Smithsonian Craft Show

I'm going to the annual Smithsonian craft show tonight, and I'm very excited. Since I missed the American Craft Council's Baltimore show, I look forward to seeing what new craft shows up this year at this craft show.

I'll be honest, this will be my third time at this particular show, and sometimes I worry that I'll see the same things as before. But in looking at the website, I'm looking forward to seeing these awesome creations:

In Wearable Art, I look forward to seeing the bright colors and patterns of Sonya Mackintosh and Steven Seward.

In Ceramics, I'm intrigued by the altered forms and straight-forward color scheme of Elizabeth Kendall. I really like altered vessels, and the graphic quality of her designs works so well with her forms.

In Jewelry, Andra Janosik's leather pieces caught my eye. I like big, chunky jewelry, and this fits the bill.

In Glass, I was first captured by the color and then held in awe by the designs and beautiful lines of the work of Dan Mirer.

I'm very excited to see all of these--and more!--tonight. I'll report back tomorrow with my findings and if anything new and exciting catches my eye. The only drawback to this is I'm pretty sure that I can afford none of these. (Student discount anyone?)

Apologies for no photo. Didn't feel super ethical to take any from the Craft Show website, even if I gave credit.

Nocturne Radio

Now that the thesis proposal is turned in, I have nothing to do but wait. Okay, that's not really true, I have lots of other work to attend to, but when reading this today, I was reminded of seeing a version at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Which in turn reminded me of the Nocturne Radio, also at the MIA. (If you give a girl a Bauhaus designer...)

I know that as you're looking at the incredibly blue picture above, you're not overwhelmed. To be honest, neither was I as I memorized facts about it in Survey of Dec Arts 2 at this time last year. Made by Walter Dorwin Teague in 1937, manufactured by the Sparton Corporation, made of glass. Yeah, sure. It's a radio. And I was told it was a giant radio. The measurements on the MIA website list it as "H. 46 x W. 43 1/4 x D. 12 in." But that still doesn't really give you any idea as to how imposing, startling, and life-changing this radio is.

This radio is part of the Northwest Modernism Collection, which is tucked nicely away on the third floor of the institute. I was visiting this fall and looked forward to seeing iconic works by designers I'd come to love over the previous year. But none of this prepared me for what would happen when I would turn the corner into the exhibit space and find myself confronted with this marvel of design. I was speechless. The radio was breathtaking. It was huge, but not imposing. The reflective glass front was inviting, not repelling. I wanted to touch it and absorb all its perfect design glory through my skin. This sounds disturbing, doesn't it? But I was enthralled. It was a religious experience. Sadly, it was against a wall, so I could not fully appreciate it in the round, but I leaned as close as possible to absorb every aspect of it. From the sides and the front--I couldn't pull myself away. But for my deep abiding respect for the rules of "no touching!" in museums, I would have hugged this radio. There are other iconic modern pieces in this collection, and it covers a range of things from American to European to Arts and Crafts to Art Deco. But none struck me or affected me so deeply or so powerfully as the Nocturne Radio.

According to the entry about this radio, it was "intended to appeal to men, who supposedly would be enthralled by its futuristic form and space-age technology." Perhaps I have the same taste of a man of the 1930s, but that's fine by me.

Top 4 Designers: Part 1

In a recent discussion, I was asked to list my three favorite designers of decorative arts. I couldn't narrow it down quickly, so I begged off, promising to write a blog post with my answer. The reply grew quite lengthy so here's the answer in four parts, starting today with glass. These are my favorite designers, with a few honorable mentions, one from each of the four "major" decorative art groups: furniture, ceramics, glass, and metal. There may be a few quibbles on my grouping, and even my choice of designers, but each one holds a special place in my heart for various reasons.

Glass:

Hands down, without thinking, I can name Dale Chihuly. I loved Dale (we're on a first name basis) before I even knew who he was. In my freshman year of college I mentioned my love of the vase that sits next to Frasier's fireplace (after season 3 for those who are fans), and was chided with, "Of course you love it, it's a Chihuly." The woman who told me this may be patronizing, but she's right. Chihuly is a Seattle, WA-based artist, in addition to being world-renown, thus his inclusion in Frasier's exceedingly posh (and somewhat pretentious) apartment.

Additionally, I was warmly greeted by his beautiful sculptural chandelier upon walking in to the V&A in London (pictured above), clenching what I know will be a life-long affair with the museum. Chihuly's made a few appearances in my classes, but I usually end up spotting him in an entryway, gallery, or other unexpected places.Overcoming the loss of his eye, Chihuly, along with his studio, produces amazing works, delighting not just glass, but beauty lovers everywhere. His work is eye-catching, sculptural, playful, colorful, and displays a mastery of glass handling like no other glass work I know.

Honorable mention: Wilhelm Wagenfeld Kubus Stacking Storage Containers. IKEA-like storage in a pre-IKEA era.

Up next: Furniture