zoom
V o ic e s
H o w D o e s H e r i t a g e
I n f lu e n c e T o u r I V o r k ?
m y “ h e r i t a g e ” is
p r o b a b ly th e t y p i-
c a l y o u n g A r m y -
b r a t e x p e r ie n c e .
I s p e n t a lo t o f t im e
m o v in g a r o u n d
a n d f o u n d c o m f o r t in t h in g s
lik e N in t e n d o , c o m ic b o o k s ,
a n d a r t. I f o n d ly r e m e m b e r , a t
a n e a r ly a g e , m y f a t h e r ’ s T e x a s
I n s t r u m e n t s P H P
2700
P r o g r a m
R e c o r d e r t a p e d e c k s c r e a m in g
a t m e w h ile I p a t ie n t ly w a it e d
f o r m y T u n n e ls o f D o o m v id e o
g a m e t o b o o t u p .
O v e r t h e y e a r s , t h is a lm o s t
u m b ilic a l- c o r d c o n n e c t io n to
a c o m p u t e r h a s g iv e n m e th e
o p p o r t u n it y t o c o m b in e t r a d i-
t io n a l m e t a ls m it h in g h a n d - s k ills
w it h d ig it a l f a b r ic a t io n t o p r o -
d u c e j e w e lr y a n d o t h e r f in e a r t
o b je c t s . T o t h is d a y I s t ill a c t
lik e a k id : I s it t o o c lo s e t o t h e
T V , s p e n d c o u n t le s s h o u r s o n
th e c o m p u t e r , a n d c a n n o t p a s s
u p a g o o d v id e o g a m e o r
t w o . W h a t e v e r a g e I a c t o r
a p p e a r t o b e , t e c h n o lo g y a n d
j e w e lr y a re a lw a y s a t m in d .
-A R T H U R
h a s h
,
jewelry artist
and lecturer, SUNT New Paltz,
New Paltz, N T
Kent Harris draws
inspiration from
the Appalachian
traditional of simple
pieces made from
local materials.
É
TH E HERITAGE
t h a t m o s t in f lu -
e n c e s m y w o r k
p a r e n t s ’ a t t it u d e s
t o w a r d w o r k a n d
lif e , s o it is a p s y c h o lo g ic a l
h e r it a g e . I a d m ir e d m y f a t h e r ’ s
in t e n s e w o r k e t h ic a n d d e v o t io n
t o h is c a r e e r - h e c le a r ly w o r k e d
in a f ie ld h e lo v e d - a n d s o I
m a d e s u r e t o , a ls o !
T h in k i n g a n d d o in g t h in g s
“ o u t s id e o f th e b o x ” w a s e x e m -
p lif ie d b y m y m o t h e r . W h i le
s h e w a s n o t a n a r t is t , s h e w a s
u n c o n v e n t io n a l ( I ’ m t a lk in g
t h e
1960
S -
80
S h e r e ) , a n d s o
t h e u n c o n v e n t io n a l b e c a m e
“ n o r m a l” t o m e g r o w in g u p
a n d s h a p e d h o w I a p p r o a c h
b o t h li f e a n d m y a r t w o r k .
-S A L L Y P R A N G L E Y ,
wire artist, Seattle
I MY FAMILY ROOTS
a re in s o u t h e r n
A p p a la c h ia .
I lo v e p a s t f o l k
B * p o t t e r y f r o m
i N o r t h C a r o lin a ,
w h e r e p o t t e r s w o r k e d in t u i-
t iv e ly w it h r e a d ily a v a ila b le
m a t e r ia ls . Y o u g a t h e r e d y o u r
c la y f r o m th e n e a r b y c r e e k
a n d y o u c r u s h e d u p r e c y c le d
g la s s t o m a k e a n a lk a lin e
g la z e . R o b u s t p o t s w e r e m a d e
f o r d a ily u s e b y t h e lo c a l
c o m m u n it y .
T h e r e s u lt w a s s im p le b e a u t y
t h a t is d is c o v e r e d t h r o u g h u s e .
T h a t h a s h a d a h u g e in f lu e n c e
o n m y o w n a p p r o a c h t o m a t e r i-
a ls a n d p r o c e s s .
- r e n t Ha r r i s
, potter and
co-owner of Blue Sage Pottery
& A rt Gallery, Amarillo, TX
I FIND A SPECIAL
j o y in r e s e a r c h in g
a n d w r i t in g a b o u t
A f r ic a n - A m e r ic a n
q u ilt e r s , p a r t ic u -
la r ly
19
t h - c e n t u r y
o n e s . M a y b e i t ’ s b e c a u s e I ’ m a
q u ilt e r . I d o n ’ t b e lie v e th e
h a r m f u l m y t h t h a t b la c k s la v e s
s t it c h e d m a p s o r e n c o d e d
m e s s a g e s in t o q u ilt s a lo n g th e
U n d e r g r o u n d R a ilr o a d . I ’ v e
n o t ( y e t ) s e e n
19
t h - c e n t u r y
d o c u m e n t a t io n t h a t s u p p o r t s
t h e e x is t e n c e o f s u c h q u ilt s .
M y d a d a ls o s h a r e d h is lo v e o f
h e r it a g e w it h m e . Y e s , h e r it a g e
d o e s d r iv e m e t o c e le b r a t e t r u e
s t o r ie s o f b la c k q u ilt e r s .
-K Y R A e . h i c k s ,
author of This
I A c c o m p lis h : H a r r ie t P o w e r s ’
B ib le Q u il t a n d O t h e r P ie c e s
and other books, Arlington, VA
I N EV ER SAW M Y
w o r k a s in f lu e n c e d
b y m y h e r it a g e
u n t il s o m e o n e
r e m a r k e d t h a t m y
f u r n it u r e lo o k e d
S p a n is h . I d is m is s e d t h e c o m -
m e n t a t f ir s t , b u t it h a s g iv e n
m e a n e w p e r s p e c t iv e o n w h y
I h a v e a lw a y s b e e n d r a w n t o
c e r t a in t y p e s o f f u r n it u r e . T h e y
m u s t b e in m y D N A . N o w th a t
I a m a t N o r t h B e n n e t S t r e e t
S c h o o l, I u n d e r s t a n d t h a t t h e r e
is in s t it u t io n a l a s w e ll a s in d i-
v id u a l D N A . T h e s c h o o l’ s
130
- y e a r h is t o r y s e r v e s a s a
g r e a t in s t it u t io n a l r u d d e r a n d
p r o v id e s th e d e e p e n in g e x p e r i-
e n c e o f b e in g a p a r t o f a m u c h
la r g e r w h o le .
-M IG U E L G O M E Z -IB Â N E Z ,
president, North Bennet Street
School, Boston
A lifetime of video
games, pop culture,
and computers has left its
mark on Arthur Hash’s
work, such as his w itty
and trenchant War and
Peace brooches.
M Y FAMILY
h e r it a g e is p r e d o m -
in a n t ly S c a n d in a -
v ia n - m y m o t h e r ’ s
k in a re N o r w e g ia n
a n d m y f a t h e r ’ s a re
S w e d is h , p lu s a s m a t t e r in g f r o m
th e B r it is h I s le s . ( S o m e w o u ld
c a ll t h is N o r w e g ia n / S w e d is h
m ix “ f ig h t in g b lo o d . ” ) M y
p a s s io n f o r w e a v in g s e e m s to
h a v e c o m e w it h t h e t e r r it o r y ,
e s p e c ia lly t h r o u g h m y m o t h e r ’ s
in f lu e n c e . I ’ v e b e e n d r a w n in
p a r t t o w o r k w it h t e x t ile s a n d
h a n d w o r k b e c a u s e o f S c a n d in a -
v ia ’ s t r a d it io n a lly s t r o n g a e s -
t h e t ic s e n s ib ilit ie s .
A s a b a b y b o o m e r a n d
a n A r m y b r a t ( m y o t h e r “ h e r i-
ta g e s ” ) , h o w e v e r , I d id n ’ t g r o w
u p n e a r S c a n d in a v ia n k in a n d
c u s t o m s . I n s t e a d , li v in g in m a n y
p la c e s , e x p o s e d t o d if f e r e n t
p e o p le s , b r o u g h t m e t o c u lt u r a l
a n t h r o p o lo g y a n d m y w o r k
w it h N a t iv e A m e r ic a n w e a v e r s
a n d a r t is t s . L a c k in g c lo s e c o n -
t a c t w it h o u r f a m ily ’ s h e r it a g e ,
I ’ v e f o c u s e d o n a p p r e c ia t in g
a n d s h a r in g t h a t o f o t h e r s . S t il l,
I ’ v e a lw a y s h o p e d to a p p ly t h o s e
s k ills s o m e d a y t o d ig g in g a r o u n d
a m o n g m y o w n f a m ily r o o t s .
-A N N LAN E H EDLU ND ,
curator of ethnology, Arizona
State Museum, Tucson, A Z
016
american craft jun/jul 11
War and Peace photos: Arthur Hash / Jug photo: Bob Barrett
