Equines Rule in Furniture with Soul Show

Over the summer Gallery NAGA, in Boston, assembled an ambitious international show of top tier studio furniture artists that included makers profiled in David Savage's book Furniture With Soul - Master Woodworkers and Their Craft. I haven't read the book so I won't be providing any review here, but I have read reviews and from what I understand, it is an impressive survey of top tier US and British furniture makers. This show included artists that were featured in the first section of the book. Next year, Gallery NAGA is planning on exhibiting artists that were included in the second section.

Because these are the best of the best (though, as with any curatorial process, no one can agree who these should be and many of my favorites aren't in the book), it was a surprise to me that I would have such clear and definitive favorites in the show. Interestingly, they turned out to be pieces inspired by equines. First, there is this set of Zebra Cabinets made by John Makepeace, a British artist whose work I had never seen before.

Zebra Cabinets

black oak and holly marquetry, burnished lacquer interior

John Makepeace

2012

Seeing these pieces in person made me think that there weren't enough superlatives to describe them. They aren't just remarkably imaginative, playful, elegant, and refined, they are exquisitely perfect at every level of concept, design, and execution. "Breathtaking" would theoretically be a good word to use but it really doesn't do them justice.  

Zebra Cabinet (inside)

Zebra Cabinet (closeup)

And then there is Judy Kensley McKie's new Grazing Horse Table. No, it isn't wood, but as I've said before, I make an exception in reviewing Judy's work. It is typical of her designs in being graceful, elegant, and an original interpretation of an animal that so often depicted in art that it is hard to imagine a new take on it. She pushes the boundary of how a horse is perceived, keeping only what is essential for the viewer to understand the subject. I also like how she uses the strength of bronze to make such delicate legs and tail.  

Grazing Horse Table

Bronze

Judy Kensley McKie

2012

Grazing Horse Table (second view)

Though not a horse, John Cederquist's kimono cabinet, titled Big Kanji, is still a great piece. It is an innovative combination of marquetry, sculpture, painting, and furniture design. 

Big Kanji

mixed wood marquetry, analine dyes, epoxy resin

John Cederquist

2010

In spite of its sculptural form, it is still a very functional piece, but what I really loved about it was the mechanism for opening the big door. There is a lever underneath the small cabinet on the right that you pull and the door swings open very gently in a way that is reminiscent of a bank vault. 

Big Kanji (second view)

 

Big Kanji (third view)

In addition to his phenomenal Zebra Cabinets, John Makepeace had two very beautiful and unique Trine chairs as well as a stool made in a similar style. The chairs are made with alternating layers of laminated yew (light color) and 5000 year old bog oak (a natural, almost black, color).

Trine Chairs

5000 year old bog oak and yew

John Makepeace

1994

Trine Chair (second view)

Though this stool seems to be made with a similar techique as the chairs, the concentric circles are actually made with marquetry rather than sculpted lamination.

Trine Stool

5000 year old bog oak and mulberry marquetry

John Makepeace

1994

Incidentally, in looking through a catalog of John's work, as well as his website, I am amazed at the complete mastery he shows of a wide range of styles and techniques. It really is a remarkable achievement. Especially considering most artists have very distinct styles that are instantly identifiable. With his work, however, the only consistency is an impeccable level of design and craft.

Garry Knox Bennett had three pieces in the show. First is this coffee table made with a nautilus shell. 

coffee table

claro walnut, nautilus shell, epoxy, color core

Garry Knox Bennett

2012

I think the nautilus shell really makes the piece, especially with Garry's splash of color.

coffee table (close-up)

Garry also had this combination desk/chair in the show. 

vanity with Z chair

rosewood, yellow satinwood, copper, paint

Garry Knox Bennett

2012

Every time I see one of Garry's Z Chairs, I'm amazed by the physics of them. I can't understand how anyone can make one of these things and not have it collapse like an accordion the first time it is used. But, because I know it is one of his signature pieces, and he has made many of them, I am completely confident that he has figured out a way to make it work - but it still doesn't seem possible to me, must be some form of magic.

Z chair (close-up)

A chair I did sit in, and I can attest to its absolute comfort, is Peter Danko's NoCo 2 Chair.  

NoCo 2 Chair

ash, Macassar ebony, die cut automobile tire, steel

Peter Danko

1999

Looking underneath, you can see he engineered some unique springs with automobile tires. Perhaps it should be called a "Goldilocks Chair" because the springs are stiff, but not too stiff, flexible, but not too flexible.

NoCo 2 Chair (close-up)

Having also sat in Peter's Atmos Rocker, I can say that he seems to have given an uncompromising priority to the user's pleasure.

Atmos Rocker

ash, lacquer, automobile seat belt webbing

Peter Danko

1999

Surprisingly, though Thomas Hucker's Side Chair looks as if a priority is given to its sculptural qualities, is also extremely comfortable. The back rest gives support, flexes, and provides the user with a very pleasing massage.

Side Chair

wenge

Thomas Hucker

2010

Michael Hurwitz's Twelve Leaf Resin Table is a captivating combination of nature-inspired art and engineering. 

Twelve Leaf Resin Table

ash, wenge, epoxy resin

Michael Hurwitz

2012

To get a sense of the enormous effort needed to create this table, check-out this time lapse video of the process Michael filmed while doing a residency at San Diego State University.
SDSU Artist-in-Residence Spring 2012: Michael Hurwitz from Matthew Hebert on Vimeo.

The contrast between the ash and wenge is particularly dramatic. In many situations it could be too much but with the soft tones of the leaves, it works very well here.

Twelve Leaf Resin Table (close-up)

I found Jack Larimore's Abide to be an interesting variation on a tête-à-tête, perfect for people that aren't on good terms.

Abide

paulownia, steel

Jack Larimore

2009

Abide (second view)

And finally, there is David Savage's Perseus, a chair named after the Greek hero famous for slaying Medusa. I suspect the multi-snake-like backrest is a reference to that story. To tell the truth, I didn't try it out because I didn't feel worthy. It looks very regal (perhaps that is the British influence). I'll have to wait for him to make something for common folk before I'll pass judgement on the comfort of his work.

Perseus

waxed English sycamore, Macassar ebony, applewood, and suede upholstery
David Savage
2010

Given the impressive line up of artists that was assembled for this show, and the quality of the pieces they provided for it, I look forward to the second half next summer. 

Historical Woods Show @ Furniture Society Conference

While wondering around the Furniture Society Conference a few of weeks ago, I came across this interesting exhibit of work by a number of famous furniture makers using trees from historically important American sites, many of which have documentation of being planted by the likes of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and others. For example, Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter in 1807 in which he mentioned planting a tulip poplar in the exact location that a dead tulip poplar was removed from in 2008 and, hence, used for many of these works of art.

The exhibit, titled National Treasures: History in the Making, is the vision of William E. Jewell who co-curated the show with renowned wood artist Jacques Vesery, and has been organized by Historical Woods of America. In addition to the great furniture artists that were featured in this show, sculptural works were also made by renowned artists Binh Pho, David Ellsworth, Mark Lindquist, and Robyn Horn as well as Jacques Versery. Images of all these works are included in a very nice catalog which can be seen here.

This piece by Wendy Maruyama, titled Fractured, is part of her E.O. 9066 series, a references to the executive order President Roosevelt signed allowing for the internment of Japanese Americans. The piece is made from Thomas Jefferson's elm tree and references the fragmenting effects, both emotional and physical, of the historic event. I think, knowing the background makes it a more powerful piece, but on its own it is just really cool. I like the original nature of having the doors slide at different angles, allowing the user to create different works of art by moving them around.

Fractured
12" x 85" x 15"
Thomas Jefferson's Monticello Elm
Wendy Maruyama

Fractured closeup

Silas Kopf created this Founding Father's Writing Desk and Thomas Hucker created a complementary writing chair, Dearest Sally, both with Silas's marquetry. The desk appears to have an initial draft of the Declaration of Independence with the line, "We hold this truth to be self-evident," and "this truth" is crossed out to be replaced by "these truths". The chair appears to have a letter hidden on the lower level and folded over with only the words, "Dearest Sally" revealed. These are both classic examples of the humor Silas often imbues into his work.

Founding Fathers Writing Desk
30" x 52" x 20"
Silas Kopf
and
Dearest Sally
32" x 20" x 20"
Thomas Hucker
both made with George Washington Whiskey Distillery Walnut
w/fifteen different historic woods for marquetry (by Silas Kopf)

Thomas also created this pair of side tables on his own. It takes the concept of pie crust tables and makes them completely contemporary. As with the writing desk chair and many of the pieces on his website, bringing traditional designs into contemporary life is something he often tends to do.

Washington Side Tables
24" x 16" x 24"
George Washington Whiskey Distillery Walnut
Thomas Hucker

Brian Newell created this scroll case because of the importance of documents to the founding of the nation and he made it out of wood associated with James Monroe and James Madison, at least in part, because of their importance in creating many of the countries early documents. The top of the case has carved calligraphic fragment lettering (difficult to visualizer from this angle).

Scroll Case
7.5" x 6.5" x 21.5"
James Monroe Boxwood and James Madison Cedar of Lebonon
Brian Newell

Garry Knox Bennett's work commonly features odd juxtapositions and this chair, made with Thomas Jefferson tulip poplar and Formica ColorCore™, is no exception. He used a Rietveld Zig Zag chair design because of its distance from the Windsor-style chair and added a writing-arm because Thomas Jefferson supposedly had something to do with adding them to Windsor chairs. It is a completely modern piece and, I think, pretty optimistic because it forces the viewer to look toward the future.

Post Windsor Writing Chair
30.75" x 21" x 28.25"
Thomas Jefferson's Monticello Tulip Poplar,
ColorCore™ , PVC, paint
Garry Knox Bennett

Michael Cullen's intricately carved chest is a celebration of what George Washington called "the first nation in history that is based on an idea, and the idea is one of essential human dignity and justice." Using walnut from Mount Vernon, he carved the entire outer body of the chest, including the bead work on the top and included numerous symbolic references to the thirteen original colonies as a way of conveying the original ideas upon which the country was founded.

A Chest for a New Idea
30" x 27" x 11"
Mount Vernon Walnut, George Washington
Whiskey Distillery Walnut, milk paint
Michael Cullen

William Jewell also included a couple of his own pieces in the show. They are made with saguaro cactus skeletons from the Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation and have a historical significance of a different nature through the witnessing of many transformations within the Tohono O'odham culture. Their inclusion in the show adds a cultural twist and his use of saguaro cactus skeletons adds a unique sculptural element that is both mysterious and beautiful (note: saguaro cactus is a protected species and a permit is needed to harvest and transport them (dead or alive) out of Arizona, as stated here).

Connected
36" x 22" x 22"
Jarrah Burl (Australia), Saguaro Cactus Skeleton (Sonora Desert)
William E. Jewell

Balance

38" x 88" x 16"
Figured Walnut (Virginia), Saguaro Cactus Skeleton (Sonora Desert)
William E. Jewell