J o h n G ra d e is a co n n o isse u r o f d isso lu tio n .
O v e r th e p a st fe w y e a rs , h is art has b e e n
an e x e rc ise in refin ed d eco m p o sitio n . T h is
is n o t to d e n y h is co n su m m a te sk ill as a
cra ftsm a n and e n g in e e r, h o w e v e r . In d e e d ,
at th e c o re o f G ra d e ’ s w o r k lie s a v ita l d i-
c h o to m y b e tw e e n m asterfu l e x e c u tio n and
p la n n e d ru in a tio n . S u ch a c re a tiv e in te r-
p la y o f c o n tro l and ab an d o n h as p ro d u c e d
a c o m p e llin g series o f scu lp tu ral p ro je cts.
S in c e re c e iv in g a BFA fro m P ra tt In sti-
tu te in 1992, th e S e a ttle -b a se d G rad e (p ro -
n o u n c e d G R A D -d e h ) has g a in e d r e c o g n i-
tio n fo r m e tic u lo u sly w ro u g h t scu lp tu res
in d ia lo g u e w ith th e lan d scap e. G ra d e ’s
in v o lv e m e n t w ith th e la w s o f d isin tegratio n
w a s fu e le d b y his tra v e ls and g e o g ra p h ic
stu d y . A n avid h ik e r and m o u n tain clim b e r,
h e has tr a v e rs e d th e te rra in o f fiv e c o n ti-
n e n ts, fro m U ta h to U g an d a, Irelan d to In -
dia. O fte n tra v e lin g fo r d a ys w ith o u t e n -
c o u n te rin g p e o p le , G ra d e is o n in tim a te
term s w ith th e e a rth ’s to p o g ra p h y , k e e p in g
c lo se c o m p a n y w ith d e se rts and o cea n s,
can y o n s and c liffs .
T h e s e far-flu n g e x c u rsio n s fo u n d e x -
p re ssio n in G ra d e ’s w o r k o f th e late 1990s
th ro u g h 2004. S e v e ra l scu lp tu res fro m th is
p e rio d w e r e o rg a n ic a b stra ctio n s, su g g e s-
tiv e m erg e rs o f anim al, v e g e ta b le and m in -
eral fo rm s. W ith title s such as
Stem, Sw ell,
R ift
and
H ide,
th e se e a rly w o r k s e v o k e th e
sy ste m s and stru ctu re s o f g r o w th .
G ra d e ’ s fa m ilia rity w ith n atu ral c y c le s
w a s fu rth e re d b y h is in te re st in a n cie n t
Above: Detail of
Cleave
showing the
surface backlit with
video projection.
Left: An environment
unto itself,
Cleave, 2006,
made of clay, goat fur,
cast resin and video
projections, 13 x 2 Vi x 24
ft., forms an imposing
interior passageway for
the viewer.
b u ria l p ra c tic e s . V is itin g fu n e ra ry site s—w h e th e r th e p y ra m id s
o f E g y p t, th e tre e tru n k to m b s o f V ie tn a m o r th e fu n e ra l to w e rs
o f P e ru —h e p o n d e re d th e w a y s th a t h u m an rem ain s w e r e retu rn ed
to th e land. G rad e h im se lf has h ad b rushes w ith death: o n ce w h ile
tra p p e d in a m o u n ta in c re v a s s e , an d a n o th e r tim e h e n e a rly
d ro w n e d in a can yo n . T h is taste o f m o rtality, and o f n atu re’s fe ro c -
ity , has co m e to in fo rm G ra d e ’s scu lp tu ral in q u irie s. In a d d itio n ,
h is re se a rch in to c a ta stro p h e th e o r y p ro v id e d h im w ith a ta x o n o -
m y o f co lla p se and in sig h t in to h o w th in gs fa ll apart. G ra d e ’s fo cu s
on fu n e ra ry rites and th e d yn am ics o f d isaster d oes n o t b e sp e a k a
m o rb id m ind o r e v e n an a ccep ta n ce o f d ea th ’s in e v ita b ility . R a th e r,
th e a rtist p ro c e e d s fro m a sta n ce o f c u rio s ity . “ I can ’t sa y th a t I
a c c e p t d e a th , b u t I d o th in k it’ s in te r e s tin g ,” h e a d m its. “ D y in g
is m e ss y , and th e fa ilu re o f th e b o d y can b e frig h te n in g , b u t th is
b re a k in g d o w n in sp ires m y w o r k .” It is p re c is e ly G ra d e ’s em b race
o f th e sp le n d o r o f d e c a y th at m akes his art so en gagin g.
G ra d e ’s scu lp tu re
Cleave, 2006,
m ark ed a tu rn in g p o in t in his
e ffo r ts to c o n v e y th e la n d sc a p e ’s p o te n t g rip . T h e w o r k is p a rtly
ro o te d in his e x p e rie n c e o f b e in g cau g h t in a ra v in e , an e v e n t at
o n ce frig h tfu l and su b lim e. W h ile his e a rlie r scu lp tu res w e r e self-
co n tain ed e n titie s th at re fle c te d n atu ral e n v iro n s,
Cleave
is an e n v i-
ro n m e n t u n to its e lf th at im m erses v ie w e r s in a sh iftin g realm o f
te x tu re , lig h t and sm ell. In sid e th e larg e p a ssa g e w a y c o a te d w ith
g o a t h air and c la y , on e is co n su m ed b y th e e a rth ’s sensual cle a v a g e ,
re p le te w ith w o n d e r and fear.
Cleave
also sig n a le d G ra d e ’s sh ift to w a r d in stalla tio n an d the>
052 american craft oct/nov io
