Muscle Bench,
2008
steel, automotive paint
2.8
x
7.9
x
2.25
ft.
Above:
Ruffle Stool No.
5
,
2008
steel, automotive paint
2.4
x
3.1
x
1.6
ft.
Top right:
Beer’s hands arc a lovely
shade of filthy after
finishing stainless steel.
T a k e c o lo r , f o r e x a m p le . S e le c t in g f r o m
e x is t in g a u t o - b o d y f in is h e s , B e e r m a n ip u -
la t e s a p a le t t e p a c k e d w it h c u lt u r a l p u n c h .
H o t - r o d r e d . B M W s ilv e r . “ I f I ’ m u s in g
’
80
s o r a n g e , i t ’ s r e a lly d if f e r e n t f r o m a
2010
p e a r le s c e n c e ,” s h e s a y s , c a llin g t o m in d
Winded Orange
(
2006
) . T h e s le e k s t e e l
b e n c h is u n d e n ia b ly m o d e r n , y e t it s f o r m
- a h in t o f b ic y c le b a n a n a s e a t, a t o u c h o f
w is p y c ir r u s c lo u d , d r e s s e d in t h a t M a z d a
’
80
s h u e - w a x e s n o s t a lg ic . L i e o n it a n d
y o u ’ d h a lf - e x p e c t to b e t r a n s p o r t e d b a c k
t o M a d o n n a ’ s h e y d a y , g a z in g in w o n d e r a t
th e s k y . T o B e e r , t h e s e c u lt u r a l f o r c e s , th e
s ig n s a n d m e a n in g s w e s h a r e - a r e d b u t t o n
s ig n a lin g d a n g e r , f o r e x a m p le - a re a s p o w -
e r f u l, t r u e , a n d b e a u t if u l a s n a t u r a l f o r c e s
lik e w in d - b lo w n c lo u d s . A s a d e s ig n e r , s h e
u s e s b o t h in h e r w o r k .
“ F r o m th e v ie w p o in t o f a g a lle r y o r a
d e a le r , i t ’ s w h a t y o u w a it f o r ; i t ’ s w h a t y o u
h o p e f o r , ” s a y s B e b e P r it a m J o h n s o n o f P r i-
ta m & E a m e s g a lle r y in E a s t H a m p t o n , N e w
Y o r k . I n B e e r ’ s w o r k , “ t h e r e ’ s th e e c o n o m y ,
th e llo w , a n d th e s u b t le t y . I t ’ s a ll t h e r e .”
B e e r g r e w u p in r u r a l M a in e , a n e n v ir o n -
m e n t w h e r e u s in g t o o ls a n d m a k in g t h in g s
s o o n b e c a m e s e c o n d n a t u r e . S h e s t u d ie d
s c u lp t u r e a t M a in e C o lle g e o f A r t , r e c e iv -
in g a “ v e r y f o r m a l, B a u h a u s - s t y le a r t e d u c a -
t io n ” t h a t c o n t in u e s t o e n r ic h h e r d e s ig n
p r a c t ic e w it h k e y m e t h o d o lo g ie s , e s p e c ia lly
a b s t r a c t io n . A f t e r g r a d u a t in g , s h e m e r g e d
in t o th e c r a f t w o r ld , t o o k c la s s e s , a n d b e g a n
b la c k s m it h in g , d o in g a r c h it e c t u r a l ir o n -
w o r k . I n
2003
, s h e w e n t f o r h e r m a s t e r ’ s a t
C r a n b r o o k , s t u d y in g u n d e r G a r y S . G r i f f i n
( s e e p a g e
72
) , w h o in t r o d u c e d h e r t o th e
d e c o r a t iv e a r t s , a n o t h e r s o u r c e o f in s p ir a -
t io n . I t w a s t h e r e t h a t B e e r f e l l in lo v e w it h
f u r n it u r e - a n d a ll o f it s c o m p le x it ie s .
S h e t ic k s o f f t h e a r t is t ic d is t in c t io n s :
W e e x p e r ie n c e f u r n it u r e p h y s ic a lly , t o
s t a r t . W e a ls o o w n o u r f u r n it u r e in a m o r e
in t im a t e w a y t h a n w e p o s s e s s o t h e r k in d s
o f a r t. A n d f u r n it u r e ’ s f o r m s a r e r ic h w it h
f a m ilia r r e f e r e n c e s - th e s o c ia l r it u a ls o f
d o m e s t ic lif e , m e m o r ie s o f o t h e r p ie c e s w e
h a v e k n o w n . S h e s p e a k s s o e n t h u s ia s t ic a lly
t h a t t h e p r o s p e c t s s e e m e n d le s s .
P a t t e r n R e c o g n it io n , th e la s t g r o u p o f
w o r k s h e ’ s p r o d u c in g a t P u r c h a s e , m ig h t b e
h e r b ig g e s t p u s h y e t , s h e s a y s . S h e s p e n t th e
p a s t y e a r r e s e a r c h in g c o m p u t e r - a id e d d e s ig n
036 american craft
ju n/juin
Hands photo: Sarah Turner
