the distinctive furniture for w hich R ose is
now know n. Just as his parents w ould have,
Rose and his w ife stopped at a couple o f cul-
tural sites - Shaker museums and settlements
in N ew Y o rk and Massachusetts. “Seeing
their w hole life, and that all o f it was made by
hand, was just so inspiring.” Craftsmanship,
quality o f materials, integrity o f design - the
combination was captivating. “That was
when I really took o ff making furniture.”
Rose began researching (“I’ve since
acquired so many books”) and building his
interpretations in steel: tables, cupboards,
clocks. A t the time, he was buying metal at
the scrapyard because that’s w hat he could
afford; reuse has since evolved into an envi-
ronmental ethic that permeates his practice,
from the steel to the nontoxic, natural w ax
finishes. H e had brought in three Shaker-
inspired pieces to Nathan, he remembers,
Enfield Settee, 2007
steel, natural rust patina
2.75 x 6 x 1.6 ft.
when she asked him how many more he could
make; she was giving him his first solo show.
R ose spent the next seven years explor-
ing his Shaker interpretations in depth, pro-
ducing some 250 one-of-a-kind w orks.
In 2003, inspiration struck again, this
time at an exhibition o f G ee’s Bend quilts at
the M ilwaukee A rt Museum. Rose recog-
nized a congruity betw een w orn fabric and
weathered steel, between quilts constructed
out o f recycled textiles and his own practice
o f reclaiming scrap metal. “It was like, w ow ,
that just really, really translates w ell.”
W h ile his early Shaker interpretations
w ere m ostly m onochrom atic, color defines
his quilted w orks. Strips o f canary yellow ,
blocks o f rust-speckled orange: A ll o f the
color and patina is natural. I f his heart is
Eleven-Drawer
Strip Quilt Table,
2010; steel, natural
rust patina, found
color panels
2.8 X5.2 x 1.3 ft.
feb/mari2 american craft 063
