Craft of Maine
Under the Rug
CRAFT OF MAINE-Jan/Feb 2010
by Rebecca Falzano
The art of handmade rugs
Maiko III, 1995, cotton, 34” x 58” - Jutta Graf
The oldest known surviving rug—a beautiful Persian discovered preserved in an ice-filled tomb—dates back to the fifth century B.C.E. Its advanced weave suggests an evolved art with an even longer history. Centuries later, Maine artisans are crafting homemade rugs with meticulous attention to detail using a variety of methods: looping, knotting, hooking, weaving. Whatever the technique, each rug begins with inspiration and is tweaked by color and texture to produce a lasting work of functional art.
Reviving the “Black Art” of Letterpress
CRAFT OF MAINE-Nov/Dec 2009
by Suzette McAvoy
Contemporary practitioners of a centuries-old craft
Zooks Press, An I For Red by Susan Weinz, 2009, letterpress book (wood, linoleum, polymer), 7” x 5” closed
Wood Works
CRAFT OF MAINE-October 2009
by Rebecca Falzano
Three Maine artists who bring wood to life
This month, our Functional Art series focuses on artists who use wood as their canvas. Each of the pieces on the following pages is a marriage of aesthetic beauty and practical purpose. From trees to teapots. Driftwood found washed ashore. Furniture inspired by rural landscapes. Each piece has its own story to tell. And as artist Jacques Vesery says, “we just need to look and listen.”
A Common Thread
CRAFT OF MAINE-September 2009
by Rebecca Falzano
Local artisans whose woven works are Maine made and inspired
Masters of Glass
CRAFT OF MAINE-August 2009
by Rebecca Falzano
Four Maine artisans unlock the secrets of glass
Known for its fragility, its texture, its possibility, glass has been a medium for artists for thousands of years, starting with the earliest man-made glass objects around 3,500 B.C.E. This month, in continuation of MH+D’s Craft of Maine series on functional art, we feature four glassblowers who use a delicate combination of heat, balance, gravity, air pressure, and applied leverage to create works of art that are as beautiful as they are functional. The creations of these artists may range from platters to vases to vessels, but all employ texture, color, light, and form—not to mention technique—in uniquely eye-catching ways.
Heavy Metals
CRAFT OF MAINE-June 2009
by Susan Grisanti Kelley
Continuing our Craft of Maine series dedicated to functional art, this month we focus on the art of metalworking. Using a range of metal types—from pewter to sterling silver to steel—the artists on the following pages have struck a graceful balance between tools and nature, between function and beauty. For more pieces by these artists visit our web-exclusive content at mainehomedesign.com.
Art Imitating Life
CRAFT OF MAINE-May 2009
Five Maine potters infuse magnificence into the mundane
This month we begin a Craft of Maine series on functional art. Perhaps as a sign of the times we feel especially drawn to beautiful objects that serve double duty, bringing both function and form to our everyday. Whether it is the cup that we drink our tea from or the vase that sits on a tabletop, these pieces add color and style to our homes, and extend the spirit of the art that hangs on our walls onto our tabletops, shelves, and floors. This series will explore functional art forms in many different materials: metal, glass, linens, wood, rugs, wallpapers, and this month, pottery. For more pieces by these artists see the web-exclusive content on mainehomedesign.com.
The Gilded Age
CRAFT OF MAINE-March 2009
by Rebecca Falzano
Photography by Scott Dorrance
Since the Egyptians first used gold leaf to adorn tombs and coffins, artisans have sought to capture the brilliance of gold through the process of gilding. Today, the craft remains a significant component of frame making, and can be found in woodwork, signs, bookbinding, pottery, and glass. The technique involves applying a thin layer of gold (or silver) to a surface—traditionally on decorative items such as picture frames, mirrors, and furniture. On the following pages, the mediums range from candlesticks to an antique fire engine.
Though the mediums on which gilders practice their craft have expanded throughout the ages, most of the materials used in present-day gilding are the same as those from Egyptian times. Whether on a traditional frame or piece of furniture, these six Maine gilders have found distinctive ways to make everyday objects gleam.
The Art of Assemblage
CRAFT OF MAINE-JAN/FEB 2009
Ten Maine artists explore the bricolage of found objects
Artists have been making assemblages for centuries, using the materials and objects around them as vehicles of expression. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, artists such as Edgar Degas, Marcel Duchamp, Louise Nevelson, and Pablo Picasso worked with objets trouves, or found objects, regularly experimenting with scavenged pieces to give new voice to materials that had long been silenced.
Legacy of Talent: A Moser Reunion
CRAFT OF MAINE - NOV/DEC 2008
by Candace Karu
Photography Scott Dorrance
Skill and artistry forged in the workshop of Maine’s premier cabinetmaker
In a career that spans four decades, Thomas Moser has established himself as an icon of American furniture design and craftsmanship. During this time, Moser has employed some of the country’s most talented woodworkers, while influencing a new generation of fine furniture makers.
Waxing Poetic
CRAFT OF MAINE - OCTOBER 2008
By Candace Kar
Five Maine artists explore the timeless art of encaustic
For thousands of years artists have worked in the subtle and evocative medium of encaustic. By adding pigment to hot wax and applying it to a prepared surface, often wood or canvas, encaustic artists can create an image of extraordinary depth and complexity. Because of the malleability of the medium—the wax can be reworked, removed, or added to over time—encaustic has evolved into a deeply expressive and often experimental art form. Examples have survived through history, but the recent resurgence of interest in encaustic, which began to gain momentum in the 1990s, has resulted in an artistic field of broad and brilliant appeal. These eight Maine artists have embraced encaustic with confidence. Their work expresses visions of unique beauty, sensuality, and emotion
Work of the Hand
CRAFT OF MAINE - SEPTEMBER 2008
By Joshua Bodwell
Photography Trent Bell
Ponds, paths, and native plantings on the Blue Hill peninsula
This October, at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art in Rockland Village, over forty craft artists who have been selected will show their work in a prestigious exhibition and sale. For nineteen years the Work of the Hand show has presented the work of New England’s finest artists and artisans at CMCA’s historic firehouse gallery. Here we showcase six representatives from this remarkable group.
Seizing the Image
CRAFT OF MAINE - AUGUST 2008
Four Maine photographers capture the moment
Alan Vlach On abstract images and urban landscapes: My work has evolved from a broad view of the landscape to an abstract one utilizing light, space, form, texture, and tone to define the imagery rather than clearly identifiable subjects. I recently began a project of mostly urban landscapes, photographing wall art—graffiti, posters, and abstracts of deteriorating walls. I have also begun printing in alternative processes such as platinum/palladium and salted paper in addition to silver printing.
Testing Their Metal
CRAFT OF MAINE - JULY 2008
By Candace Karu
Photography Scott Dorrance
Seven Maine sculptors forge ahead
Stephen Porter On Deep Roots in Maine and in Art: My family has owned an island in Penobscot Bay since 1912. I have spent all or part of every summer there with my family including my father, the photographer Eliot Porter, and my uncle, artist and critic Fairfield Porter.
Noble Metals
CRAFT OF MAINE - JUNE 2008
By Candace Karu
Photography Scott Dorrance
Five jewelry makers forging the future of the craft
Stephani Briggs On Love and Influence: When I first fell in love with jewelry I was drawn very strongly to Art Nouveau artists, like Lalique, a brilliant technician. Later I realized that it was the beauty of nature and recurring natural forms that I was most attracted to. In 1994 I first went to India on a Rotary grant as an ambassador of goodwill between our cultures. That trip began my lifelong fascination with the culture, specifically India’s temple architecture and ritual objects. During that trip I spent a lot of time in Rajasthan, where I met Sudhir Kasliwal, the owner of Gem Palace, who took me under his wing and has become a good friend. This opened an opportunity for me to buy unique gemstones abroad, and after that I was exposed to ancient techniques, brought to India by the Persians.
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