the Shops at Canal Street,

a fancy mall, RHINO passes

Shop Talk

Pride of Place

for any other gallery. But its a

cooperative, run by the artists

who exhibit there. How does

that work?The nuts and bolts of our coop-

erative model have changed over

the years. From the beginning,

weve had a board of directors

composed of elected officers and

advisors from the community.

But when we started, we also

had paid managers overseeing

day-to-day operations; members

served on various committees

to establish policies and keep

things going.

In this format, we grew to amembership of around 80. Half

of those artists were making

65 to 75 percent on their sales

depending on how many hours

they were working and the

other half, who were exhibiting

but not working in the gallery,

the standard 50 percent.

Then Hurricane Katrina

came to RHINO: Our building

was flooded, burned, and looted

luckily just on the first floor.

The second floor was untouched,but our gallery space was locked

up and inaccessible for weeks.

Four months later, we re-opened

for the holiday season, with

only 12 members, unable to

pay a single employee. At that

difficult juncture, we decided

we needed to be a true coopera-

tive with members doing

everything, from cleaning to

accounting. Membership now

stands at 22.

So if I were an artist and a

new RHINO member

New artists are juried in. Aftersubmitting an application, they

make a short presentation at

RHINOs monthly meeting.

Members vote, and if the artist

is accepted, they work three

training days in the gallery and

meet with the visual committee

about displaying their work.

Each member works three

full days in the gallery every

month, plus serves on at least

two committees. Members are

also required to do at least 10hours of outreach each year.

What kind of outreach does

RHINO do?

There are monthly childrens art

workshops at the gallery, which

are free. RHINO also prov

and staffs art stations fo

dren at local festivals. For

we have workshops with n

nal fees, taught in a variety

mediums by members at th

gallery or at their studios. T

are relatively new but the

been a great success. We h

to keep expanding that proming. RHINO also presen

annual fall-themed invitat

show, with work by memb

and invited artists.

Whats the craft scene like

New Orleans?

The craft scene in New Or

along with the art scene

really booming. Visitors fr

all around the world come

the city for its unique cultu

music, food, art. And whethey visit our gallery at the

of the French Quarter, the

thrilled to find local fine cr

as opposed to junky impor

souvenirs. We also have a d

ed local following of people

attend our openings and su

port us enthusiastically, es

cially during the holiday se

What has RHINO membe

meant to you?

As a self-employed craftspyou can spend a lot of time

With RHINO, Im part of

vital community. There is

of respect and love among

members and fun; we ha

great openings and parties

~julie k. hanus

Julie K. Hanus is senior edito

ofAmerican Craft.

RHINO

Contemporary Crafts Co.

333 Canal St.

New Orleans, LA 70130

504-523-7945

rhinocrafts.com

From left, RHINO members KathleenGrumich, Cathy Cooper-Stratton,Chris Menconi, and Vitrice McMurry.

A glass workshop at the studio ofmember Andrew Jackson Pollack.

The gallerysacronym standsfor right here inNew Orleans.

zoom



23/100

AntoineBootz

Op

timoH

ats

Fox&Brie

FortStandard

Lau

reJo

liet

Goods

Charm

&

Soul

Optimo HatsThis Chicago hattery,founded by GrahamThompson, makes allthe popular styles ofmens hats from yester-year, in luxurious mate-

rials with modernfinishes and appoint-ments. Thompsonlearned his trade fromlongtime Windy Cityhatter Johnny Tyus,whose retirement inthe late 1990s inspiredThompson to continueTyus legacy.optimohats.com

Fox & BrieHaberdasheryLooking for an antidoteto staring at a computerscreen all day, Jess Decellefound sewing to be theperfect medicine. Nowthe Austin, Texas-basedmaker is at it full time,scouring attics and estatesales for vintage fabricsto turn into delightfulbow ties, neckties, andpocket squares.foxandbrie.com

Fort StandardTurned white oak topsmake the perfect lids forglass cylinders storingdry goods within easyreach. Available sepa-rately or as a three-pieceset, theyre made by theBrooklyn-based designand production studio

Fort Standard, led byGregory Buntain andIan Collings.fortstandard.com

Julia Paul PotPaul lives and in rural Virginstrives to makeporary work wof natural inspOne example: tumblers, whofrom brown stto matte turquconjures imageocean shorelin

juliapaulpotter

Monroe WorThe Haverhilmade of Amenut and upholmango-coloreepitomizes finmanship. Its Monroe, whohis MFA in scat Cranbrookcontemporarwith a classicLos Angeles wmonroework

Ted AbramczykWoven fabric coversa satin aluminum framein this dreamy light fix-ture, named 27 Cumulus.

Abramczyk studiedarchitecture and sculp-ture before opening hisBrooklyn-based designstudio in 1996.abramczykstudio.com

dec/jan 14 american


24/100

The Short List

A LifetimeOf Making

the life and work of

William Daley, ceramic sculp-tor, are presented from manyangles in this absorbing volume.Thats appropriate, given thelarge-scale, geometric vessels

with interiors as striking astheir exteriors that are Dal-eys signature.

In addition to curator RuthFines biographical essay, fivenotable contributors offer per-spectives on Daley as artist,family man, and professor atPhiladelphias University of the

Arts. A photographic portfolio

in this memoir, peter korns

first non-instructional book,the author chronicles his lifeas a woodworker, from hisbeginnings as a carpenter onNantucket. Throughout the

narrative, Korn interweavesmusings on craft from his col-lege days to the 20th anniver-sary of the acclaimed Centerfor Furniture Craftsmanshipin Rockport, Maine, which hefounded and where he continuesto serve as executive director.Like many baby boomer-eracraftspeople, Korn didntset out to be a maker; he just

identified with ideas abouing thoughtfully and with pose. Only decades later hfound he was part of a greacraft movement. His persostory holds your interest, ahis thoughts on craft as a vtion are deftly presented inaccessible, honest fashion,like the furniture he makes ~andrew zoellner

five years ago, tadd myers

went on assignment, photo-graphing craft smen who werecreating moldings for a historicbuilding. Their skill inspiredthe commercial photographer,who was left wondering: In aseemingly automated and out-sourced economy how manyother Americans were stillworking with their hands?

Portraits of the American

Craftsman is an exquisite

catalogue of the years that

followed, in which Myerscrisscrossed the country,photographing people whohandcraft banjos and pipes,surfboards and saddles, cut-lery and carousels, and more.

Money is but one sliver ofwhat motivates these crafts-men, Myers writes. Theyhave also realized that if theyput a piece of themselves intowhat they create, part of it

stays in the work and yet an

very important part continto live inside themselves. essays by Eric Celeste offinsight into makers motivtions, materials, and procthe book builds on the prowebsite (americancraftsmproject.com), where Myecontinues the photographjourney he considers the mmeaningful of his career.~julie k. hanus

Portraits of the

American CraftsmanBy Tadd MyersText by Eric CelesteLyons Press, $30

Why We Make Thingsand Why It Matters:The Education of a CraftsmanBy Peter KornDavid R. Godine, $25

William Daley:Ceramic ArtistBy Ruth FineSchiffer Publishing, $75

of his 60-plus years of workthe bulk of the book; the AGold Medalists belief tha

structure is its own decorais much in evidence. Section commissions, Daleysthoughts on teaching, exhtion notes, and a chronoloround out the rich content~monica moses

zoom



25/100

Inside Track

Climbing overBarricades

What did you learn in

art school?

My luck was that my mentor

at Beloit College in Wisconsin

taught creativity more than

he taught technique. He was asculptor from Georgia named

George Garner. When a parade

was in town, hed have us bring

our sketchbooks, but nothing to

draw with other than whatever

we could find there. Wed draw

majorettes using just twigs, then

use washes of color back at the

studio to bring them to life.

I learned that you are

responsible for your actions,

id always sort of hated

jewelrywhen I was a kid, says

Robert Lee Morris,now one

of the most influential jewelry

designers in the world. I saw

it as my grandmothers ugly

baroque jewelry, drenched

in old perfume.

But in the years after art

school in the late 1960s, his

view changed. Living in a com-

mune in Wisconsin, Morris

forged brass necklaces, listenedto Led Zeppelin, and imagined

his designs on the cover of

Vogue. It was when he tried a

craft fair in New England that

he was discovered by gallery

owner Joan Sonnabend. Soon

his jewelry was displayed

alongside that of Picasso and

Louise Nevelson, and coveted by

affluent collectors. He became

a fixture on the New York art

scene. In 1976, his vision was

complete: His jewelry gracedthe cover of Vogue.

But his early good fortune

ran out. In 1977, Sonnabends

gallery closed suddenly, and

he couldnt find another venue;

Morris was shattered. Ultimately

he fell back on his own resources,

calling on the adaptability he

learned growing up in a military

family that had moved 23 times

by the time he was 18. Within

months, he opened Artwear, a

jewelry gallery, and began to col-

laborate with some of fashions

foremost designers. Over the

next few years, Morris won the

Coty award for his collection forCalvin Klein, appeared in every

issue of Voguefor seven con-

secutive years, and was recog-

nized several times by the

Council of Fashion Designers

of America, including a lifetime

achievement award. Artwear

closed in 1995; later that year,

Morris flagship store opened in

lower Manhanttan as an exclu-

sive showcase for his work.

Today he designs the RLM

Studio line for QVC and theSoho line for department stores.

In 2012 he launched the high-

end Collection line at retailers

nationwide.

American Craftsat down

with him at his studios on Fifth

Avenue and asked him about

his four-decade career and

his advice for artists just start-

ing out.

and you have to make a

as to why youre here.

What advice would you

to someone just starting

You have to make a livin

what you love. If you pla

in your career but it does

onate with you, youre n

yet. Its time to reinvent

any cost. You dont wan

in a state of anything les

just total bliss.

How did this happen foAfter college I got this r

bad itch to start a comm

I asked my friends at Be

they were interested, an

all were. It was the mom

hippies and crafts. We e

taught ourselves our ow

I was discovered in 19

craft fair in Putney, Ver

A manager at a gallery in

Plaid banglesinsilver, availablein wide, medium,and narrow sizes.

Hematite Needledrop earrings,inspired by the eyeof a sewing needle.

An Iconic blockbracelet, madeof gold-platedbrass block.I

llustration:TinaBerning,cwc-i.com/

Ph

otos:Courtesyoftheartist

z

dec/jan 14 american


26/100

bought a tribal-like brass neck-lace for $75 and wore it to workthe next day. The owners wereabout to open the gallery Sculp-ture to Wear at the Plaza Hotel[in New York], and they want-ed to see more. They said, Welove what youre doing, and we

want to represent you exclu-sively. We think you are goingto be very, very famous. Soon,I was meeting all these artistslike Roy Lichtenstein, JohnChamberlain, and Jasper Johns.I was making jewelry in thatenvironment, and in the galleryit was jewelry by Picasso, Calder,Man Ray, Mir, Arp, LouiseNevelson, and on and on. Whenthey sold the hotel and closedthe gallery, I thought I would

have no trouble finding a placeof equal prestige to show mywork. But I couldnt.

What happened next?

I had a complete meltdown andrealized I had to do it myself.

And when I opened Artwearjust months later, it was like itwas destined to be. I had justenough money and borrowed$10,000 from a college chum,and I put it together right off

Madison on 74th Street. I tooka chance that it would be a goodlocation because Andy Warholwas supposed to open the Andy-Mat restaurant across the street.Once I signed my lease, though,he got out of his. But my placeattracted the attention of thesuper-rich. They would buymy masks and crazy pieces,take them to Studio 54 and playwith Andy and Elsa Peretti andHalston and all these people, and

then they all started coming in.I became that guy who didCalvin Kleins jewelry and Don-na Karans jewelry, who couldcollaborate without ego with afashion designer who wantedsomething particularly original,that had to look like me, but alsonew and right for the show. Andthen, I became me!

You have steadily envisio

your success. How do you

with obstacles or insecuri

If I ever came across a barrI would overcome it with epreneurialism. I would just

over it; I wouldnt let it stoI dont look left or right at other people are doing, so Isee it as a race. I see it as a munity, because I love all tpeople in this field. I neverthought, OK, I have so mto compete with, I though

Hold on, theyve never seanything like this, becausegoing to do a collection ofarmor and pieces that are ssavage and so futuristic, a

then I did them. And whenthem, the editors and gallewent berserk.

Are you a craftsperson or

an artist?

At Sculpture to Wear, I reized that art jewelry is on same level as any other finthats in a museum. Long aI decided: Just smash it, ma stupid question; its no lorelevant. Craft? Fashion?

Who cares? What matterswhat you do and how youchange the world and whaleave behind and how myour pieces go for on eBay~keith lewis

robertleemorris.comKeith Lewis is a jewelry arti

in New York state.

MorriEgg dearrina verdpatina

I dont look left orright at what other

people are doing.

zoom


27/100


28/100

BMCM

useum

+

ArtsC

enterC

olle

Courtesyo

ftheartist

TraceyEmin/White

Cube

View the complete shows and eventscalendar at craftcouncil.org/event-calendar.

Shows to See

CA / Sacramento

Crocker Art MuseumThe Shape of Things:

Warren MacKenzie Ceramics

to Feb. 23

crockerartmuseum.org

American studio pottery has

been enriched by ACC Gold

Medalist Warren MacKenzies

influence for more than half a

century. Susanna and George

Grossmans recent gift to the

Crocker of their collection of

his work is the basis of this

exhibition.

CA / Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz Museum

of Art & History

at the McPherson Center

Mind, Heart, and Hand: The

Monterey Bay Metal Arts Guild

Dec. 7 Feb. 2

santacruzmah.org

Along the California coast

between Monterey and Santa

Cruz, metal artists banded

together 15 years ago to cel-ebrate the ancient and noble

pursuit of fine metalworking.

New work by guild members

in this juried show ranges from

small jewelry to large construc-

tions, in a compendium of metal

techniques.

FL / Miami

Museum of Contemporary

Art, North MiamiTracey Emin: Angel without You

Dec. 4 March 9

mocanomi.org

Follow the glow to the first

American museum show of

Emins work, which highlights

the much-discussed British

artists use of neon: 60 works

from the past 20 years.

IL / Chicago

Spertus Institute for Jewish

Learning and Leadership

Woof and Drash:

Weaving the Jewish Experience

to Feb. 23

spertus.eduThe diversity of Jewish life

inspires Illinois weaver Berit

Engen, who learned her craft in

Norway as a child. Here, 85 of

her miniature tapestries explore

subjects from prophets to holi-

days, from Yiddish curses to

ancient prayers.

NC / Asheville

Asheville Art Museum

Lasting Gifts

to Jan. 19

ashevilleart.org

Black Mountain CollegeMuseum + Arts Center

Shaping Craft + Design

at Black Mountain College

to Jan. 4

blackmountaincollege.org

Two independently organized

exhibitions celebrate Black

Mountain College, the short-

lived (1933 1957) but influen-

tial little powerhouse near

Asheville where a stellar roster

of artists honed their crafts andwent on to become leaders in

their fields. Lasting Gifts

displays work from the AAMs

ever-growing Black Mountain

College Collection, with pieces

by luminaries such as Ruth

Asawa and Karen Karnes.

Shaping Craft + Design focus-

es on the colleges role in the

growth of craft and design

movements through works by

artists who studied or taught

there, including Shoji Hamadaand Peter Voulkos.

NY / Buffalo

Burchfield Penney Art

Center at SUNY Buffalo SArt in Craft Media 2013

to Jan. 19

burchfieldpenney.org

Fifty-five artists who live,

or used to live, in western

New York present work i

wood, clay, fiber, glass, an

metal in this juried show

proving that geographic li

are not artistic ones.

Lawrence Kat Black MCollege Mu

Arts Center

Berit Engenat the SpertusInstitute forJewish Learningand Leadership

Tracey Emin at theMuseum of ContemporaryArt, North Miami

WarrenMacKenzieat the CrockerArt Museum

Ruth Asawaat AshevilleArt Museum

Shoji Hamadaat Black MountainCollege Museum +

Arts Center

zoom



29/100

MTA

C&TPublishing

CourtesyoftheMetalMuseum

NY / New York

The Art Quilt Gallery

Ccile Trentini:Daily Inspiration

to Dec. 28

artquiltgallerynyc.com

Once a painter and sculptor,

Swiss artist Ccile Trentini

now glories in the structural

and sculptural properties

of fabric. Under her needle,

geometric forms become both

lighthearted and surrealistic.

NY / New York

Grand Central Terminal

Holiday Fairto Dec. 24

grandcentralterminal.com

Its like Grand Central in here

describes busy places every-

where. But the actual terminal,

a century-old beaux arts beauty,

is really, reallybusy: At holiday

time, a million people a day pass

through it, and some will shop

at this juried market with 75

artists and vendors.

TN / Memphis

Metal Museum

Ha! Metalsmiths at PlayDec. 7 Mar. 9

metalmuseum.org

Those wacky folks with their

blowtorches and anvils! This

show highlights playful contem-

porary works alongside whimsi-

cal objects from the museums

collection. In these artists hands,

a seemingly rigid material has

folks bent over laughing.

WA / Bellevue

Bellevue Arts Museum

Rick Araluce: The Minut

the Hours, the Days

to Feb. 2

bellevuearts.orgAraluce, the lead scenic

for the Seattle Opera, go

anti-grand here, creatin

rate miniature environm

in which perspective an

are unsettlingly off-kilte

every little door opens i

world of emotion and m

WA / Tacoma

Museum of Glass

An Experiment in Design

Production: The EndurinBirds of Iittala

to Jan. 12

museumofglass.org

For 10 years, Finnish art

Oiva Toikka and the Iitt

company have hatched a

cially designed glass bird

the museum. Each new

joins the hundreds of ot

birds Toikka has create

the design and home acc

ries company over the p

decades. The factory in jrvi, Finland, where mo

birds have been made, is

close in 2014, prompting

look back at the entire fl

Ccile Trentiniat the ArtQuilt Gallery

Rick Araluceat BellevueArts Museum

The GrandCentral TerminalHoliday Fair

Ira Sherman at theMetal Museum

Nathan Dube atthe Metal Museum

Hamadabowl:GiftofBettyKuhn/Asawasculpture:GiftofLornaBlaineHalper

Courtesyofth

eMetalMuseum


30/100

AimeeSones

CalebCharland

Voices

Whats the best educational experience youve had?

one of my memo-

rable educational

experiences was

turning 21 at Pen-

land School ofCrafts. Beyond the

obvious reasons

why this was a blast,

it was the first time

I connected to a

craft community

that was bigger than

school, or the really

talented people in

my BFA classes.

When I teach work-

shops, I try to make

the experienceinformative, fun,

and something that

is like coming of age

at Penland.

~cory daniel

robinson, chair

of the fine arts depart-

ment, Herron School

of Art & Design,

Indiana University,

Indianapolis

the best educa-

tional experienceIve had has been . . .

experience. The

first conference I

managed for a fiber

organization many

years ago was on-

the-job training and

a crash course in the

business of art. The

many-faceted expe-

riences since then

have added up to

a rich and diverseeducation. My for-

mal education laid

strong foundations,

but experiential

education taught

me how to keep all

the balls in the air.

~dot moye,art

consultant and inde-

pendent curator,

Decatur, GA

leading a design-

build team in the

2005 Solar Decath-

lon completely

changed my outlook

on design and prac-tice. The scale of

the project made

collaboration an

absolute necessity

and instilled in me

the realization that

architecture is

always a group proj-

ect. I highly recom-

mend aggressively

seeking ambitious

projects that are

way beyond yourown abilities. Find

talented partners

with complemen-

tary skill sets and

lead with a sense

of creative generos-

ity and humility

when you are all

out of brilliance.

~ben uyeda,

designer, Boston

at ohio state

University earning

my MFA, I worked

with RichardHarned, Ann Ham-

ilton, and Michael

Mercil. Through

the visiting artists

program and shar-

ing their own artis-

tic practices, they

emphasized that, as

artists, it is critical

that we give our-

selves permission to

make the work that

needs to be made.The work should

be tied to the con-

cept rather than the

material and should

be honored in terms

of time and other

restraints that may

arise in the process

of making.

~aimee sones,

artist, Los Angeles

surprisingly

I think it was p

ing in a rock b

in my early 20

Everything I n

ed to know ab

the messy deta

of making art

collaborating,

egating respon

ity, knowing w

to stick up for

idea and when

it go, making sules and sticki

them, dreamin

ways to get pa

I learned by be

a band. I dont

music anymor

those lessons s

with me to thi

~andy sturde

artist and write

Minneapolis

Aimee SonesDouble OhioPower PlantSubstation, 2013,monoprint madefrom an etchedglass plate,11.25 x 15 in.

Cory DanielRobinson

New AntiqueVol. 2, 2011,reclaimedwood, acrylic,1.4 x 4 x 1.2 ft.

zoom



31/100

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION


32/100

1

3 6

[6]AudreyModern [email protected]

[1] Isabelle Posillico 707-568-5466www.isabelleposillico.com

2

[2]Patricia Telesco 352-376-8157www.patriciatelesco.com

4

5

[4] Alexandra Geller 781-775-6090www.alexandrageller.com

[5]Gerald Arrington Ceramics [email protected]

[3]Danielle Gori-Montanelli 203-548-9025www.studioDGM.com


HolidayGiftGuidSPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION


33/100

11

12[7]Kevin Griffin 206-331-7449

www.jpgwoodworking.com

[8]Barry Uden, Uden Woodturning 408-776-3118www.udenwoodturning.com

[9]Case Island Glass with Artist Suellen J. Parker810-252-1704 [email protected]

7

8

9

10

[10]Mood Modern Lamps/Will Richards Studio509-637-0124 www.moodmodernlamps.com

[11] Maple Leather & GreatBags 800-826-1199www.greatbags.com

[12] Rona Fisher Jewelry Design 215-627-3848www.ronafisher.com

dec/jan 14 american



34/100

4

2

1

[2]Sydney Lynch Jewelry 402-435-2920www.sydneylynch.com

[1] Carolyn Morris Bach 401-364-0623www.carolynmorrisbach.com

3

[3]KathyD Designs 913-544-2482www.etsy.com/shop/kdotson

[4] Steve Sells Studio 828-467-6295www.stevesellsstudio.com

[5]judy bliss 301-493-4256www.judybliss.com

5




35/100

6

9

10

[10]Desiree Gillingham 831-659-4055www.ShellShades.com

6

[6]Donald R. Boudreau 954-243-4100www.boxesbyboudreau.com

7

8

[7] Margo Petitti Scarves 401-578-6768www.margopetitti.com

[8] Jane Bohan 212-529-6090www.janebohan.com

[9] K. Mita Design 646-633-4573www.k-mita.com www.artnersgallery.com

dec/jan 14 american



36/100

[1] Meilie Moy-Hodnett/Big Stick Canes301-922-8443 www.bigstickcanes.com

[4]Cornelia Goldsmith 415-332-0802www.CorneliaGoldsmith.com

[2]George Sawyer 612-375-1799www.georgesawyer.com

[5]

4

2

3 6

1

Floorcloths by Faith Wilson, Tree of Life Galle410-708-4652 www.faithwilsonart.com

[6]Jacqueline Johnson 914-337-5924www.jjattic.com

[3]

5

(h(om)e) 414-202-9612www.home-threads.com




37/100

CNTEMPRARY

CRAFT

ELAINE ERICKSON

GALLERY

207 E. Buffalo St. Suite 120Milwaukee, WI 53202(414) 221-0613www.eericksongallery.com

LATTITUDE

GALLERY

211 Newbury Street,Boston, Massachusetts 02116(617) 927-4400www.lattitudegallery.com

OBSIDIAN

GALLERY

410 North Toole Avenue, #120,Tucson, Arizona 85701(520) 577-3598www.obsidian-gallery.com

THE GRAND HAND

GALLERY

1136 Main St., Napa, CA619 Grand Ave, St. Paul, MN(855) 312-1122www.thegrandhand.com

WEYRICH GALLERY

THE RARE VISION ART GALERIE

2935-D Louisiana N.E.,Albuquerque, New Mexico 87110(505) 883-7410www.weyrichgallery.com

WHITE BIRD

GALLERY

251 N. Hemlock Street,Cannon Beach, Oregon 97110(503) 436-2681www.whitebirdgallery.com

Opala Pendantby Dave Robertsonat White Bird Gallery.Silver. (available in threesizes, 1 - 2 inches w ide)

Copper Stripe Boatby Julie Girardiniat LAttitude Gallery.Stainless Steel with CopperPatina. 9.5 x 53 x 4

Nova 2 Reversibleby Celest Micheloat Weyrich GallerVision Art Galerie22K yellow gold sMadagasgar garngolden sphene (flgreen), 18K yellowReverse side, frossilver.


38/100

DanielL

ai

Wa

lterK

ent

Under Covers

{

spotted byJulie K. Hanus

books are powerful symbols of language and

learning and lusciously tactile objects in their own right.

What better fodder for creativity?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Known for her sculp-ture and installationsas well as artist books,Harriet Barts bodyof work is a wondrouslibrary of transformedtext. InAutobiography(2011), 70 test tubes arefilled with transmutedmiscellany, an array ofmaterials reflecting theMinneapolis-based art-ists interests in culturalmemory, history, sci-ence, and alchemy.harrietbart.com As Peg & Awl,

Margaux and WalterKent craft all mannerof household goods,from office accoutre-ments to reclaimed-cypress chicken coops.But perhaps mostrecognizable are thePhiladelphia-based cou-ples whimsical minia-ture journals, coveredin vintage leather andperfect for wearingyour love of learningfront and center, as inthis 11-volume AutumnalLibrary necklace.pegandawlbuilt.com

collective unconscious



39/100

JuliaStrand

DevonRowlandPhotography

Eva

Chlo

eV

azaka

Phio

na

Rich

ards

Annie

Duff

y

Autobiographyphotos(2):

RikSferra,co

urtesy

ofDriscollBabcockGalleries

An assistant prpsychology at College in NorMinnesota,Jucarves cheap, ovolumes suchclopedias, fieldor anatomy boshadowbox-likof wonder, as i(2012). Coversframes, while and illustration

dipitously alighokeystokes.bspot.com

English paper artistPhiona Richardsusestraditional needleworktechniques in her touch-able, interactive booksculptures and jewelry,including thisRuffle

Bead (2011). To the art-ist, transforming booksnearing the end of theirliterary lives is an exten-sion of a make-doand mend mentality.

Although they appearto be fragile and delicate,they are quite robust,she writes, and interac-tion becomes a thera-peutic experience onmany levels.rarenotions.co.uk

Daniel Laiis a man ofmany talents. When theKnoxville, Tennessee,artist needs a break fromhis doctoral studies incriminology, he con-structs reflective, meta-phorical sculptures, suchas Travelers Key (2012),from discarded books,clay, and other materials.

I often write my experi-ences in a journal, Laisays, but find it inade-quate to convey howI truly feel.daniellai.artspan.com

Caitlin Phillipsof Mount Rainier,Maryland, gives oldtomes new lives as care-fully crafted purses(such as thisAnneof Green Gablesbag) and a new collection oftablet covers for thoseof us who can get behindtechnologys forwardmarch but still crave thetimeless comfort of avolume in our hands.rebound-designs.com

If imaginations areby definition limitless,Brian Dettmers stillseems, perhaps, evenmore so. The Atlanta-based artist (and puta-tive king of the alteredbook) seals books, some-times clamping theminto contorted, unex-pected forms, then dis-

sects them. The resultingsculptures, such asProseand Poetry of the World(2011), seem to havealighted from some alter-nate plane of knowledgeand thought some-where beyond theedge of everydayconsciousness.briandettmer.com

Mixed-media aAnnie Duffywcast paper, comit with other msuch as wood, and cotton thrJuly Evening, F(2013), the artiteaches at the Uof Alaska Faircreated the dreface imagery inwith ink coaxediscarded libralogue cards.annieduffy.co

Wedded to your books?

London-based makerJeremy Maycrafts hisliterary jewels with a

special laminating pro-cess, pressing togetherhundreds of cut pages,then carving the result-ing block of materialinto hip bracelets, neck-laces, and rings, as in

Lonely Planet: Australia(2013). The pieces canthen slip back insidetheir original coversfor storage or display.littlefly.co.uk

collective uncons

dec/jan 14 american


40/100

stones. piles of leaves.

Fallen branches covered with

lichen. Those were Ronan

Petersons toys, plentiful in the

woods surrounding his familyshome high in the North Caro-

lina mountains.

I was outside all the time,

says Peterson, who still lives in

a wooded area, now in Chapel

Hill with his wife and two sons.

In the mountains in the summer,

everything is green and full and

fluffy, but in the winter its

skeletal and unforgiving.

On the dense surface of his

intensively decorative pottery,

Peterson aims to embrace growthand decay through layering pat-

terns, colors, and textures on

red earthenware clay. An exu-

berant burst of green might be

offset by a swath of dark circles;

a sea of dancing dots is partly

obscured by a patch of crawling

glaze, its crackles resembling

the lichen of his youth.

Peterson, whose name is

pronounced RON-an, learned

about his states pottery tradi-

tions as an anthropology andfolklore student at the Univer-

sity of North Carolina. (He was

the first in his family to attend

college.) His interest in moun-

tain lore took him to the John

C. Campbell Folk School,

Down to Earth story byDiane Daniel

where he took his first clay class

in 1997. He rounded out his train-

ing in the two-year Core Fellow-

ship Program at Penland School

of Crafts, where he also met hiswife, artist Kara Ikenberry.

From the beginning, I

immediately was drawn to col-

ors and building up layers, says

Peterson. He credits his attrac-

tion to bright hues and fat edges

to his fathers vast comics col-

lection. Comic books are satu-

rated with color and thick lines,

like drawing with Sharpies.

Since moving to Chapel

Hill in 2003, Peterson, 39, has

worked out of a small studiooriginally built for his mother-

in-law, professional potter Car-

olyn Ikenberry, who is now

retired. Her husband made

this wheel in 1971 as a wedding

gift, he says, demonstrating

the simple setup. The same

cotton string still engages the

motor, which is from a washing

machine. I still have this mental-

ity from my dad and my grand-

parents about using things until

theyre done. It fits into the only

business plan Ive had: Keep

overhead as low as possible.

Peterson named his studio

Nine Toes Pottery, a reminderof the lawn mower accident he

had at age 18 that sheared off

the top half of his right middle

toe. (Although you wouldnt

figure it out on your own, the

stamp Peterson uses to mark

his work is a little homage to

the missing digit.)

He throws most of his work,

and sometimes handbuilds

in the final stages. Most of his

pieces are on the small side

mugs, vases, and bowls alongwith a line of larger platters that

stretch the limits of his tight

space. He holds occasional stu-

dio sales and is invited to a host

of gallery shows throughout the

year, some accompanied by

teaching workshops. Rega

less of the venue, he stays

keeping up inventory, wh

sells fast.

While some artists edgtoward larger, sculptural w

Petersons goal is deeper c

A few years ago he added

to his mostly green and red

ette. Blue is the pottery s

bane because its so comm

and easy to sell, but my bl

isnt a comfortable blue. It

a little brightness. Plus its

of fun to go against the ma

stream, he says slyly. No

have this orange Im intere

in, and a purple and blue gthat Im trying to get right

Lately, Peterson has be

taking cues from painters,

cially on his platters, whe

theres more space to play

Ive been looking at Kle

Mir and others, and find m

inspired by the compositio

In my more shape-oriente

pieces, like mugs, the form

motivates the decoration.

with the platters, its more

imagination. Im telling it wto do. So Im really interes

in seeing where that goes.

ninetoespottery.blogspot

Diane Daniel is a writer in

Durham, North Carolina.

right:Hornets pitcher,2011, earthenware,11 x 8 x 5 in.

below:Hornets cut bowl,2011, earthenware,6 x 9 x 3 in.

right:Dotty stein,2011, earthenware,8 x 5 x 4 in.

below:Dotty green plate,2011, earthenware,10 in. dia. x 2 in.

Bud vase,2012,earthenware,4 x 3 in. dia.

personal paths


41/100

below right:

Wavy Line mug,2013, earthenware,5 x 5 x 4 in.

below:

Hornets tribowl,2011, earthenware,4 x 5 in. dia.

above:

Red Shroom teapot,2011, earthenware,modem wire,10 x 10 x 6 in.

below:Stump server,2012, earthenware,4 x 10 in. dia.


42/100

earlier this year, amid

the hysteria over the demise ofHostess Twinkies (a temporarylapse, it turned out), Jim Bachorbid online and scored a box ofthe discontinued treats for $12.99.Not to eat, though; rather, sothat he could carbonize the cakeon his outdoor grill and mix thepowder into the mortar of oneof his mosaics.

Perpetual Twinkies(2013),

as he ended up calling that piece,shows a pair of the cakes nestledon a plate in a sort of beatific state,crowned with a halo a moderntake on the religious imageryseen in ancient mosaics, and awry statement on the things weworship in the 21st century.

Bachor has immortalized anumber of iconic snacks in thisway, lovingly rendering Ho Hos,McDonalds fries, Starbuckscoffee, Doritos, and Cheetos

in mosaics he meticulously com-poses out of tiny bits of glass andmarble, with traces of the actualsubject matter in the mortar. Hehas done the same thing in other,non-food-related pieces, suchas the bling-y Under State(2012),which perversely spells out thatterm in glass bits infused withreal gold.

A former adman, Bachor, 49,knows the power of medium,message, and a good gimmick.

Yet theres a deeper concept atthe heart of his art. It has to dowith permanence, and the time-less follies and foibles of humanexistence.

I just love the idea of captur-ing some possibly ridiculousthought I might have. Its mine,set in mortar, not going any-where. Its kind of my letterto the future, he says. Maybe

story byJoyce Lovelace

LawingImpressions

a hundred years from nowtheyll be like, What was with this guy?

Bachors creative base his studio in the century-o

American foursquare-stylehouse in Chicago that he swith his wife and 7-year-otwin boys. In conversationa lot like his work: funny, erent, engaging, sharp. Tare very few things I take s

ously, he says, but one ofis that his mosaics be serio

anchored in authenticity.His materials are the ag

ones of mosaic art: marble,and mortar (which may ornot include those extra ingents). His method is a modversion of the traditional Rna or double-reverse technwhich he learned by takingcourse in the Italian city.

Often hell meld contem

rary imagery with ancientdesign motifs and themes.Greco-Roman forebears ina portrait of a Medusa intogeometric pattern; Bachorthe same with Lindsay LohIn place of deities, hell pothe patron saints of Chicapoliticians (or maybe sinndepending on your view),Richard M. Daley and RodBlagojevich. Most every phas a slightly absurd sensib

Bachor calls it an elbow tribs, while Nancy Mills Pieditor of the website Mos

Art Now, has dubbed it (todelight) a Bachorian twis

Trained in graphic desiat Detroits Center for CreStudies, Bachor had a 22-ycareer as a creative directoin advertising, marketing,branding, for clients such

above:MakeYour Mark(2010)is a physical rep-resentation ofBachors life phi-losophy: It meansdo a good job inwhatever you pur-

sue, but dont beboastful about it.

right: PerpetualTwinkies(2013)is made of smalti,marble, and gold,with one Twinkiemixed into themortar.

material matters



43/100

John Deere and Dow Chemical.

In the late 1990s, he took a sab-

batical and traveled around

Europe. He found himself cap-tivated by ancient ruins so

much so that he volunteered

for a six-week archeological dig

in Pompeii. In a place where

you trip over things that are

2,000 years old, he found a

new calling.

The still-vivid mosaics made

the biggest impression. Glass

doesnt fade, marble doesnt

fade, and mortar is pretty

serious stuff to keep it togeth-

er, he says. Just that staying

power is amazing. You go tothese ancient sites and you see

a mosaic that looks exactly the

way it was intended to when

it was initially installed. That

blew me away.

Now hes focused on push-

ing the medium further. Among

his more challenging projects is

BC in 3-D(2004), which depicts

Julius Caesar as a stylized, old-

school 3D image; he wants

to make another in that vein,

one that would work flawlessly

viewed through 3D glasses. Hesalso interested in public art, and

recently landed a commission

from the Chicago Transit

Authority to do a permanent

installation in an L station.

Mosaics may have been the

original pixelated images, but in

todays digital, ephemeral world,

theres something special about

Bachors labor-intensive, rock-

solid, lasting expression

of his favorites is a comp

in muted tones of off-w

and gray.Inspired by his paren

taught him the virtue of

your own thing quietly

integrity, it proclaims h

in visually subtle yet em

terms: Make your mark

bachor.com

Joyce Lovelace isAmeric

Crafts contributing editor

above:BC in 3-D, 2004,smalti, 17 x 14 x 1 in.

left:Super RealisticCheeto, 2012, smalti,

11 x 14 x 1 in.

above:A detail ofAncient GorgonianLindsay? (2013).

top:Chuck Pot Roast,2012, smalti, 11 x 14 x 1 in.

material mat

dec/jan 14 american


44/100


45/100


46/100


47/100

Crafted Lives

1The home of thisinventive crewis not a hands-offmuseum; instead,interesting objectsfrom around theworld are meant

to be used.

interview by

Joann Plockovphotography by

Claudia Uribe

PLEASETOUCH

ARTthe


48/100

when the door opens to

the Miami home of Catalina

Diez, a graphic designer and

app developer, and Juan Carlos

Ortiz, an advertising executive,

a story unfolds.

Art by emerging artists from

Colombia tells of the couplesnative country. Midcentury

modern furniture recalls forag-

ing trips to Chicago, where the

couple lived for a year. And folk

art objects speak of family time

spent in Africa. Reflecting

their extensive travels, their

passion for collecting, and their

creative temperaments, their

nature-enveloped home, which

they share with their two chil-

dren and a dog, has a story

around every corner.

Tell us about the background

of your home.

Catalina Diez: We bought

this home in 200 6 from the

original owner, a Cuban

artist. He added the Florida

room [a sunroom], the master

bedroom, and a larger outside

entrance. Originally it was a

very small, typical house from

the 1950s; he wanted to make

it much grander. But his tastewas very different from ours

there were columns and arches

everywhere, lots of marble,

gold, and statues so we did

a lot of remodeling. We got rid

of all the statues, except the one

you can see through the master

bath window. We thought it

was kind of funky and fun to

leave it there.

How would you describe the

Coconut Grove neighborhoodwhere you live?

Juan Ca rlos Ort iz: I think

the best word to describe this

neighborhood is tranqui l

tranquil and green.

Diez: Yes, the lush vegeta-

tion the trees, t he flowers,

the native plants are part of

the house. I think t hats the

most valuable part of Coconut

left:A dress madeof ChocoBreak candywrappers, by Colombianartist Carolina Rodrguez.

middle:A Fobot(found object robot) byNorth Carolina artist

Amy Flynn.

right:A sculptureinstalled outdoors by theprevious owner, whoadmired Greco-Roman-inspired dcor.



49/100

Grove the big trees an

peacocks walking arou

[Escaped pets are thoug

the source of the exotic

We have all types of bir

cats, raccoons, everyth

its like a mini wildlife s

ary in this area.

How did you start colle

Diez: I think we star ted

it and we didnt know w

doing it. [When we we

living in Colombia] we

to go all over Argentina

Colombia and do road t

example, and we didnt

we were collecting alon

the way.

We both come from

backgrounds. Hes a cop

Im a graphic designer.

something that is in us. share that passion for c

ing and the love of art,

and creativity in genera

The diversity of your c

tion is remarkable. You

this colorful crochet ch

New York-based Polis

Olek, a hand-carved sto

the Amazon, and midc

furnishings, including

chairs and this classic m

room-shaped Nesso lamdesign house Artemide

name just a few items.

Diez: We have things fr

over. We like to travel a

try to bring a little piece

from every trip for ex

this lamp made from co

nutshells, and banana fib

came from an arts and c

fair in Colombia.

left:A rockingchair by Polish-bornartist Olek, boughtat Art Basel Miami.

middle:The couplebought this homemadesign from a manthey saw walkingin Miami Beach.

right:The Treeof Knowledge byFederico Uribe,a Colombian artistliving in Miami.

right:Juan CarlosOrtizs eye for emergingartists fuels much of thefamilys collection.

dec/jan 14 american


50/100

We dont like the house

to be absolutely modern. The

house has an older feel, so we

have to maintain that. If not,

we will feel like we are living

in a showroom. The house

wasnt done by a designer. All

of the objects have been given,bought, found, or inherited

they have a story. And theyre

100 percent chosen by us.

We want the house to feel

like a home. And to be filled

with the d ifferent objects that

we have brought from differ-

ent places for example, this

wood table with marble inlays

that we bought at a midcentury

thrift store in Chicago.

Where have you traveled?Diez: Weve been to Africa

three times to Kenya,

Botswana, and South Africa

and we always want to go

back. We went there for our

honeymoon, then we returned,

and then we took the children.

We want to show them places

weve been places we want

them to experience. As acouple, weve been to London,

Paris, and al l over Europe

many times, and now we are

taking the children. Weve

been to China with our son,

and we go to New York often.

We have a place there, because

Carlos has to go there for work

every week.

What sort of artists do you

gravitate to?

Ortiz: We dont have famousartists here. We love to collect

work from young, up-and-

A drawing by Mexicanartist Hugo Lugo, from

Art Basel Miami.

A covered terrace con-nects the family with thelush garden surroundingtheir house.

coming artists. For examp

have pieces by Colombian

Miler Lagos, Federico Uri

Icaro Zorbar. And we love

meet the artists. We love t

their studios and befriend

You mentioned some of yopieces were found objects

example, the sign in the k

Diez: Yes, this is an authe

road sign from Colombia.

translates to corn for 2,5

pesos. A guy was selling

on the road, and we just s

Hey, we like your sign, a

he opened his eyes [in dis

like, What? You want my

And we were, like, Yes!

For him it was just an o

distressed sign, but we sethere. The typography is

tiful . Its a similar story w


51/100

the sign hanging i n the Florida

room. We got it from this hip-

pie in Miami Beach. He was

just walking wit h his sign

[which offers his serv ices as a

spiritual healer] and we said,

Stop! Again, we appreciate

the lettering. Graphic design as in the case of this table where

the artist used these graphics cut

from a Design Within R each

catalogue on the top is always

a part of our house.

What do you enjoy more:

collecting or making what you

collect part of your home?

Diez: I think t hats the whole

point of the collection: to use it.

I think t here is no point if you

cannot use what you collect.Everythi ng here could [simply]

be a work of art, something

very special . But its in our

home, so its a very special

chair by Marcel Wanders, but

you can still sit in it. You can

flip the tree tru nk made from

paper [by Mi ler Lagos]; you

can touch it. Its not like a

dont-touch museum we have

here; we have a dog hes

chewing on the rug and all t he

cushions. Thats part of life this is a home.

How do you decide what goes

where in your house?

Ortiz: Sometimes we start

putting something in one place,

and then we move it somewhere

else and then again. Its a work

in progress.

Diez: Yes, we never stop.

Were always changing. Were

always moving stuff around.

Our home is a lways evolving.

Do you decide together what to

bring into your home, or do you

allow each other the freedom

to choose?

Ortiz: Freedom, but Catalina

is the boss.

Diez: Fortunately, we never

argue. He never has a problem

with the thin gs I choose on my

An orange ArtemideNesso table lamp bydesigner GiancarloMattioli.

A lamp made of a coconutand nutshells, bought at aBogot crafts fair.

below:

Diez and Ortizlike an eclectic mix of mid-century furnishings withart from their travels.

own because we share t

same taste.

Has your style changed

Diez: Believe it or not,

we were into minimalism

like, 15 years ago. We lo

back and say, What wthinking? The taste ev

And how do you describ

home today?

Diez: It has character. It

our personality.

Ortiz: We love stori

every piece has a story.

why we like to collect s

Thats why our home re

who we are.

Joann Plockov is a freelajournalist covering design

craft, and travel.


52/100


53/100

With hislatest project,

Agelio Batle provesthat almost

everything can betransformed.

story by

Deborah Bishop

photograp

Mark Tusch


54/100

long before agelio batle

perfected the art of turning

plastic milk jugs into glowing

pendant lamps, he had a pen-

chant for unloved materials.

Perched in his studio in the

Potrero Hill district of San Fran-

cisco are abstract steel heads,like something out ofBeowulf

or Game of Thrones, wrought

from discarded fencing and

steel ro

American_Craft_2013-12-2014-01.bak

Documents

Transcript of American_Craft_2013-12-2014-01.bak