P alo A lto A r t C enter
Palo A lto , C alifornia
Septem ber 28 - D ecem ber 21,2008
w w w .cityofpaloalto.org/artcenter
Above: Installation of
the traveling Bruce
Metcalf retrospective
at the Palo Alto Art
Center. The wall cases
display his figurative
brooches ensconced in
architectural settings,
alongside his sketches.
Opposite left and right:
Figure Pin #140,
1997,
maple, copper, brass,
silver, gold leaf {h. 4%
in, w. 2% in}, sketch
below;
Wood Pin #107,
1995, gold leaf, paint,
maple, brass, copper
{h. s in, w.
2V2
in).
There is something deeply unsatisfying
about the w ay fashion is exhibited in muse-
ums. Though mannequins in cases demon-
strate how garments hang or cling, their
frozen poses never show how a piece o f
clothing moves through the world on its
wearer. T h e same is true o f the display o f
jew elry. In “ T h e M iniature W orlds o f
Bruce M etcalf,” view ers are invited to proj-
ect them selves im aginatively into the mor-
al, spiritual and psychological universe o f
M etcalf’s w ork. T h e show is a thoughtfully
designed presentation o f dozens o f pieces
spread over the span o f three decades,
shown to their best advantage—short o f the
one thing that would bring them to life:
being pinned to a dress or coat and thereby
developing personal relationships with
wearers and admirers.
Once this is understood—that, like ar-
chaeological artifacts isolated from their
original functions, M e tcalf’s pieces can
never be fully experienced in a gallery
setting-it makes sense to appreciate them
as w orks o f art, crafted w ith great skill
and infused with a mordant sense o f humor.
A t first, the overall presentation in this
traveling show reinforces such a reading.
Sleek black wall cases display thematic
groupings o f figurative brooches ensconced
in the architectural settings M etcalf has
often devised for them , w hile a configura-
tion o f vitrines in the middle o f the room
offers some slightly larger w orks for con-
templation. A djoining these vitrines is
another case, containing a beautifully d e-
tailed, topographically diverse landscape
created for a miniature train. T h is astonish-
ing diorama—a w intry scene, replete with
bare trees, tiny p erfect buildings and
people, and even a rushing, resinous river—
indicates the extent to which M etcalf
(a model train enthusiast) has immersed
him self in m iniaturization.
T h e show includes an elegant horizontal
case containing tw o sketchbooks, open to
042 american craft feb/maro9
