E D I T O R S L E T T E R
In th e F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 9 is s u e o f
Metropolis
,
M a r c e l W a n d e r s , t h e D u t c h d e s ig n e r p e r -
h a p s b e s t k n o w n fo r h is K n o t t e d C h a ir fo r
D r o o g , w a s a s k e d w h a t h e fo u n d o v e r r a t e d .
H is a n s w e r w a s s im p ly “ f u n c t i o n .” T h i s
s e n t im e n t s e e m s t o b e a d i r e c t e c h o fr o m
th e e a r ly d a y s o f th e A m e r ic a n s t u d io c r a f t
m o v e m e n t , w h e n
Craft Horizons e
d it o r
R o s e S l i v k a s e t o f f a f ir e s t o r m w i t h h e r
c o n t r o v e r s ia l a r t ic le “ T h e N e w C e r a m ic s ,”
in 19 6 1 ( v is it a m e r ic a n c r a ft m a g .o r g to r e a d
th e a r t ic le ) .
W h i l e th e r e is c e r t a in ly a p a r t o f m e th a t
fe r v e n t l y a g r e e s w it h W a n d e r s a n d S liv k a ,
a n o t h e r p a r t o f m e c a n ’ t h e lp f e e lin g th a t a s
f u n c t io n h a s fa lle n f a r t h e r b y t h e w a y s id e
in r e c e n t y e a r s , c r a f t a n d d e s ig n h a v e lo s t
s o m e th in g s p e c ia l. F u n c t io n h a s n ’t d is a p -
p e a r e d fr o m e it h e r d is c ip li n e , i t ’s j u s t a b it
li k e t h e b o o k is h o ld e r s is t e r w h o lo o k s
d o w n - a n d - o u t n e x t to h e r s p a r k lin g y o u n g e r
s ib lin g . S t i l l , t h is h a s n e v e r d e t e r r e d m e
fr o m lo v in g f u n c t io n .
I n th e w a n in g w in t e r m o n th s , w h e n th is
is s u e w a s fir s t g e r m in a t in g , I o f t e n fo u n d
m y m in d d r if t in g t o w a r d fu n c t io n a l t h o u g h t s
a s m y m o r n in g s m o r e o f t e n th a n n o t w e r e
s p e n t s lo w ly s ip p in g p ip in g h o t c o f f e e fr o m
a m u g w it h w h ic h I ’m r a th e r o b s e s s e d . T h is
p a r t ic u la r m u g w a s m a d e b y c e r a m is t A n d y
B r a y m a n a n d p ic k e d u p a t S a n ta F e C l a y in
2 0 0 7 .
A m o r n in g w it h o u t t h is m u g is a t im e
o f m o u r n in g . W h i l e I ’ll s p a r e y o u a n y s e n t i-
m e n ta l t a n g e n t s a b o u t t h e w a y it f e e ls in m y
h a n d ( a m a z in g ) o r h o w it c o n t in u a lly s h in e s
o n t h e c o u n t e r ( it d o e s ) a n d m ir a c u lo u s ly
d r a w s m e t o it e a c h m o r n in g ( t r u e s t o r y ) ,
I w i l l s im p ly s a y t h a t it is a f a n t a s t ic p ie c e
b y a t r u ly ta le n t e d m a k e r th a t p r o m p ts m e
t o b e lie v e in th e in g e n u it y a n d fu n th a t ( a l-
m o s t) p u r e fu n c t io n c a n d e liv e r o n a n e v e r y -
d a y b a s is .
B r a y m a n w a s a s p e a k e r a t th e A m e r ic a n
C r a f t C o u n c i l ’ s “ S h a p in g th e F u t u r e o f
C r a f t ” c o n f e r e n c e in 2 0 0 6 , a n d w e ’v e k e p t
o u r e y e s o n w h a t h e ’s b e e n u p t o e v e r s in c e .
T h i s is s u e , w h ic h s e e k s to e x a m in e th e r o le
o f f u n c t io n , s e e m s lik e th e p e r f e c t p la c e to
h ig h lig h t th e w o r k h e h a s b e e n d o in g la t e ly
in c o lla b o r a t io n w i t h o t h e r m a k e r s u n d e r
th e n a m e T h e M a t t e r F a c t o r y ( “ M a k in g th e
M o s t o f t h e M a r g in s ,” p a g e 4 0 ) . W e a ls o
s a w th is a s a n o p p o r t u n it y t o fo c u s o u r a t t e n -
t io n o n t h e r e m a r k a b le w o r k in p o r c e la in
lig h t in g t h a t M a r g a r e t O ’ R o r k e h a s b e e n
u n d e r t a k in g la t e ly ( “ L e t T h e r e B e L i g h t -
i n g ,” p a g e 4 8 ) a n d , o f c o u r s e , t o r e c o g n i z e
th e u n d e r - r e c o g n iz e d b u t in c r e d ib ly in s p ir -
in g o u t p u t t h a t J e r o m e a n d E v e l y n A c k e r -
m a n h a v e b e e n g r a c in g th e w o r ld w i t h fo r
d e c a d e s ( “ M a s t e r s o f M id - C e n t u r y C a lif o r -
n ia M o d e r n is m ,” p a g e 3 2 ) .
T h e w o r k t h r o u g h o u t t h is is s u e is s u r e
t o m a k e a n y fu n c t io n ju n k ie s —o r m e r e f u n c -
t io n a p p r e c ia t o r s —w a n t t o s u r r o u n d t h e m -
s e lv e s w it h t h e w o n d e r t h a t a c h a ir , v a s e ,
a s o f a , a d e s k , p la t e s , s i l v e r w a r e , lig h t in g
o r , fo r th a t m a tte r , a s im p le m u g c a n b r in g
a b o u t . I k n o w it d id f o r m e . +
F u l l y
F u n c t i o n a l
“I li k e t h a t c r a f t a n d f u n c t i o n a r e s o r t o f o u ts id e
th e ‘u p p e r e c h e lo n . ’ T h e r e ’s a lo t o f fr e e d o m
i n th a t . ”— A n d y B r a y m a n
B y A n d r e w W a g n e r
P h o to g ra p h y b y B r a d y F o n ten o t
Andy Brayman's
Gold- Lined Cup with
Concealed Decoration,
{h. 2 Vs in, w. 4 in,
I.4 in).
012 american craft jun/julo9
