C
R
A
F
T
S
P
O
T
T
I
N
G
A
l l
T h i s
a n d
M
o r e
A
s u r v e y o f a r t a n d d e s i g n i n p o s t w a r A m e r i c a
0 3 4 a m e r i c a n c r a f t
o c t / n o v n
Above: Arthur Smith’s
modernist 1948
N e c k p i e c e .
Smith sold much of his
work at his own shop in
Greenwich Village.
Above: The abstract expres-
sionist work of painter
Richard Pousette-Dart
( F o r m s : T r a n c e n d e n t a l
, 1950).
Right: Aricto (Harry)
Bertoia’s
“B i r d ” L o u n g e
C h a i r a n d O t t o m a n ,
designed for Knoll
International in the
mid-1950s.
“ c r a f t i n g
m
o
d
e r
n
i s m
”
ta k e s as its s u b je c t an e x t r a o r -
d in a r ily ric h p e r io d o f U .S .
c r a ft a n d d e s ig n
- 1 9 4 5
to
1 9 6 9
- a n d c u r a to r s J e a n n in e
F a lin o an d J e n n ife r S c a n la n
h a v e a s s e m b le d a fittin g ly
la v is h s h o w . T h e e x h ib it io n ,
w h ic h ru n s O c t o b e r
12
to J a n u -
a r y
1 5
,
2 0 1 2
, is d iv id e d in to t w o
b ro a d s e c tio n s , e a ch fillin g its
o w n flo o r o f th e M u s e u m o f
A r t s an d D e s ig n .
F ir s t u p a re th e e a r ly p o s t-
w a r y e a r s ,
1 9 4 5
to th e la te
19 5 0
s,
w h e n c r a ft b lo o m e d as a p o w e r -
fu l c u ltu r a l p h e n o m e n o n , o f f e r -
in g an a lte r n a tiv e p a th in an
in c r e a s in g ly r ig id , c o r p o r a te
w o r ld . F ro m th e r e , v is ito r s can
m o v e in to an e x p lo r a tio n o f th e
h a n d c r a fte d o b je c t ’s e m e rg e n c e
as a w o r k o f a r t. “ C r a ft in g
M o d e r n is m ” p ro m is e s to b e a
g r a n d to u r o f th e s tu d io c r a ft
m o v e m e n t in its d e fin in g y e a r s .
I n tr ig u e d ? V is it a m e rica n
c r a ftm a g .o rg fo r a
Q & A
w i t h
F a lin o a n d S c a n la n . T h e M A D
c u r a to r s h a v e a n s w e r e d a ll
o f o u r q u e s tio n s a b o u t th e ir
la n d m a r k e x h ib itio n an d th e
g o r g e o u s
C r a ftin g M o d ern ism
c a ta lo g (p u b lis h e d b y A b r a m s ) ,
fe a tu r in g e s s a y s b y B r u c e M e t -
c a lf, E lis s a A u th e r , an d U ly s s e s
G r a n t D ie t z , a m o n g o th e r s .
T h e n c h e c k b a c k a ft e r th e
e x h ib itio n o p e n s fo r a r e v ie w
b y B e v e r ly S a n d e r s , lo n g tim e
N e w Y o r k e r an d fo r m e r s e n io r
e d ito r o f
A m e r ic a n C r a ft.
I t ’s
a ll at b it.ly / c r a ftm o d .
- T h e E d ito r s
crafting
modernism
Amenc*« Art
v>t
Dtu«r
A
1
F o r m s : T r a n s c e n d e n ta l
photo: The Simona and Jerome Chazen Collection
/ N e c k p ie c e
photo: Purchased by the American Craft Council, 1
9 6 7 / L o u n g e C h a ir
photo: Private Collection
