If you love Textiles or if you are just curious about Fiber Arts this is your chapter. At one time TTU had an amazing weaving program with internationally recognized artists leading these beautifully serene classes. During a push to have a Fine Arts School, weaving and enameling along with puppetry were cancelled and glass blowing was slowly phased out. Metals survived by becoming metals over jewelry and ceramics moved towards more experimental forms. Directions change as faculty shift their own interests or new administration have a different vision. It is that way in all schools.
One of the reasons why I love this book so well is its ability to give an overview and allow for each area to shine in its own light. When answering your three basic questions give yourself time to take in all the areas and consider how they worked together or separately.
The extra question: Describe a show you would curate focusing on crafts. Title, size, location, artists (if you know some). Money is no object. You can also be in the show.
Futur, I have been trying to create projects reflecting some of the readings and most have turned out poorly..lol..but now I am trying to create a piece inspired by an emotional spiritual chant but relating,or informed by Hosteen Klah's work,am I on the right track?Thanks
ReplyDeleteIf you are not Native America and of his nation I think it might be off the mark and disrespectful. He was a He/She, along with his medicine man work, this is highly spiritual and scared. I would keep looking.
ReplyDeleteI never meant to disrespect anyone,quite the opposite
ReplyDeleteI was enamored by his spirituality and only wanted to honor this.It moved me to create an artwork and that is what I thought we were to do, I am so sorry. I will keep trying
ReplyDeleteNO apologies...if the work is not a copy of a sand painting or one of his rugs you are fine. When you write about it explain how it ties into your life.
ReplyDeleteoh,ok,Yes, I started it yesterday,it is not a copy,for sure,thanks for the help...
ReplyDeleteThere was a statement about Charles Rossbach using newspaper in his work, “symbolic of brevity in being outdated in a day.” I often use newspapers in my own work, but I have never thought about them in that way. I have thought of them more as a collective cultural snapshot of our politics, sports, crime, and advertisements. I’m going to have to reflect on that idea of brevity and see how I feel about it.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised at reading the quote, “but design seemed to embrace the baroque excesses of American automotive design, lacking only tailfins.” I have never thought to compare baroque and 50’s/60’s automobile design. It makes sense, I have just never thought about it.
Again I am interested in this concept of the crossover between the western cannon of art history and craft. The statement, “jewelers began to think of a brooch or a necklace as a self-contained abstract composition,” strikes me as something I would explore if I were to curate a craft exhibit, something along the lines of Modernism in Craft and Fashion. It would be interesting to see the Cubist teapot alongside a Braque still life. I would organize it chronologically by movement, throwing in a couple of paintings and sculptures in each section to provide context, but I would really focus on the craft. I’m really interested in how these ideas that have always been presented to me as some isolated, intellectual movement interacted with the real world. I might even take it into product and graphic design.
This chapter talks a bit about Ken Price as well. I saw his retrospective at the Nasher not long ago, and it was just amazing. I was truly surprised and delighted by the work I saw there.
I saw the Ken Price show at the Nasher Sculpture Center a few years back while taking students on a field trip, and left with a new found appreciation for painted ceramics. I usually discourage students from painting pieces simply because it usually looks awful compared to a glazed piece. His surfaces really changed my mindset with regards to alternative ways to finish a piece.
DeleteYou might look at Ron Nagles work, his work has some of the same kinds of surface treatments as Ken Price but with layers of airbrushed glazes. It is still very sculptural, even his cups, but they are much smaller than Ken Price's work which kind of links in with the section from the text about jewelers looking at their work as wearable sculpture.
Kenneth Price, Ron Nagle, Eva Hild, Don Reitz, Peter Voulkas, Robert Boomer Moore, Brett Kern, even James Watkins. These are the ceramic Artist I think about when people think of ceramics and or pottery as "just craft" that is in some way lesser than painting in contemporary Art. I think it is hard to hold that opinion if you have seen any of these Artist work, especially in person.
Also, regarding your comment from last week about backyard structures for studio space and zoning, tiny homes, and what not. Check out this company's work, one of these guys would be NICE!
Deletehttps://www.studio-shed.com/
Thanks for sharing Daniel - all the potters and ceramic work - I enjoyed Eva Hild - her work is beautiful with simple lines and so elegant. I can only imagine how hard it is to work and shape her work. All these artists just work with a different medium than painters - but it still represents art! I think the same could be true of Art quilters - or traditional quilters - if you've seen them work in person: Hollis Chatelain, Phillipa Naylor, Giuseppe Inglese, Susie Monday are just some that come to my mind.
DeleteI think you also mentioned earlier in the semester that you use maps as well in your work? May have been someone else, but anyways, there is a contemporary artist I would like to share. Her name is Lou Cabeen and she uses embroidery to express "social connotations of gender, the decorative, and private life." Interesting work if anyone has time. I found her in the book Pricked: Extreme Embroidery.
DeleteWhere would the exhibition be held? Can you name a few other artists?
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DeleteOther than the few artists the book referenced, I don't have much knowledge to really get to deep into this. There was the mention of the Pop influence on Ka-Kwong Hui's work, and a lot of the tapestries from the last few chapters would connect well with color field painters. I think Robert Arneson could fit well with Pop also. Ellamarie Woolley would fit well with minimalism. Paul Hultberg's enamels would work well with Action Painting. I could really sort most of the last couple of chapters of work into related modernist ideas. I would probably choose the Dallas Museum of Art because it would have enough modern art that I would only have to track down the crafts and not the paintings and sculpture.
DeleteA curated show...
ReplyDeleteKnowing how much work marriage can be, I have been in awe of the couples who worked together, or were both artists. I think of the competitiveness, one up manship, creative differences and wonder how this could work. On top of that, to have marvelous work!!!
I would title the show " Art and Marriage", maybe use some sort of wedding venue, and have work from The Natzlers - pottery, Sheiers - pottery, Annie and Josef Albers - mainly her weavings, Maria and Julian Marinez, potter - Higgins - glass and Warren and Alix MacKenzie - potters. There may be few more that interest me as we finish the book. This is fairly ceramics heavy, I would like a few more textiles, maybe I would find some current collaborations.
I would love to document their stories, how it worked, Why it worked!
Great idea Chris - love it! I think this impacts so many of us on a "relationship level" that it would be interesting the dialogue your exhibit would spark between male and female! or between generations in families.
DeleteJuan was Maria's son..but family would also work.
Deleteoops, thought they said husband!
DeleteWhat a great idea! This is something I've never seen before but yet there's so many artist couples! Love the idea!
DeleteChris I love this idea also. Maybe you incorporate families of artists? See how they influence each other? Do they fight? disagree? or is truly collaborative?
DeleteHow about a friend show? Would you have all of the same problems?
I was also surprised on how many married couples work together. I think it would be awesome to share the love of a material with each other and create. On the other hand, I think I would like to keep one life (role of spouse) from the other(role of artist). I guess it depends on the person. Being a working artist truly takes time, and to be able to spend time with the one you love and what you love would be interesting.
DeleteI like the idea of the personal interconnection between artists. I always thought it would be fun to develop a family tree of artists as teachers and students since so many artists are teachers as well. I would like to track both the influence and the change that occurs over time.
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ReplyDeleteI am surprised that MOMA in 1969 opened the exhibition called "Wall Hangings"Page 265,As I typically think of exhibits especially in the 1960s consisting of well known artists.Of course since it's focus was on abstraction and experimentation it would make sense,but still exhibiting textiles at MOMA then was pretty radical, I imagine,maybe not.
ReplyDeleteI really liked and was impressed with ed Rossbach's Raffa textile piece,abstract and ever though geometric forms fill the space it still has a whimsical feeling.Page 265 and Lilian Elliott's work on page268,A Walk with Cezanne looks complicated and beautiful with many colors.and Mary Walker Phillips, Knitted Wall Hanging, is also one I am impressed with.
Albeit beautiful the textiles I will take away with me from this chapter,Miye Matsukata's Cuff Bracelet on page274,looks like a sculpture.Tommy Simpson,Man Balancing a feather is charming and witty and whimsical on page 286...J.B. Blunk's Planet is pretty amazing and raw ,on a side not the fat that he could care less about the distinction between craft and sculpture is pretty great also.on page 286page 292,Daniel Rhodes,Form is wheel thrown and slab built and his strong interest in Pueblo pottery is influenced here...he showed large figures up to 6'.
I have always thought of my process as a "Dance With Art", ..when I work I have been told I look like I am performing,I move around, I move up and down ,sit by the work,walk over it, jump over it sometimes...just sit pensively for a while sometimes but I am usually always moving and to music,I need music often times to set the mood.My title would be :A Dance With Art"
ReplyDeleteI would include 3 artists but it would need to be a very large venue for this exhibit so they could move around as they create their work live , so a warehouse would be ideal.
Some artists who work like this and who use different craft materials; clay, paint,fibers, mixed media: My artist/ friend in Japan,Hiroaki Nakatsugawa,a friend from Italy who works this way,Claudio Zirotti and lastly my friend from my PHD studio art days at Monash University,Cherie Overbeay.
Susan - what a great idea. A kinetic relation to the process as the performance in making art! It would be awesome to use it as a way to incorporate learning through kinetic motion for a dialogue for teachers in the classroom.
DeleteYou have to remember that who we consider "important" is based on time and what art history has written. So there is no telling who the break out artist or medium will be. Looking back is it easy to trace the beginnings of artist we know today, but what if we lived then and had to decide. How many folks would have like Pollock's work or Volkos?
DeleteSusan both show sound good...which one do you want to go with?
Very true....
DeleteI think..A Dance with Art...
Susan this made me think of tight ribbon dancing. I'm not sure what they are called but people twist and turn in large hanging material when thinking of textile art.
DeleteThat also reminds me of this artist I saw that but large flowing material with swings at the end for people to swing from and for others to watch and look up and see the material swaying back and forth. It's beautiful.
http://youtu.be/TDTPgbehKMY
DeleteSo I won't say I'm surprised by, but I was entertained by the story about Christian Schmidt posing as Abraham Isitshit, it reminds me of many students who I've seen do similar things to piss people off, but got similar reactions. It also kind of reminded me of Duchamp's Fountain, because of the sarcastic nature of the artists.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised to read the opening of the jewelry and metals section, I have wondered for years what and when began the change to universities and art schools from trade schools and apprenticeships. Like any other major change in the art world it was inspired by a distaste for the traditional way things were done. Universities now seem to focus on concept more than anything, which is where things were headed in this section of the book. If you ever want to see the embodiment of Art v. Craft go to any university's metals lab and watch, there will be a professor an a student passive-aggressively waging war between the two.
I was impressed and intrigued by the work of Charles Laloma. I hadn't realized it before, but I have seen his work and I'm very glad to see it in this book, however I wish they would have included his works with the stones set inside the bracelets. I'll include links to some of my favorites, because the technique is so impressive. When creating something like this you have to create the bracelet form first, and then shape the stones at certain sizes and angles so that they hold together on the curved inside area.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-snWLx_0mhIk/U-5Ed_zaPpI/AAAAAAAAOvE/pfHiHkXjaSw/s640/blogger-image-486540197.jpg
http://images.igavelauctions.com/x/161/Th44591/MAR13-1369.JPG
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/b1/00/f9/b100f9cd307ff8b2074e18300bbc5c84.jpg
I was impressed and will probably take away with me the work of Arline Fisch. I have admired her pieces for years, but have never looked up anything about her. I was really interested in the part about her trip to Central America and being inspired by their combined textile and metal ponchos. Jeweler's, by and large, make small works, but the fact that Fisch called her works "body adornments" because they're just so large just reminds me that the most prevalent form of bodily adornment is clothing, and there's no reason that that can't be a jeweler's scale.
If I was to curate a show I think I'd want to focus on works that blended textile and traditional jewelry techniques. I don't know what I'd call the show, but some artists I think I'd want to include are Thea Clarke, Masako Onodera, Annie Tung, Arline Fisch and Heng Lee. All use textiles or textile techniques to create wearable art, which is something I'm currently foraying into, and I'd like to introduce more people to.
My theme in my exhibit would be about mixing sense of place and issues of diversity at the dining room table –Each would create a dinner plate from craft of their medium dealing with a relational memory they experienced about diversity as well as each artist would be represented in decorating the table in some way – Diversity has many forms and for the artists it could be on race or something simple about noticing differences between friends at an early age and how they dealt with it – we are all impacted by differences in our world and I think it would be great to start a dialogue of acceptance or respect towards differences. I would like to use the different mediums in craft, fiber, ceramics, iron works, jewelry to elaborate on this thought. I would like to use Rose Iron Works, Wharton Esherick, James Watkins, Phillipa Naylor, Barb Forrister as a few but I also think it would be neat to juror in emerging artists because I think its always important to give in the art community! I got this idea from my Aunt, who was half African American and half Italian and married into a white family. She and my uncle would always talk about how different the “conversations” were at the dinner table between her family and ours. I’ve seen this done in the quilting world but it is not on diversity or sense of place – usually an invited group of quilt artists talking about the process they used vs to start a dialogue.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love this! It brings me back to something I think I shared before, but when I was younger and was invited to a friends house whom was a completely different ethnicity than me. Everything was so different from simply the family dynamic to the food brought at the table. Thank you for sharing! It's a very fond memory I have!
DeleteI absolutely love this! It brings me back to something I think I shared before, but when I was younger and was invited to a friends house whom was a completely different ethnicity than me. Everything was so different from simply the family dynamic to the food brought at the table. Thank you for sharing! It's a very fond memory I have!
DeleteLove the idea of using a dining table... Our family has quite the discussions, especially after a holiday meal. I think that could spark conversations for the participants as well as the viewers!
ReplyDeleteGreat show ideas
ReplyDeleteGail, I should post a pic of a project one of my classes just finished, which is very similar to your idea....we studied Judy Chicago's Dinner Party and they created their own version of a place mat out of fabric, clay slab plate etcetc and used different materials as you suggested to create the cup.and silverware..we even went further to study Wayne Thiebaud and then they created clay food also for the place setting...Pretty exciting,then they chose a person who they admired and created a pattern and painted the pieces, a discussion of anti hatred was part of this....
ReplyDeleteJudy Chicago would have issue with adding a male to the mix. If you have ever seen the documentary on the Dinner Party she is extremely adamant about only women, because so many women have been left out of history.
DeleteSusan - I liked Wayne Thiebaud's work - had a bit of issue with a sweet tooth - maybe? ha ha! Serious note - he had a softness to his colors that are very attractive. Not a fan of Judy Chicago - I just feel she's too elitist and I think my art is used to invite people to the table to help people reconcile or embrace diversity. I'd heard about her but forgot about her - thanks for the names.
DeleteGail, I understand..and I like your idea immensely..I just think her work and the making of the dinner party is very important so that is why I plan a lesson around it,I have mostly girls in that class also so I ignore her attitude and focus on the work itself, and the making of it...which really is truly sublime,the time, effort ,coordination and not to mention the final outcome... if you have ever watched the video or seen the work...it truly is amazing ...
DeleteI'm glad you mentioned her - Susan! thanks!
DeleteYes,I know,of course we watch the video in class..I have see her dinner party several times in the Brooklyn Museum of Art.but this project is not only about Judy Chicago,this is only one part of the project.
ReplyDeletehave seen..meant..sorry
ReplyDeleteOk...just a point with that work. But the concept of a dinner party is wonderful and delightful.
ReplyDeleteThese chapters are covering a lot of artwork, wow!
ReplyDeleteSurprised - Mary Walker Phillips and knitting. I love to knit. I am glad to hear of a person taking it past a sweater or a scarf. I loved the line (p269) she had a "fascination with the continuous-thread unity of knitted structure." Never thought of that before. A knitted work can be so easily unraveled because it is just one long thread. I liked her work as I looked it up.
I was impressed at the sheer variety of work created. The different direction the artists took. Functional vs. nonfunctional, influences from the popular culture, or not. They were pushing boundries, experimenting with process and shock-value, some seeing what they could, or could not, get away with.
Every medium had such a diversity of work.
Take-away... I love the "late Bloomers"... Thank you ladies!!! Lenore Tawney and Claire Zeisler starting their work later in life. Gives me great hope!
Chris I loved the line too about "continuous-thread" made me think about doing a drawing using a continuous thread for my project?
DeleteI loved reading the textile section – Red Preview by Claire Zeisler just consumed my imagination and Cloud Series by Lenore Tawney had an elegance and (I assume) simple movement that created beauty. It also challenged my thought on using thread as ornamentation in different ways compared to my use of it – functional for sewing a quilt and use to fasten patterns in the applique process for design or ornamentation but never as the main character in the artwork. I loved that Charles Laloma was defined as “never limited by the familiar way of doing things.” Page 272. I think that is how art evolves – we can’t get to comfortable in our process! Stanley Lechtzin emanated the same in his process. On a teaching platform two ideas struck my thoughts: 1. Arline Fisch is a great example for students, who’s artwork is influenced by a culture but not copying the art work of the culture. I think this would make a great lecture! 2. On the jewelry section where it was stated that found objects and plastics posed a problem of definition for professors (p 278) – I hope I’m always open minded with students on the adventure of experimenting…wouldn’t want to hinder their process because it doesn’t fit into my definition. I think both of those are take away thoughts for me.
ReplyDeleteJust posted my chapter 8 and realized how much we both have in common on what we enjoyed. The textile section was incredible!
DeleteGail, I loved Claire Zeisler's work as well, that Red Preview and the others I looked up were amazing, taking textiles in such a different direction. It would be awesome to just sit in front of it and ponder.
DeletePlaying catchup. About to post a lot. Sorry!!!
ReplyDeleteChapter 7
Loved this chapter too! Lots of pottery :) Sorry I am late posting it. Playing catch-up since I have been preparing for a district art show. I know many of you know the struggle.
Surprised: I found it interesting that this was the age of academia in America for crafts. It makes sense since it was post war and the market for crafts changed. They had to create a market and part of that is creating jobs such as professors of art. I also found it interesting that this is when the fight for “we are art not craft” truly started. I always felt such a division in undergrad between being a potential teacher versus getting a studio degree. I feel like in some ways this is the same kind of division. One group feels superior to another. They touched on craft history not being taught and I feel that’s a valid thing to say. I still feel that way today. The only reason I am learning this history is because the Visual Studies program goes above and beyond the norm whereas so many snooty, nose-in-the-air programs refuse to teach craft. At one point in undergrad we were talked to by a national standards company that allowed students to express what they were wanting to learn or what they felt was missing from their college experience. Textiles were brought up many times. At Tech we didn’t have the ability to take a course in textiles and many students felt cheated. Those students ranged from Visual Studies students to studio students.
Take away: I liked the fact that Warren MacKenzie stuck to his guns by continuing to create functional pottery. He didn’t see it as limitation but rather “framework” that protects him from succumbing to the trends of the time. I think it’s important that my pottery is functional. Functionality is a fundamental quality in my work. I believe that because I want my work to create new meaning with each owner it has through utilitarian experiences.
Inspired me: I was inspired by the section that focused on teachers of pottery. Specifically, Susan Harnly Peterson stuck out to me. She started a program, was a wheel thrower and desired the contrasting of the glaze with the natural unglazed clay (something I absolutely love). I don’t feel like there are many art books that highlight teachers in them. It’s one thing to be able to create art, it’s another to teach it. I’ve met many artists that struggle to teach their medium. I haven’t had to teach wheel throwing yet and I hope that when I do one day I am gifted at it. My ultimate desire is to have a clay studio where I can teach in that capacity. I know I can teach, but can I teach a skill like that? I don’t know yet.
Lastly, I want that table by George Nakashima made from a walnut tree root. Drooling.
I would have had the same sentiment about what I was missing in my college experience as an undergrad. I feel that just reading chapter 8 has opened my eyes to so much in this realm of textiles. So much so that I feel inspired to try it out! I never would have thought to experiment with weaving until now. (Future, this is truly such a great class. Thank you!)
DeleteChapter 8
ReplyDeleteI was anxious to get to this chapter. I knew the 60’s were a time of social change in our country making me curious to see how that played into craft history.
The section on the exhibition standards made me laugh where the Juror created a POS necklace that made it in and received a purchase price. There are times I have entered into a juried exhibition and seen what they picked thinking “what the hell?”. In addition to that I have thought the same things when my student’s artwork have gone to competitions. It really just depends on what mood the juror is in and what style they prefer that day.
Surprised: I don’t have much knowledge or experience with textiles beyond the basics of sewing so reading about some of the women in the textile section was enjoyable. I particularly loved Zeisler. I think I have a thing for “late bloomers” in the art world feeling like one myself. I also enjoy stories of strong women that embrace their craft. Zeisler’s ability to create knots so strong that her sculptures stood on their own is truly remarkable. I was fascinated by her forms, methods, and overall gumption. I’m pretty sure if I stood before her piece I would be in total awe. I guess I need to go to Chicago.
Takeaway: I thought the work and story of Charles Loloma was so beautiful that I looked online at his work to find out that if I wanted to own a piece of his jewelry it would cost me what I make in multiple months of teaching. Rats. Better get a higher paying job if I want to collect work like that. Anyways, I felt like the jewelry created during this time period was aesthetically pleasing. It felt a bit more wild and less controlled in that sense yet refined. I feel like that is thematic for the entire chapter actually. At this point there’s an overall theme of rebellion. The forms have changed, the amount of restraint is lessened or at least it appears that way. Artists are pushing the limits in all mediums to see what else the materials can do and I enjoyed that.
Shelbi...what show would you create/curate?
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DeleteSorry posted with too many typos
DeleteI feel like as of lately I've been incredibly inspired by women. After reading Gendered Vessels, what I've realized is the fact that I am a female, wheel throwing potter is something women don't do based on tradition. As history would have it, most cultures have these roles for potters: men wheel throw and fire in kilns while women hand-build, do surface decoration and pit fire. The higher of the technology was left for men. With that being said, some of those hand-built, pit fired pots are the only ones that will survive thermal shock while cooking with them whereas the wheel thrown ones were too delicate for the fire. Those cultures required wares that would cook food over open flames. All that being said, I would want to have a show that embraces female pottery from every aspect teaching people about this history I've learned. For instance, in the area of wheel thrown pots I would give the history that women were not the wheel throwers initially and why. In the pit fired hand built pots section I would want information teaching people the advantages of having those pieces over the higher technology pieces. I was truly fascinated by all of this and think it would make for a great show one day. I would highlight potters like Ladi Kwali, Maria Martinez and more (including myself somewhere in the mix). I feel like pottery is talked about a lot as a whole and the women are sprinkled in but I never knew so much about the history of female pottery and I don't think many people know it either.
Shelbi, I was amazed at the couples that created pottery together and the woman threw it!!! I would have assumed the other way. I think in more recent years it has become more male dominated, a far as throwing. I personally stink at throwing but hand build and do figurative sculptures with clay. My very thick thrown pots will never tip over, tho!
DeleteYes! I loved that. Things have changed since then. The book I read was referencing African, Japanese, and Native American cultures where women were not the wheel throwers. In some of those cultures the western influence changed that but still I feel like wheel throwing is more dominated by males than females. hahaha no thick pots wont tip over and apparently they're better for cooking too.
DeleteI thought about this “Medal of Honor” and had a good chuckle too. I heard one time Picasso made a bunch of scribbles just to see if they would sell and then to his disgust, they did. Sometimes when I see some of his drawings, I wonder if they were those scribbles. One time, one of my students broke plexiglass, and pencils then hot glued them together with hot glue strings everywhere. When he wanted to enter it into the city student art exhibit I was supportive, but assumed it would be pushed to the back. To my astonishment the piece took first place in sculpture! Think breaking the expected rules brings energetic enthusiasm to the art?
DeleteI was surprised the studio Glass blowing movement was so new. Reading about how it started in a garage or shed on the Toledo Museum grounds in 1962 with seven students. Even when Harvey Littleton started the class, they were all still learning. “After Littleton’s glass formula failed, Labino provided glass marbles that he had formulated for Johns-Manville, as well as a burner and advice about constructing a furnace. Two retired factory glassblowers demonstrated the process.” I wonder if the two retired factory workers became interested in the studio craft of glassblowing. Also surprising, a whole decade later, glassblowing art still wasn’t being made because the technical demands were high.
ReplyDeleteI am impressed with Ed Rossboach and his desire to experiment and gain more knowledge. “He was uninterested in selling and did nothing to promote his art,” yet he wrote 3 books on basketry. He is credited with being the first to explore plaiting, to use ikat, use paper for textile art, and one of the first to use plastic film and thermoplastic bonding. He would also decline many opportunities to lecture, do workshops or show his work. I can relate to Rossboach and his, “appetite for experience; he did not like to repeat himself and would not even create works in series”. I also enjoyed his use of the Mickey Mouse motif, not because he liked him, “but he’s a statement of our present condition of craft. There is no imagery that seems appropriate, and yet there is a strong desire to use imagery”.
My take away for this chapter is a desire to dig deeper in the lives of the craft artists. I have spent more time with this chapter investigating more images of their art. I enjoy reading about the different mediums the artists have used along with the crafts highlighted. Charles Loloma was first a mural artists and sold drawings and watercolors, then studied ceramic before discovering jewelry. Bill Helwig first was a watercolor artist turned enamel, jewelry artist. Side note: I would like to try enamel, Helwig’s Angelic Devils on page 279 is beautiful. Tommy Simpson studied painting and printmaking before becoming a woodworker. The influence of all the visual arts mediums, contributes to the quality of the art.
This one has really stumped me. I am so impressed with the other answers.
My show would be “Crafts: It’s All About Sharing”.
The exhibit would have processes documented. Visitors would see how the artists created their craft. Some exhibits might have video screens, photograph storyboards, or step by step processes displayed.
During the opening and special times, artists would demonstrate techniques used.
Some examples of artists and techniques would be Rude Osolnik and the wood lathe, Harvey Littleton blowing glass, Bill Helwg, “scribing away, allowing the figures to emerge”, Carolyn Kriegman making plastic jewelry, Ed Rossbach weaving, and of course Paul Soldner demonstrating Raku. If this show was being planned for the summer of 2016, the artist’s work would be on display with current artists sharing the technique of the former master artist. People would leave excited and ready to give it all a try.
Paige! When is the show?? It would be so awesome to see artists at work. It's so much of a secret process or private matter at time. The artistic process is something that so few get to see. It would be valuable for viewers to see how the magic happens, how long it really takes, what is involved... Leaving the show would truly inspired many!
DeleteI agree with Jennifer! I have have learned how raw and incredible the process of creating an artwork is! I recently met an artist whose focus in her work is about the process of her work rather than the end result. (Not to mention her paintings in the end do have that affect to ask "How did she do that?") Love it!
DeletePaige ..love your show idea. Good title...one of the aspects of crafts for me has always been the cooperative and collaborative atmosphere. I spent my time in a studio alone and suffering or just creating...I need conversation, laughter and shared stories.
ReplyDeleteOne last posting on What surprised me:
ReplyDeleteOn page 284, this comment, “New concepts will arise only when we clear our minds of preconceived notions about the way furniture should look” took me by surprise. It seemed to answer the industry’s need or ambition for a modern approach to the designing of furniture. It also seemed to create tension within the industry to side with modern or traditional/function. I have witnessed this in the professional quilting world – it seems it’s the same thing over and over – technique/process based vs growing into something new. On an individual level I think its possible to get there – it seems like the professional quilting community keeps taking sides between modern and traditional. I also liked how the woodworking resolved or made efforts to change it: thinking outside the box, and focusing on teaching in university - furniture as sculpture – I’m sure it was a slow process but seems it rewarded these artists to change the mind set!
I agree. It is a slow process and no need to take side or create sides. We are all Makers.
DeleteI also highlighted that quote. I enjoyed reading about Wendell Castle. How he broke from tradition, but kept the function. “To me an organic form has the most exciting possibilities,” is a pleasant way to think of making furniture. J. B. Blunk also captivated me with the way he would “stump carve” instead of the laminate like his contemporaries. On page 286, “At times the cutting away and forming happen so fast it is almost unconscious….Often, as I uncover more of the form, I encounter unexpected qualities, faults or voids in the wood which may change my intention, and sometimes the theme itself.” I agree, there must have been tension among the traditionalist, but the reward of unconscious pleasure and as we discussed earlier, the joy of the process, had to influence the modern style.
DeleteI love love love reading about the Fiber, Clay, Matal Show at St. Paul Art Center in 1964. This event in Art history has moved into the realm "Legends of Art" (I mean that humorously). I first recall hearing of this when my high school art teacher was easing us into the realities of juried shows and the importance of reading all fine print. All I remembered was a dude whose last name was Isitshit entering a perfectly awful piece of work that followed the few rules required and won. I would use a semblance of this story in readying my students for Jr. VASE! I was so surprised and impressed at the description of Christian Schmidt's jewelry entry -"mangled wire, a cheesy toy sheriff's badge, a cheap cameo, and some rocks wired in place". That totally cracked me up!!
ReplyDeleteThe jewelry in this chapter really impressed me, especially the jewelry by Charles Loloma. His bracelet on pg 273 is so cool. To me it looks like a city block and each type stone represents a family of a different culture and they are all content living together.
ReplyDeleteTwo of my take aways from this super packed chapter were 1) Don Reitz (pg306) and Fred Bauer (pg306-307).
1) Don Reitz was a friend and mentor to my current ceramics teacher and I know so much more personal facts about the man from my teacher sharing in class. These type stories, personal adventures and sharings light the imaginations of students. To continue the passing of the Arts from one generation to the next the telling of the stories, the power of the word - both written and spoken, is priceless.
2) Fred Bauer - Before I even read about the artist I was cracking up at the photo on pg 307 of Like-a-Flex. The writers got pretty humorous in their (story)telling of Fred. "As a graduate student in 1963-64 Bauer produced "sarcophagi", large hinged boxes with attached clay ornamentation (sometimes in the hippie drug-culture style)".
Such a clever name for a stash box. And their description of his camera sculpture, "Like-a-Flex" with it's unmistakably penile lens. Was that in case we missed it?
the 1960's were a time of stretching and exploring. Women's Rights, Civil Rights, La Raza, the sexual revolution...a great time to challenge that which had be held so long as the "only way". And yes there was lots of confusion and lots of different paths with little information. For many sexual references were a way to confront bias and conservatism.
DeleteSurprised:
ReplyDeleteJust recently, I was shopping for an area rug for my living room. I came across ikat designs where the edges of the carpet designs appear soft, jagged, and seem “dry brushed” into the bordering color. Knowing this, I was then able to identify these designs and that’s as far as I got in my ikat research.
Then I stumbled upon it again on page 264 where “wrapping of warps for ikat dyeing” inspired Hicks. I immediately could see how Hicks wrapped warps for her twisting colorful tendrils, as in her “Oracle from Constantinple,” but I had no idea that wrapping warps was a part of the ikat design process.
After looking into ikat further, I am amazed with the process and am just blown away with its complex preparation.
Surprised: I had no idea that Sam Maloof used sheet metal screws in his furniture! And I’m surprised that I’m not at all familiar with Wendell Castle! I have a lot to do this weekend now, because I will need to start getting an idea together for creating a piece using the stack lamination technique.
ReplyDeleteImpressed: Claire Zeisler was 59 years old when she had her first solo exhibition, and “her best work was ahead of her”. That’s amazing. And inspiring. And a little terrifying, because I really hope that I’ve found my calling by the time I’m 60.
Body Ornament, by Arline M. Fisch on page 276 is beautiful, but it has to be HEAVY!
Page 284, that desk. Wendell Castle is my new hero. That’s the best looking piece of furniture I’ve ever seen. I want to make something like that. I love it so much that I’m actually very upset that I’ve never seen it before.
Take away: Context. Form vs. function. Is what I’m looking at something that is meant to be beautiful, or something functional that also happens to be beautiful? This is one of the most difficult things for me to wrap my head around when it comes to the making of craft objects. When reading about the difficulties that the jurors of craft shows faced when determining and applying judgement criteria to entries, it made me think about shopping for jewelry. While this isn’t something I’ve done often, it is something I’ve thought very hard about and have spent quite a few hours in mental anguish trying to come up with a decision each time I’ve been at it. Why? Because it’s expensive, for one thing, but the desire to get the most enjoyment out a piece as possible is also what makes the decision so difficult every time. Do I buy the most beautiful piece, or the best designed even if it is impractical and uncomfortable, or do I sacrifice some of those qualities to be sure that the piece can actually be worn as often as the owner wishes? I’ve only ever bought jewelry for my wife because I don’t wear any except my wedding band, so usually I make sure that the piece is something that she will be able to wear whenever she wants in the end. So, to go back to the reading and why I think it’s so difficult to judge craft objects, I keep finding myself thinking of them as having a function, first and foremost. Take, for example, the piece on page 273 by Charles Loloma. On first glance, I thought “WTF is that?” and just skimmed right by it, because it’s clearly a bracelet, and anyone wearing it would have to be very careful to not put their eye out when eating or drinking with that thing on their wrist. But, after going through and reading the entire passage, I was given the context that the artist was a Hopi Indian, and that the bracelet was inspired by Zuni and Navajo designs. I’ve always loved Zuni designs, with their flat inlays of colorful stones, and now when looking at Loloma’s crazy bracelet, I see that it looks like the designs that I’m familiar with except that the colored bands have sprouted, and are bursting out of their boundaries. Now that I have that context, and I know the intent of the artist, I look at the bracelet and think that it is absolutely beautiful and that I would love to own it…but only to put on display. Even now that I know what it is, if I saw anyone wearing that thing I would think it was ridiculous
So maybe from now on you will be able to find an artist that creates what you are looking for and go directly to their shop/gallery. Or you may become inspired to make more things for yourself. I think one of the beauties of this book is the way we are introduced to the artists. For the most part they are not factories.
DeleteWendell Castle's work really blew my mind and I think I spent a whole hour browsing through his body of work. I like that you call him your new hero, because I became obsessed with him the minute I laid eyes on that desk. Some of his chairs are pretty amazing too. The desk on page 284 has silver leaf, which took me a sec to realize because it was so thoughtfully done. Also, can you imagine sitting in his Molar Chair on page 285...would be funny to have those in a dentist's office!
DeleteSo, trying this in to the extra question this week, is not being able to actually use a piece a disqualifying factor for when selecting pieces for a juried exhibition of jewelry? I know this quote is related to materials rather than form, but the author says on page 278, “jewelry teacher tolerated experimentation, but that made it difficult to label their programs…jewelry was now in a grey area”. I think this can apply to the idea of form vs. function as well, because is something really jewelry if it can’t be worn as jewelry? I have the same question for the fiber based media, specifically Claire Zeisler’s Red Preview piece on page 262. It’s amazing. It really is. I love it. But, if I were putting together a show of textile pieces, I would think that patrons would typically be looking for more traditional forms like decorative hangings or tapestries (I’m thinking in the historical context of the 1960s here). The Red Preview piece, to me, belongs more in a sculpture exhibit than it does a crafts exhibit. If I were a patron going to a crafts show, perhaps hoping to purchase a piece, I might well be amazed at the design and craftsmanship of such a huge piece that is made of structural knots so that it is self-supporting and is beautiful to look at, but ultimately I’m not going to decide to go home with what is clearly an eight foot tall vaginapenis.
ReplyDeleteWhy separate the works...why not just Fiber or Textiles...have a wild mix. Have photographs of yarn or thread. If you love wood, what is your ideal show?
DeleteDo what the patrons want to see determine the show? Can adding non-traditional pieces expand the viewers' minds? Can the viewer make their own decisions after seeing the show??? Just curious...
DeleteThe idea of a "grey area" gets even more interesting in the next chapter. At some point all labels dissolve as far as categorization. At some point I wonder if it is at all necessary. I'm getting to the point that I most enjoy work that defies all characterization.
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DeleteChris, you are absolutely right and I agree with you 100%, and I’m glad you called me out on it. Visitors to art exhibits should be free to come to their own conclusions about an exhibition, and artists should not change the way they do things simply to sell pieces. I have never made anything simply because I thought people would like it. When I was writing this post last week I was really stuck in thinking along the lines of the historic context of this chapter. I was thinking about the juried exhibitions described in this chapter and in previous chapters that accepted a wide variety of entries and how the jurors had to come up with rules on what should be disqualifying and what shouldn’t. Like when Dorian Zachai had written about her frustration upon finding out that “ceramic sculpture” was not permitted in the Fiber, Clay, Metal show, but this wasn’t addressed immediately and she didn’t understand the criteria. Whenever I read this book I try very hard to think in the mindset of someone who was making art during that time period, because it makes it easier for me to relate to the material and helps me draw parallels to my experiences.
DeleteFuture, I guess I never did actually say what I wanted to see in a show. The tactile experience of the material is a huge part of why I love wooden objects. I love the textures of wood grain and the smell of wood and the dense and solid feeling that wooden objects have. Even fragile looking pieces can be very strong if they are well made. My ideal show for exhibiting wood objects would be more similar to an installation art piece rather than an exhibition. If there are chairs or benches people should be able to sit in them. If there is a desk, then there should be a book opened on it and people should be encouraged to sit at the desk and read, or write a letter. As much as I absolutely love Wendell Castle’s desk from the last chapter, I imagine that I would be very frustrated if I saw it in person because from what I’ve seen in exhibition photos it is always displayed on a pedestal, like a sculpture, and touching is certainly not permitted. I would love to create a table, a set of chairs and some tableware pieces from wood, and then have an exhibition in the form of an actual dinner party. Visitors would have to make reservations and come to the exhibition and sit at the table and get served a meal. It would be similar to the idea of the Dinner Party installation from chapter 9, but also very different because everything would be used and it would be on a much smaller scale. I think wood improves with age, and interacting with wooden furniture creates character in the piece along with memories that go along with the scratches and dents.
DeleteI’m actually trying to put together a show that I would like to present to a gallery in Houston that I’ve exhibited at before sometime in the near future. The photographs that I want to show are all from West Texas and the Big Bend region, and I want to mount and frame the prints myself using mesquite and pecan wood from the area. I’ve also been working on a bench, for this class, and it is made out of concrete and mesquite wood, and I would like to put it in the gallery with my photographs so visitors can sit on it. Depending on how the universe cooperates with me in the next month or so, I would also like to make a chair and a table from mesquite to include in the exhibition and hand sew a book of photographs and writings to leave on the table for people to look through. For the record, no I wouldn’t want people to touch the picture frames…
Describe a show I would curate.
ReplyDeleteEveryone viewing art in any form, wishes they could interact with the pieces on a tactile level. Textiles want to be caressed, clay pieces want to be picked up, jewelry wants to be put on, and furniture wants to be sat in. I took advantage of the “money is no object” prompt and decided that I would purchase many of the chairs that were designed in the past couple chapters. Artists on display would include Walker Weed, Tage Frid, Esherick, Marcel Breuer, Charles Eames, and Charles Rohlfs. The show would have these chairs on display and viewers would be able to sit in them. It would be called “Sit.”
Love it1
DeleteI wonder how many of those chairs have been used to actually sit in. I agree that furniture wants to be used, and always have the urge to sit in exhibits with chairs in them. There is a space at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, back in a corner with a great stained glass window by Louis Tiffany and some other crafts pieces...and the last time I went there were some chairs. I wanted to sit in one so bad that I think the docent got nervous and thought I was going to do it. I'm glad someone feels the same way.
DeleteTake Away:
ReplyDeleteI teach basic weaving to my elementary kiddos and have thought of dabbling in weaving for some time. This section on textiles has really inspired me to try my hand at it. With so many techniques, I almost don’t know where to start. Suggestions??
I know in Dallas there is a small weavers studio. I go there to get my roving for felting with my students. I took a class at North Texas, do not know if any school where you are has that. I guess goggle it?! It is really worth the effort, I enjoyed it and have not looked at fabric the same since!
DeleteImpressed:
ReplyDeleteI like the different take on wall hangings, whereas textiles can become more sculptural (Zeisler) and free-standing or they can be mounted from the ceiling (Tawney). Again, never really exposed myself to textile work, so this is all new to me!
I just watched a good movie on Netflix that kind of highlights the idea of functional objects being relegated to crafts as opposed to Art. It’s called “Degenerate Art” and it’s about glass blowing…but specifically it’s about making glass pipes. A few times it mentions in the film that some of the pieces could easily be considered “studio glass” without any changes whatsoever other than excluding the ability to smoke out of it. Kind of an interesting thought process, I think. There are some really great looking pieces in the movie, and these guys are pioneering a lot of new techniques and process that can be used by studio glass artists, but they are still widely considered to be nothing more than manufactures of drug paraphernalia. It's worth watch if you've got an hour or so.
ReplyDeletethanks
DeleteDegenerate art I thought referred Hitler's philosophy about un-german or Jewish art considered insulting or communistic to Hitler because they did not meet his requirements or something along that lines,I think...any abstract art was considered Degenerate..That would be a col title for a show though..Also Outsider Art...would be a great show.
DeleteCH.7
ReplyDeleteSurprised: The fact that Art School teachers didn't need an MFA before the war. But then again in a way it could make sense. I feel as if some artist ,that are very good at what they do and have the skill and heart to teach can make the best teachers (Speaking in terms that they do not have an MFA but they are well experienced). But I suppose it's guaranteed they are/ were well educated and knowledgable with a MFA.
Impressed:Paul Hulteberg! Gorgeous enamel paintings! I do not care mush for abstract expressionism but his work is just so memorizing. I love the texture and movement across the steel or as it says on p. 246, "He would work on the remaining bare metal with another mixture of vinegar and salt, which would etch and encrust the metal firing. After running through a moving furnace of Hultberg's design, the copper had splashy brushstrokes in enamel, complemented by oxidized copper in shades of black, rust, and maroon". I looked up more of his pieces online which was fantastic, but I think my favorite is the "Little fault" on page 246.
What I take away: Reading through many of these chapters and likely as we continue in these chapters, I take away to be open to trying something new. It's vague I know but reading how many of the artist who studied or simply practiced doing one form of art got themselves to try something new which had brought them up at one point. Though a point of fame was short for many it lead to success in a way even if it was short. It would be victory for me at least.
The best was for me to learn is by doing it multiple times. I like to receive as much instruction as possible before hand and I ask tons of questions during the process, but it is the best way for me to learn. I am also a visual person so showing me how to do is also essential into how I learn.
Remember there was no MFA..they developed it so that there was control over qualifiers for university teaching. At one point you did not need a BA or BFA to teach in pubic schools you just needed to have finished 12th grade. And there was no teachers certification. Rules and requirements were developed to unify and qualify.
DeleteSurprised- I was really surprised to read that "the Hopi, unlike the neighboring Navajo and the Zuni, had no tradition of making metal jewelry." (page 272) Charles Loloma's jewelry and story are both very fascinating to me. When I first got our book in the mail, I flipped through it just to browse the photos. His bracelet on page 273 caught my idea immediately and I fell in love with that piece. The colors and the natural elements are just so pleasing. I love that "he saw jewelry in abstract terms, perhaps grounded in tradition but not bound by it." I like to think that a good artist does just that. Finds grounding in tradition, yet strays to experiment and do something different. Interesting that although later in life he found himself in wealth, owning airplanes and fast cars; yet still stuck to traditional Hopi customs such as ceremonies and growing his own food. Seems to me that it mirrors the way he saw jewelry related to his culture and the life he chose to live.
ReplyDeleteImpressive - Dominick Labino's story was surely impressive to me. A scientist turned glass artist! Glass scientist! To have accrued over 60 patents for glass composition is incredible! I like that he asserted color itself suggested form. Something interesting to think about...
Take Away- Ed Rossbach really intrigued me. Textiles are new to me honestly, and now I'm looking at things different than I once did. I like that he was uninterested in selling his work. That is how I feel. That is why I price relatively low in some people's opinion. But to me, I want people to be able to buy my art if they want it in their house. Seeing people take pictures of my work with their cellphones at my shows is enough compliment for me. It like they want to take my art with them in some way or another, and a photo will suffice. I'm okay with that. The prices are really there to cover cost of my materials and a little spending money for a rainy day. I also like to make prints and sell them for cheap.
What art show would you curate?
DeleteEXTRA QUESTION: If I were to curate a craft show, I would call for all entries = Clay, glass, metals, fibers and anything else. I think it would be interesting to have an all locals show featuring local artists. On a side note connecting to last week's discussion, I recently gave my jewelry students a challenge to create a co-op or gallery idea for their jewelry. They formed groups, created a Mission Statement for their co-op and created a body of jewelry to "sell". Maybe one day we can actually hold a jewelry sale at our high school. I think it would be a fun thing to take part in.
DeleteCH.8
ReplyDeleteImpressed and surprised (I hope this ok): Claire Zeisler. Really this is what got me, "By 1967 she was knotting at large scale: her works had left the wall and- remarkably- they had were not sustainable but rose from the floor. Through tight knotting and angled, buttressing bases, she was able to make them self supporting. " Self-supporting!? That's incredible to me how she did it. I love pieces that surprise me and impress!
Take away: Again with being open to trying other mediums even if they are out of my comfort zone. But I do wish I got more on a handle with fiber arts, but its never too late! Zeisler, Tawney and many more of the artist are working in me to handling something different in my work!
What are show would you curate?
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DeleteSurprise:
ReplyDeleteI was surprised to read that glass courses were not offered in the US until the 60s. I never really thought about this since glass has been mentioned many times in previous chapters. And thinking of it now, the fact that Tech doesn’t offer it anymore, I feel like it might be one of those dieing art forms that has been taken up by machinery. Whatever it is, I am saddened that I registered too late to even attend glass blowing here during the summer. I’ve had the awesome experience seeing it being done at the Tornado Gallery in their workshop and its such a unique process!
Impressed
I enjoyed Claire Zeisler’s art. I looked her up to see more of her pieces. I have to say, a lot of her stuff reminds me of hair or waterfalls, they look so heavy and large. It’s impressive that for the most part she worked alone but welcomed help on these larger projects. Her display of her artworks makes it even more interesting since they seem so contrasting again the wall or surroundings with the fibers either being bright or even texture. I think her most interesting is one of pieces that look coiled and upside down.
Take Away:
A lot of things are looking very expressive and emotional, particularly with textiles (or how I see it) and metal. It will be interesting to see more of this evolving into the next decade.
Extra Question:
With Textiles, I like various sizes and emotionally expressive ones. Perhaps even a mixture of textile with another form of art. One of my favorite pieces I made was a hard sculpture with wire (a bare tree) and textile (knitted yarn) as a horizon. I knitted it purposely with a ombre pink and white, dropping sticking and adding some, to make it look like it was being destroyed or falling apart. The piece was about falling apart, delicacy and depression. I only had a few days to put it together and I was working full time. If I could go back, I would’ve made it much much larger. It was only 3-4 ft long maybe and displayed it hung from the ceiling. Going from that, I do like Claire Zesler’s because a lot of her work reflects a lot of my expectations to textile art. Large and oversized pieces are amazing and if it’s large enough to even walk into is even better!
One of the things I will say I don’t like, is work where textiles are purchased and purposely toiled and shape shifted to look “destroyed”. This to me, is a way of cheating. I think that if you are going to work with textiles, it has to be from scratch.
I've always enjoyed Ernesto Neto. I think that could fit in with textiles. I think he defies easy characterization a bit, but he would definitely give you work you could climb/sit in.
DeleteEXTRA QUESTION: If I were to curate a craft show, I would call for all entries = Clay, glass, metals, fibers and anything else. I think it would be interesting to have an all locals show featuring local artists. On a side note connecting to last week's discussion, I recently gave my jewelry students a challenge to create a co-op or gallery idea for their jewelry. They formed groups, created a Mission Statement for their co-op and created a body of jewelry to "sell". Maybe one day we can actually hold a jewelry sale at our high school. I think it would be a fun thing to take part in.
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