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Voices
IVhat aspect o f
your work do
you find îhe most
difficult?
The most difficult part is com-
ing up with new designs. I’m
always contemplating how a
shape will come out and striving
for something different. Tradi-
tional forms were passed down
to me from my ancestors, and
I wanted to introduce my own
designs that no one had ever
done before. So this has always
been a challenge for me.
—Mary Jackson,
sweetgrass
basket weaver, Charleston, SC
I’m working on a project that
requires reading interviews and
oral histories. In the past, I have
conducted many interviews and
a number of oral histories with
artists, and reading others at this
task reminds me how difficult it
is to phrase a question or guide
the artist to information essen-
tial for a clear understanding of
a situation.
Keeping the person focused
on the sub ject at hand can also
be a problem. Some rambling by
the artist could yield good infor-
mation, but usually it does not.
I also realize that a person’s
memory may not always be ac-
curate, and that facts need to be
checked with other sources.
I always enjoy doing inter-
views, but I know from past
experience that I need to pre-
pare very carefully in order to
have worthwhile information
for my writing.
—Elaine Levin,
art historian,
writer, curator, lecturer and juror,
Northridge, CA
As a newspaper art critic, I write
all kinds of articles on the visual
arts, including news articles,
analysis, commentary' and pro-
files. But the hardest part of my
job is the thing I’ve been doing
the longest—exhibition reviews.
An artist may spend up to
two years working on a show,
but a critic often has little more
than a week to write a review
comprehending everything
about the work—its appearance,
execution, sources, influences
and ideas. Getting a handle
on all of this is prerequisite to
achieving meaningful critical
insights that will spur- the reader
to engage with the work. It’s a
process of total immersion, in-
tense, arduous at times, but
always rewarding.
—Alice Thorson,
art critic,
Kansas City Star
What
1
struggle with the most
is trying to see exactly what it
is that I want from a piece. What
I mean is that when I begin a
series of work, I have no precon-
ceived idea what form and ap-
pearance a cup, a bowl, a plate
or a vase is going to take; my
only requirements are that there
be an element of tension and
resonance and that the result
surprises me.
It would be rather easy,
though unsatisfying, to repro-
duce a successful piece from
my earlier work, but finding
this new expression has always
been difficult. At times I sense
what I’m after, but it is like
searching in a fog. I suppose
that if I suddenly found it ex-
tremely easy to locate this qual-
ity in new work, I probably
would not trust the answer.
—Rob Barnard,
studio potter,
Timberville, VA
In order for me to be an artist
I must also take on the roles of
jewelry instructor and jewelry
designer. The income and stabil-
ity from the two allow me to
create freely. The most difficult
thing for me is to make time,
and to be motivated and com-
pletely focused during the
available time.
I have always been a slow
maker and worked intuitively.
These work habits are problem-
atic now that I am no longer in
school, where making art was
my full-time job. Juried exhibi-
tions help me to discipline my-
self to complete work within a
certain time frame. I hope to be
better at time management and
self-management, but until then
I will be imbibing energy drinks
while I finish felting just in time
to meet my deadline.
—Hisano Takei,
wool jewelry,
Irvine, CA
The most challenging aspect of
my job currently is grappling
with new and rapidly changing
expectations of our visitors
about museums. For example,
social-media tools promise
meaningful connections and
interactions with a vast array
of people who have an interest
in art, but the kinds of instanta-
neous communication provided
by Twitter, Flickr, blogs, RSS
feeds, etc. defy standard mu-
seum practice and thoughtful
scholarship.
In addition to mastering the
mechanics of the applications
and shaping their visual appear-
ance to mesh with our muse-
um’s brand,
I
find myself strug-
gling with this need to add
another layer, related to work-
load, costs and integration of
these new' tools and tasks, into
my day-to-day w'ork at the
museum.
—Rock Hushka,
director o f cura-
torial administration and curator
o f contemporary and Northwest
art, Tacoma A rt Museum,
Tacoma, tVA
The most challenging aspect of
my work is curating exhibitions
at art fairs. The work has to be
dramatic and cohesive and you
have so little space in w'hich to
show' it. This has really been
my grad school.
—Lucy Lacoste,
Lacoste Gallery,
Concord, M A
014 american craft
dec/jan 10
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Illustration Tamara Shopsin.
