o f u tility b y m a k in g th e se sp a lte d m aple
im p lem e n ts garg a n tu an and p re se n tin g
th em as a fu se d w a ll p ie ce . D a v id cre ate s
straig h t-ah ead fu rn itu re su ch as
Chaise
Cerise,
a h an d so m e “ fa in tin g c o u c h ” m ade
o f c u rly c h e r ry , c u rly m ap le and sp alte d
y e llo w b irch .
S o m e o f th e m ost e x c itin g w o r k s m ake
a rare (in th is s h o w ) so cia l sta te m en t. T h e
p la ce o f w o m e n in s o c ie ty m igh t seem a
tired to p ic , b u t a n u m ber o f artists h ere ad -
d ress it w ith éla n , o rig in a lity and a glo b al
p e rsp e c tiv e , fo r e x a m p le , J o A n n e R u sso
in
She’s Come Unraveled,
an e lo n g a te d o v al
b ask et. T h is “ b o d y ” is o v erla id w ith the
u n d e rp in n in g s, as it w e r e , o f w o m e n ’s gar-
m e n ts -th e h o o k s and e y e s and sta y s o f
o ld -tim e g ird le s o r c o rs e ts. T h e rig id sta y s
align as ve rtica l ribs u p and d o w n th e p ie ce ;
b u tto n lik e b la ck b ead s are g ro u p ed to g e th e r
at th e b ase and th e to p lik e so m a n y tin y
n ip p les. A c o il, re m in isce n t o f n e ck p ie ce s
w o rn b y th e w o m e n o f som e A fr ic a n trib e s,
top s th e b o d y / v e s s e l, u n ra ve lin g in an u p -
w a rd sp iral, lik e a tig h tly w o u n d sp rin g that
has p o p p e d .
In th e irr e v e r e n t
S h e’s Got H im W here
She W ants Him ,
G e o rg ia L an d au e m p lo ys
m u ltiple c ra ft d iscip lin es and m aterials. H er
fo o t-h ig h “ d o ll” is a v o lu p tu o u s w o m a n ,
a w ire d stu ffe d -sto c k in g b o d y in v e lv e t at-
tire , h e r h air s w e p t u p in to a go ld -trim m e d
s c a rf, s ittin g on a co u ch as i f on a th ro n e .
A t each sid e tw o c e ra m ic P an fig u res lean
fo rw a rd to do h er b id d in g , th e ir arm s held
b e h in d th em to b e c o m e arm rests. T h e fine-
fea tu red p o rcela in fa ce p e rfe c tly cap tu res
a h ea v y-lid d ed h au teu r and in d o le n ce , a w r y
“ lu x e , calm e e t v o lu p té .”
U n d e r th e ru b ric T ra ilb la ze rs are in clu d -
ed m akers w h o cam e b e fo re o r sh o rtly a fte r
th a t p ro p itio u s y e a r o f i9 6 0 and h ad a su b -
sta n tial in flu e n ce o n th e c ra fte rs w h o fo l-
lo w e d . O f this g ro u p , w h ic h in clu d es P e te r
Top:
Patricia Yoder
T Is for Toder, Lydia’s
Family Name,
1999,
hooked rug, dyed wool,
37x40111.
Courtesy of the Yoder
Family Collection
Bottom left:
Michelle Holzapfel
Lockheart,
2002,
Yale lock, maple burl,
13 x 13 x 7 in.
Bottom right:
Karen Karnes
Untitled Form with Two
Openings,
2007, wood-
fired stoneware.
Courtesy of Ferrin Gallery
B ra m h all (g la ss), M ic h a e l B o y le n (g la ss
and ceram ics) and B e tty A t w o o d (w o v e n
te x tile s ), perh ap s th e b e st k n o w n and m ost
g e n e ro u sly re p re se n te d in this sh o w is th e
ce ra m ist K a re n K a rn e s , w ith fiv e p ie c e s.
T h e stren g th o f h e r w o r k is ex h ila ra tin g ,
w ith a c o h e s iv e v is io n th at sp an s th e p ast
60 y e a rs. In th e ro o m d e v o te d to L iv in g
b y “ M a k in g ,” K a rn e s ’s
T a ll Vase
h as th e
p lace o f h o n o r. A salt g la ze cre ate s u m b er
traces alo n g th e len gth o f a glo b u la r base
and lo n g n e c k , a g u tsy assertion o f form and
te x tu re . It c o u ld b e a ve sse l fo u n d at th e
site o f an an cien t cu ltu re w e r e it n o t fo r the
a rro w -lik e sh ape fu se d to th e fro n t w h e re
b ase and n e c k m ee t, g iv in g it a ja u n ty Hair.
K a rn e s ’s
U ntitled Form w ith Tw o Openings
is also an im ated , th e lo n g n e ck s b u m p in g
against each oth er.
L ik e th e b ird s on J acly n D a v id so n ’s bib
n e c k la ce ,
Returning Swallows,
I k e p t co m in g
b a ck to th is in trig u in g p ie c e m ad e fro m
n a tu ra lly p a tin ated ste e l, th e n e ck d e c o ra -
tion fo rg e d fro m re c y c le d farm eq u ip m en t.
T h e sw a llo w s —fre q u e n t resid en ts o f V e r -
m o n t b arn s—m ade o f ste rlin g silv e r and 18k
g o ld , so m e e m b ed d ed w ith p a v é d iam o n d s,
ily across th e fro n t o f th e n e c k la ce , w h ic h
lies flat at th e co lla r b o n e . C h o se n to e x e m -
p lify V e r m o n t as In sp ira tio n , th e w o r k
is also a paean to V e rm o n t in g en u ity.
“ S ta te o f C r a ft” is a v isu al d elig h t, w ith
each p ie ce g iv e n room to b reath e. W h a t’s
m o re , th e re are so m an y w o n d e r fu l
stories
th at a tte n tiv e v ie w e r s sh o u ld a llo w th e m -
se lv e s p le n ty o f tim e. T h e re su lt w ill b e
a m a n y -la y e re d a e sth e tic e x p e rie n c e th at
is also in fo rm a tiv e and sp iritfu l. +
A rlene D istler is a poet and arts w riter based
in Brattleboro, VT.
oct/novio american craft 033
