Museum of Arts and Design Presents CRAFTING MODERNISM

Focusing on the dynamic relationship between craft and design, Crafting Modernism: Midcentury American Art and Design showcases the bold new directions taken in media and aesthetics during the postwar years. Presented by the Museum of Arts and Design, and on view from October 12, 2011 through January 15, 2012, this historic exhibition is the fourth part of an ongoing series of shows for The Centenary Project-the first in-depth examination of American craft in the 20th century. The first three exhibitions were presented at the Museum between 1993 and 1995.

Organized by MAD curators Jeannine Falino and Jennifer Scanlan, Crafting Modernism underscores the growth and transformation of American life during the turbulent 1960s through art, craft, and design. Featuring the work of more than 160 artists and designers, including iconic figures such as Wendell Castle and Jack Lenor Larsen, and lesser-known, though highly influential artists and designers such as Katherine Choy and Hui Ka Kwong, Crafting Modernism demonstrates through furniture, textiles, tableware, ceramics, glass, jewelry, sculpture and painting, how the period between 1945 and 1969 proved a key transitional era for American craft and design. A scholarly 360-page catalogue, published by Harry N. Abrams, accompanies the exhibition.

"Crafting Modernism is an exhibition with special significance for us-not only is it part of the groundbreaking Centenary Project, charting the history of modern American craft, but it also charts our own history. The Museum was originally founded in 1956 by the visionary philanthropist Aileen Osborn Webb as the Museum of Contemporary Crafts. At the time, it was the first museum of modern craft in the world," says Holly Hotchner, MAD's Nanette L. Laitman Director.

The exhibition is organized into two broad sections, each of which receives treatment on its own floor in the museum, enhanced by domestic vignettes that evoke the cool and countercultural posture of the era. The first addresses the early postwar years from 1945 to the late 1950s during which time the independent craftsmen lifestyle became a compelling alternative to the anonymity of the corporate world. The rise of the craftsman- designer in industry and the influence of craft on modern design are explored in this section with examples in a variety of media drawn from Reed & Barton, Knoll, and Blenko Glass, among others. The second half of the exhibition focuses on the emergence of the crafted object as a work of art that is informed by Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, funk, and social commentary. It concludes with a nod to the countercultural strains of rock 'n' roll, controlled substances, and the American flag in a "groovy" celebration of the crafted object.

During this era, youthful men and women from all walks of life, cultures, and continents rediscovered and reinvigorated traditional craft media to express cultural identity, artistic innovation, and social views. Also during this period, young designers introduced less formal domestic interiors, often adorned with crafted objects, which gave a more human face to modernism. This interplay between craft and design is revealed through works of textile designer Dorothy Liebes, furniture maker George Nakashima, silversmith Jack Prip, sculptor and designer Isamu Noguchi, and others. Works by designers who incorporated craft techniques or aesthetics into more wide-scale production, such as Edith Heath, Russel Wright, and Charles and Ray Eames, are also on display.

As craft programs developed and expanded in university art departments across the United States, artists such as Peter Voulkos and Lenore Tawney increasingly began to consider the sculptural and aesthetic qualities of materials previously reserved for functional objects. Their pioneering achievements bridged the traditional art-craft divide, enabling the crafted object to assert itself as an aspect of modern art. This development paralleled an increasing openness in the art world to new expressions and alternative media demonstrated in the works of artists like Alexander Calder. As craft entered the public realm through museum exhibitions and publications, it added to the ongoing political and social dialogue in American art and life, serving as a representative of a counter-culture lifestyle.

"Crafting Modernism and its accompanying catalogue provide a gateway to the movers and shakers of the modern studio craft movement," says co-curator Jeannine Falino. The exhibition is a must-see for anyone interested in the aesthetics and philosophy of the era. We have combed the country to find exciting and influential works, many of which have rarely been seen since midcentury."

PUBLIC PROGRAMS
In a partnership with the New York School of Interior Design, the Museum will present The Midcentury Moment, a series of public programs concerned with the conceptualization of the exhibit; the resurgent interest in midcentury design; the role played by the Case Study Houses in popularizing American modernism; and the significance of craft in the modern home.

EXHIBITION ORGANIZATION, CREDITS,
AND PUBLICATION
A scholarly 360-page catalogue to be published by Harry N. Abrams, containing essays, biographies, and extended reference materials, follows the standard of the previous exhibitions. The exhibition is organized by MAD Curator Jeannine Falino and MAD Associate Curator Jennifer Scanlan, and is designed by Wendy Joseph of Cooper Joseph Design and MAD Curator of Exhibitions, Dorothy Globus.

Crafting Modernism: Midcentury American Art and Design is made possible in part through the generosity of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Henry Luce Foundation, and the Center for Craft, Creativity and Design. Major support for the exhibition catalogue has been provided by an anonymous donor.

http://www.madmuseum.org/