E D IT O R S L E T T E R
“E xterior installations stretch my mind, abilities,
ideas, everything. They’re so different from the
studio process. ”—Gyongy Laky
The Great
Outdoors
By Andrew magner
Gyongy Laky’s
Farms
fo r Language,
1989,
a rope made from print-
ers’ waste paper, in
Manchester, England.
Dreary days in February naturally lend
themselves to thoughts of spring. But an
early onset of seemingly endless chilly
weather in New York accompanied by in-
creasingly abysmal financial news has
had us fantasizing about a sunny outdoors
for months. We began piecing together
the Inside/Outside issue that you hold in
your hands way back in December with
dreams of warmer weather running around
in our wool-wrapped heads.
The promise of spring, however, was
not our only motivation. We were also
intrigued by a number of projects that have
come across our desks over the past year
by makers who take the oft-insular world of
craft out of the studio or gallery and into
the gaze of a general public. In projects like
The Collegiate Jeweler and The Pro Bono
Jeweler, for example, Gabriel Craig drags
his bench and torch into parks across Rich-
mond, Virginia, coaxing passersby to stop
and learn about metalsmithing, chat with
the maker and, if they’re lucky, take home
a souvenir or two for free (“Studio on the
Street,” page 40). In Philadelphia we found
weaver/painter Kathryn Pannepacker
at work in a different medium (“Urban
Fabric,” page 46). Hoping to share her art
with a wider audience, Pannepacker has
created
Wall ofRugs#i
and #2, a series of
painted murals throughout Philadelphia
representing textiles from around the world.
Finally, in Northern California, Gyongy
Laky is doing what she’s been doing for
years—taking the basics of nature, such as
twigs, and creating structures that defy
definition (“Constructing the Unexpected,”
page 52).
We were also pleasantly surprised to
find that this outdoor theme stretched be-
yond the confines of our feature well to
nearly every section of the magazine. Flip
to page 64 and take in the awe-inducing
work of Jennifer Angus, whose chosen me-
dium is truly remarkable (although not
recommended for those with any sort of in-
sect phobia). And look at page 32 to see how
designer Virginia Gardiner has taken the
most despised of materials and devised an
innovative approach to upcycling it. There
is much more, of course, including some of
the most inspiring and surprising new work
originating indoors and out that we hope
will bring spring to your doorstep just a bit
sooner. Enjoy!
p.s. We also hope that you’ll visit the
recently redesigned americancraftmag.org
and take a look at the remarkable quantity
of additional material we’ve spent the win-
ter compiling, including videos, podcasts,
photo-essays and blog posts presenting the
best of craft and beyond. And if you still
want more, you can now follow American
Craft on Twitter-AmericanCraft. Hope
to see you there.*
Drop me a line: azvagneriPkraftcnuncil.org.
014 american craft apr/may09
Photo /G yon gy Laky.
