IDEAS
R e s t r a i n e d ,
C u t L o o s e
A curator in M ilw a u kee
com m issioned
1 6
w orks
a n d lim ited the artists to
one tool each. H e r e ’s w hy
he d id it - a n d w hat he
lea rn ed about creativity.
I N T E R V I E W B Y
M o n ica M oses
A L M O S T A Y E A R A G O , C U R A T O R
E t h a n L a s s e r a s k e d 16 a r tis ts
f r o m t h e U n it e d S t a t e s , U n it e d
K in g d o m , a n d C a n a d a t o e a c h
c r e a t e a w o r k f o r a n e x h ib it io n ,
w i t h o n e s ig n if ic a n t r e s t r ic t io n :
T h e y c o u ld u s e o n ly o n e t o o l
t o m a k e t h e ir p ie c e s . T h e s h o w ,
“ T h e T o o l a t H a n d ,” o p e n e d
a t t h e M i l w a u k e e A r t M u s e u m
in D e c e m b e r a n d c o n t in u e s
th r o u g h A p r i l i ( w it h a s e r ie s o f
p u b lic p r o g r a m s s la te d f o r M a r c h
16 - 1 8 ) , b e f o r e t r a v e lin g t o o t h e r
v e n u e s in 2 0 13 . L a s s e r w o r k s
f o r t h e C h ip s t o n e F o u n d a t io n ,
a r e s e a r c h a n d c o ll e c t in g o r g a n i-
z a t io n t h a t f o c u s e s o n e a r ly
A m e r ic a n d e c o r a t iv e a r ts .
American Craft
e d i t o r in c h i e f
M o n i c a M o s e s t a lk e d w i t h L a s s e r
a b o u t w h a t h e a n d t h e p a r t ic ip a t -
in g a r tis ts d is c o v e r e d a b o u t t o o ls ,
lim it s , a n d in v e n t io n .
How does a curator focused
on colonial American craft end
up organizing an exhibition of
contemporary artists experi-
menting with just one tool?
What inspired this project?
L a s t w i n t e r , I w a s w r i t i n g a n
e s s a y a b o u t t h e r e la t io n s h ip
b e t w e e n 1 8 t h - c e n t u r y a r tis a n s
a n d t h e ir t o o ls . I f y o u w e r e a
s ilv e r s m it h in 1 8 t h - c e n t u r y B o s -
t o n , t h e la s t a s s e t t h a t w o u ld b e
t a k e n fr o m y o u i f y o u w e r e s u e d
f o r d e b t - a f t e r y o u r la n d , y o u r
h o u s e , y o u r f u r n it u r e , y o u r
a p p r e n t ic e s - w a s y o u r k i t o f
t o o ls . T h e l a w w a s g e n e r o u s
in th is s e n s e ; i f y o u w e n t b r o k e ,
it le t y o u h o ld o n t o t h e m e a n s
t o g e t b a c k in t o b u s in e s s .
B u t t h is h i s t o r y a ls o s a y s
s o m e th in g a b o u t t h e in t im a c y
b e t w e e n m a k e r s a n d t h e ir t o o ls ;
s o m e h o w t h is r e la t io n s h ip is
glue
Mark Lindquist
D o w e l B o w l,
2011
hardwood dowels,
glue; 5.5 x 36 in. dia.
128
american craft feb/mari
2
Photo: Mark Lindquist
