A I L E E N O S B O R N W E B B A W A R D S
F e l l o w
John
G a r r e t t
F e l l o w
Ron
Ho
A fu ll-tim e stu d io a rtist liv in g
in A lb u q u e rq u e , n m , Jo h n G a r-
re tt (b . 1950) has u tiliz e d an
e c le c tic ran ge o f m a te rials and
te ch n iq u e s in th e m ak in g o f his
co n tain ers and o th e r fo rm s sin ce
th e 1970s. E d u c a te d a t C la r e -
m o n t M c K e n n a C o lle g e , C A
(B A ), and th e U n iv e rsity o f C a li-
fo rn ia , L o s A n g e le s ( m a ) , G a r-
re tt ta u g h t fo r m a n y y e a rs at
co lle g e s and u n iv e rsitie s in C a l-
ifo rn ia and co n tin u e s to te ach
w o rk sh o p s n atio n w id e on e x -
p erim en tal b a sk e try . F re q u e n tly
u sin g th e g rid as th e u n d e rlyin g
g e o m e tr y , G a r r e tt e x p lo re s
th e stru c tu rin g o f w o r k s c o m -
p o se d o f in d ivid u a l elem en ts
th a t can sta y tw o -d im e n sio n a l
o r b e c o m e th re e -d im e n sio n a l.
A tw o -tim e r e c ip ie n t o f th e
N a tio n a l E n d o w m e n t fo r th e
A r ts A r tis t F e llo w s h ip , G a r-
re tt is a p io n e e r in th e e m e r-
g e n c e and d e v e lo p m e n t o f
th e “ n e w b a s k e tr y .” H e has
said , “ It is b ecau se o f th e g rea t
d iv e r s ity o f m ea n in g s th a t
can b e b u ilt in to b a sk e ts, from
th e so cia l and cu ltu ra l to th e
p e rso n a l an d in tim a te , th a t
I e n jo y m a k in g th e m .”
B o rn in H a w a ii in 1936 o f
C h in e se d e sce n t, R o n H o , th e
S eattle-b ased je w e le r and art
ed u ca to r, has b een stro n g ly in -
flu en ce d b y th e co n trasts b e -
tw e e n co n te m p o ra ry A m e rica n
and trad itio n al C h in e se cu ltu re.
H o , w h o tau gh t in th e B e lle v u e ,
W A, sch o o l d istrict fo r o v e r 30
y e a rs, re fle c ts in h is w o r k th e
d ive rse cu sto m s h e has e n co u n -
te re d , b o th g r o w in g u p and
th ro u g h his w o r ld w id e tra v e ls,
b y in clu d in g m aterials en rich ed
b y e th n ic a sso c ia tio n s. A stu -
d e n t o f th e n o te d N o r th w e s t
artist R a m o n a S o lb e rg , w h o
p io n e e re d th e u se o f fo u n d o b -
je c ts in je w e lr y , H o e a rly on in
his ca re e r e m p lo y e d su ch m ate-
rials in u n u su al and in sp ire d
c o m b in a tio n s th a t m irro re d
E a s t-W e s t m u lticu ltu ralism .
H is w o r k has b e e n th e su b ject
o f m ajo r r e tro sp e c tiv e s at th e
B e lle v u e A r ts M u seu m and
th e H o n o lu lu A r t A c a d e m y .
A ss e ssin g his w o r k , th e art c rit-
ic S u za n n e B e a l has w r itte n ,
“ H o ’s co m in g to te rm s w ith his
p a st can n o d o u b t b e cre d ited
w ith th e b irth o f an a lto g e th e r
p e rso n al w e a ra b le a rt.”
038 american craft oct/nov 10
Garrett photos M argot Geist / H o photo Doug Yaple.
