Photo CO James Mario, courtesy of Wharton Esherick Museum.
Penland
GALLERY
introduces readers to such
marvels as the famous red oak
spiral stair©, carved in 1930,
twisting up through the house
linking the two levels, and
which, Anne d’Harnoncourt
writes in her preface, “de-
clares [Esherick’s] gift for
combining the sculptural with
the functional.” There is his
singular furniture (an expres-
sionistic desk, spiral library
ladder, music stands and
three-legged stools), his sculp-
tures, masterful woodblock
prints and useful objects like
salad bowls. The biographical
sketch by Mansfield Bascom
sheds light on a career marked
by a constant, tireless joy in
creation, despite limited com-
mercial success.
Views of Esherick’s home
are presented alongside those
of the much larger home/work-
places of two other acknowl-
edged giants of American
studio furniture—Sam Maloof
(1916-2009) in Alta Loma,
C A ,
and George Nakashima (1905-
1990) in New Hope,
p a ,
in
Homes o f the Master Wood A rti-
sans.
The three makers shared
a passionate love of wood,
sought to bring out its warmth
and natural qualities and lav-
ished ingenuity on such details
as door latches and pulls, yet
there are clear differences.
M aloof s rooms© with their
bright colors and California
light are showcases for his
iconic chairs and casework
and tasteful arrangements of
craft objects. The Nakashima
environment stands out for
its serenity, for the spectacu-
lar slabs of wood used in his
tables, his now-classic take
on the Windsor chair, and
the Japanese architectural ele-
ments such as Shoji doors.
For those eager to absorb
an important chapter in 20th-
century craft history and
thinking of visiting these his-
toric residences, these books
should serve as a mighty appe-
tite-whetter or the next best
thing to going.— b .s .
Penland School
o f
Crafts
Penland, NC • 828.765.6211
Joanna Gollberg
[email protected] • www.penland.org
Pro ng N ecklace
3831 Grand Way
St. Louis Park. MN 55416
952.922.8364
jewelry
home
chocolate
www.StyleByMax.com
Circa necklace by
Elements + Alloys
sterling silver
& www.Journal-Plaza.net
