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Perspectives from Kent State Fashion School Faculty and Students August 10, 2019 - May 31, 2020 Cover: 13. Colin Isaacs, “Make Amerikkka Great Again,” 2019 L2019.39.la-e Wearing Justice Perspectives from Kent State Fashion School Faculty and Students Kent State University Museum Stager and Blum Galleries August 10, 2019 - May 31, 2020 The Kent State University Museum is proud to showcase the creative expressions of our Fashion School students and faculty as presented in the exhibition Wearing Justice. This year the Kent State University community is joining together to mark the 50th anniversary of the day that now lives in infamy: May 4, 1970. Wearing Justice addresses social issues that continue to challenge us today. Some designers directly address the reverberations of May 4, while others focus on today’s global concerns from gun violence, to climate change, to corporate greed. The garments and textiles not only prod us into conversations about social activism, but also remind us of the power and deep significance carried by what we wear and how we wear it. The exhibition was spearheaded by Dr. Kim Hahn, Interim Director of the Fashion School, through conversations with Fashion School faculty. Professors Chanjuan Chen and Sue Hershberger Yoder then took up the responsibilities of organizing the call for proposals, Professors Noël PalomoLovinski, Jihyun Kim and Lauren Copeland selected the student submissions and Juror Amanda Pecsenye, curator at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, selected the faculty work. I especially wish to thank Professors Hahn, Chen and Yoder for their commitment to this project and for always being such great partners. Many thanks to Chanjuan Chen who designed this catalogue. Thanks also go to the wonderful KSU Museum staff including Sara Hume, Curator; Joanne Fenn, Collections Manager; Jim Williams, Exhibition Designer; Todd Clark, Security Manager; Bianka Sinkfield, Administrative Assistant. Both the Fashion School and the KSU Museum deeply appreciate the support of the May 4, 50th Commemoration Fund, as well as the continued support and guidance of the Dean of the College of the Arts, Dr. John Crawford-Spinelli, Effie Tsengas, Communications and Marketing Director, and Brittani Peterson, Marketing Associate. Sarah J. Rogers Director The Kent State University Museum is supported through a sustainability grant from The Ohio Arts Council. Kent State University, Kent State, and KSU are registered trademarks and may not be used without permission. Kent State University is commited to attaining excellence through the recruitment and retention of a diverse student body and work force. 3 4. Kennedy Brouillard & Eleonore Zurawski “Dissent is Not a Crime,” 2019, L2019.39.3ab Mahatma Gandhi 4 Juror’s Statement The arts have always been a means to navigate and explore the world around us, allowing the artist to express thoughts and process emotions and hopefully provide the audience with an opportunity for dialogue and catharsis. I enjoyed acting as a juror for Wearing Justice to see how the participants used the art of fashion design to create garments that fit the theme. The pieces I selected used technique and creativity to explore elements of social justice in garments that often provoked visceral, emotional responses from me, while still being aesthetically pleasing. I was particularly moved by those pieces that deal with the theme of May 4, 1970 at Kent State. I look forward to seeing the finished garments in person! Amanda Pecsenye curator at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Amanda Pecsenye is a curator at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame; she has worked in various roles at the museum since starting there as an intern in 2001. She is a graduate of Bowling Green State University with a B.A. in Popular Culture. Pecsenye has a special interest in new wave music of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Her recent curatorial work includes Forever Warped: 25 Years of Vans Warped Tour and portions of 2019 Inductees and Garage Gear. 5 1. Joanne Arnett “Ladylike Screaming,” 2019 Artist’s statement: Fed up? Yeah, me too. I want to carry protest signs every day. Instead, I put those sentiments on the most ladylike garment I could think of so I can wear my protest. 6 6 Lent by the artist L2019.39.25ab 2. Joanne Arnett &Archana Mehta “No Comfort,” 2019 Artists’ statement: This sweater displays a graph of mass shootings* in the U.S. since the Columbine massacre in 1999. Each year is one row and each death within that year is marked with ten stitches, creating a raised surface. School shootings are further represented by bows in that school’s colors and each bow represents a life lost. The garment consumes the wearer, spilling onto the ground, conveying the overwhelming sense of powerlessness felt in the fight to change the laws and systems that allow these events to occur. One word is continually repeated along the hem of the garment: Enough. *five or more victims. Lent by the artists L2019.39.22 7 3. Victor Barratt-McCartney “Digital Iconoclasm,” 2019 Artist’s statement: This wearable textile incorporates multiple techniques, including Adire style resist dyeing (a tradition from southwestern Nigeria) and patchwork appliqué. It functions as a commemorative wall hanging or can be worn as a wrap skirt with a drawstring waist, accommodating many sizes. Digital Iconoclasm is a celebration of dissent and my rejection of art that exploits or sensationalizes. In an era when state violence and police militarization is normalized, May 4 serves as a constant reminder of the power of people organizing together and the global impact of the American imperialist state. Lent by the artist L2019.39.2 8 4.Kennedy Brouillard & Eleonore Zurawski “Dissent is Not a Crime,” 2019 Artists’ statement: Kennedy Brouillard created this three-piece look using denim, faux leather, Supima cotton, and cotton jersey. The accompanying video by Eleonore Zurawski features clips from important protests throughout history and today. The denim side of the jacket is meant to be worn during a protest and the Supima cotton side can be worn as an everyday look. The jacket also features laser cutting done in the TechStyleLAB and the painting on the back refers to protest signs. The project pays homage to protesters who are committed to creating a better future around the world. Lent by the artists L2019.39.3ab 9 5. Margaret Busche “Parallel,” 2019 Artist’s statement: The purpose of this garment is to show the parallel between the events of May 4 fifty years ago and the current school shooting crisis throughout the United States. This garment was digitally printed at the TechStyleLAB on linen. Lent by the artist L2019.39.4 10 6. Chanjuan Chen “United in Love,” 2019 Artist’s statement: “United in Love” is inspired by the existence of the United Nations organization and the aim of its members to foster cooperation and maintain worldwide peace and security. The UN’s directive is to act as a united people; to put aside cultural and linguistic differences in recognition of larger, unifying characteristics for the betterment of the world. I constructed the top in sections with each piece the same silhouette of people holding hands to represent social equality. The color blue symbolizes this unity and peace. The skirt is in multiple colors to represent the rainbow of races and cultures around the world. Lent by the artist L2019.39.5a-d 11 7. Courtney Lin Donnelly “Rosie’s Rivets,” 2019 Artist’s statement: This piece celebrates women’s paths to empowerment, acknowledging the many barriers as women break down stereotypes. I used an old couture pleating technique to represent society’s dated views of what a woman should be and contrasted this with a silhouette inspired by a man’s welding coat. The pleats are created with a jersey knit and the coat is of stretch denim. “Rosie’s Rivets” is a visualization of women breaking boundaries and social expectations in order to gain the justice they deserve. Lent by the artist L2019.39.7a-c 12 8. Tameka N. Ellington “This is to All Who Refuse to Get Involved!: The Vortex of Black Protest Propaganda,” 2019 Artist’s statement: The muse for this work is a photograph by Emeritus Professor, Timothy Moore. The photograph is of KSU alum, Silas Ashley (’74), who was standing in front of Rockwell Hall protesting the Vietnam War. I manipulated the photo via Photoshop to create a vortex-like print. The message on Mr. Ashely’s tombstone/protest sign along with the Black Power icon was developed into a repeat pattern that was then printed on silk georgette. I used a 1970 Vogue dress pattern by Jerry Silverman, one of the founders of the Fashion School and Museum. This work commemorates social justice protests and signals a renewed identity and purpose for Blacks. Lent by the artist L2019.39.6 13 9. Trista L. Grieder “Hearts of Justice,” 2019 Artist’s statement: For generations, the roles of husband and wife have been scripted along gender stereotypes. I question the impact of such clichés on the individuals within a marriage by creating a dress that symbolizes the “fantasy” of marriage. The sweetheart neckline and silhouette evoke a stereotype of the youthful bride, which is then countered by text on the underskirt that addresses marital issues. Lent by the artist L2019.39.10 14 10. Kim Hahn & Evelyn Rossol “Weaving For Justice,” 2019 Artists’ statement: “Weaving for Justice” is a two-piece, 1970’s inspired look, designed to honor those who were killed and injured in the May 4 shooting on the Kent State University Campus. The crop top and bell bottom pants have a hand woven, triaxial surface design. The strips of fabric which make up the weave include two sets of color gradients inspired by the 70’s-- yellow to purple and teal to red. And the black and white strips contain the names of the individuals who were killed and injured that ominous day, along with a quote from the Scranton Commission calling the event “unnecessary, unwarranted, and inexcusable.” The surface of the finished garments has a three-dimensional optical illusion appearance. Lent by the artists L2019.39.20ab 15 11. Sue Hershberger Yoder & Melissa Campbell “Kindred Bloom,” 2019 Folk art is of, by, and for the people; all people, inclusive of class, status, culture, community, ethnicity, gender, and religion. -The International Folk Art Museum Artists’ statement: Digitally generated images are often the primary communication vehicles for today’s youth: in ways they parallel activists of the past whose hand work and crafts communicated their fight for justice. The impulse for creating identifiers and showing support is the same, but now the symbols are more likely to be made digitally. We are imagining a scenario in which today’s young activists create digital embroidery patterns as a visual connector to past kindred voices who shared their passion for social justice. Specifically, we see these young activists using folk art inspired, embellished clothing to communicate to us as they lead the way toward common sense gun laws. Lent by the artists L2019.39.24.1a-m, L2019.39.24.2a-h 16 12. Ja Young Hwang & Sue Hershberger Yoder “Etched Justice,” 2019 Artists’ statement: “Etched Justice” is a multi-layered dress symbolic of May 4. The bottom layer represents the youthful spirit through the bright floral colors combined with the innocence of a shift dress that does not reveal contours of the female body. The top layer of organza is printed with lines to give the fabric an etched effect. The printed lines shroud the flowers, and yet the flowers continue to shine through the veil. This represents the history of May 4 and supports today’s youth and their activism against gun violence. Lent by the artists L2019.39.23ab 17 13. Colin Isaacs “Make Amerikkka Great Again,” 2019 Artist’s statement: I designed the pattern for the pants and then created the custom print by sourcing articles and newspaper headlines from 1960s to current day that featured the complex issues of equality. The newspaper pattern was then applied to Cotton Sateen by the TechStyleLAB. Lent by the artist L2019.39.1a-e 18 14. Helen Legg “The Cycle Of Life And Death With Nothing In Between,” 2019 Artist’s statement: This ensemble is inspired by Don Drumm’s sculpture, Solar Totem #1, which was irrevocably scarred by the violence that occurred on May 4, 1970 when a bullet pierced the surface. Drumm’s sculpture after May 4 and my design address the never-ending cycle of mass shootings in the U.S. In spite of these frequent occurrences little legislation has passed to reform gun-ownership laws. The organic shapes of the outer garment represent the physical violence and inner conflicts that haunt present society and the memory surrounding the Vietnam War. The materials represent the complexity of these events: the Piñatex* symbolizes the skin covering our bodies and the knitting signifies the anger and confusion that covers us as we grapple with such horrific events. *Piñatex is leather made from Pineapple. Lent by the artist L2019.39.11 19 15. Sophie MacNeil “Doomsday,” 2019 Artist’s statement: This dress is from a collection inspired by today’s Doomsday Preppers subculture and takes inspiration from the idea of living in the postapocalyptic world. It’s made of jersey knit and nylon with nylon webbing and plastic buckles. Lent by the artist L2019.39.12ab 20 16. Michelle Park “Grains Of Truth,” 2019 Artist’s statement: Masquerading as grain sacks, these tote bags provide commentary on the agricultural industry and the unseen costs or “ingredients” of our food. Wheat, corn, and rice are staple grains, each acting as a symbol for a clandestine component of the agricultural system that is calling for justice. In the wake of the largest wave of farmer suicide in history, wheat brings attention to the worker. Many cannot bear the financial strain as they are exploited by agricultural and agrochemical companies. These corporations and the political grafting that occur are represented by corn. Finally, rice calls attention to pesticide usage and environmental exploitation that affects our bodies and our world. Lent by the artist L2019.39.8a-c 21 17. Alexandra Reich “Brotherly Love,” 2019 Artist’s statement: Brotherly Love: The love for family, community and the duty to “love thy neighbor as thyself.” Unconditional kindness that offers a hand in friendship, that loves when not loved back, that gives without getting, and that looks for what is best in others. As a Female Officer serving in the Ohio Army National Guard, I understand the balance between war and peace. As a graduate from KSU Fashion School and a current KSU Masters student, I create quilts to bring meaningful memories into home décor by recycling military uniforms and mixing colorful fabrics to balance patriotism and peace. Lent by the artist L2019.39.13 22 18. Kristin Reynolds “Divided,” 2019 Artist’s statement: This dress focuses on the divide that took place on May 4, 1970: a division between good and bad, peace and war, order and chaos, and even life and death. The garment consists of a structured asymmetrical collared top that is contrasted with a gathered, ruffled skirt. The top represents the National Guard on May 4 and references the structured elements of a military uniform. The ruffled skirt, on the other hand, represents the free-spirited students on this day. While the garment is considered to be a dress, it is split into two pieces. The space between the top and bottom of the garment is held together with rope and symbolizes the divide between the two sides that day. Even though they are separate parts, they are connected as one. Lent by the artist L2019.39.14 23 23 19. Tatum Reusser “Scarlet is She,” 2019, three from a series of six Artist’s statement: The theme of this collection is inspired by the battle of Coon Creek during the American Indian War. I use this history to address perceptions about women then and now, pushing against stereotypes. The fabric manipulations of gathering and layering symbolize the complexity and struggles of the battle. The exaggerated silhouettes, volumes of fabric and stitching create seductive, delicate, and edgy details. I am portraying the woman in scarlet who brought hope to the hopeless, showed strength during a dark time, and compassion to the wounded. Scarlet is She. Lent by the artist L2019.39.19-3ab, L2019.39.19-1ab, L2019.39.19-2 24 25 20. Ashleigh Robek “Don’t Hurt Us ,” 2019 Artist’s statement: “Don’t Hurt Us” consists of three different outfits inspired by the 1970s. These three dresses represent the everyday American who was affected by the horrific shooting that happened on May 4. The first dress is made of white denim with an invisible zipper and darts. The second outfit is a button-down shirt and an A-line skirt both made of linen. The third dress is made with a white knit jersey. Projected onto the garments is video footage from The Kent State shootings that took place on May 4. Lent by the artist L2019.39.15-1_.15-4 26 21. Megan Rodgers “Veil of the Draft,” 2019 Artist’s statement: I designed a sheer army jacket to represent the veil of war and the uncertainty of the draft that surrounded the male students of Kent State. I was inspired by an image I found in the May 4 Visitors Center of Kent State. It is a photograph of fraternity brothers holding up their draft numbers. You see the faces of young men who were at the mercy of the draft lottery during what would otherwise be an exciting time of their college life. On the jacket, I embroidered the birth-dates of the four students who were killed on May 4 and an anti-war black armband. Lent by the artist L2019.39.9 27 22. Rekha Sharma & Gargi Bhaduri “The Khadi Revolution: Spinning, Weaving, And Wearing Homespun Cotton To Promote Social Justice,” 2019 Artists’ statement: Khadi (homespun cotton cloth) was integral to India’s quest for independence from British rule. The material and associated practices symbolically communicated tenets of Gandhi’s nonviolent push for social justice. This exhibit features a khadi sari (a draped garment traditionally worn by women on the Indian subcontinent) printed with significant words from the independence movement. These words— satyagraha (adherence to truth), swaraj (self-rule), swadeshi (selfsufficiency), and ahimsa (non-violence)—as well as the motif of the charkha (spinning wheel) unified the diverse population in a collective struggle for equality and freedom. Even today, as India negotiates its governance and position on the global stage, khadi has provided avenues for articulating a national identity and creating sustainable employment in rural communities. Lent by the artists L2019.39.21ab 28 23. Jaihe Tong “Stop The War and Remember The History,” 2019 Artist’s statement: This tapestry is inspired by the horrors of the Vietnam War and how it also created other battles, such as Kent State’s May 4 tragedy. The depicted figures don’t have faces because they could easily be anyone. However, the faceless figures also show that regardless of what side you are on, death is death. The ring on the soldier’s hand and the envelope laying in the bloodied earth, remind the viewer that when there is a loss, someone is suffering. Lent by the artist L2019.39.16 29 24. Rachel Williams “Protection,” 2019 Artist’s statement: My design pays homage to the students who lost their lives on May 15, 1970 at Jackson State University in Mississippi. The students’ names are Phillip Gibbs & James Earl Green. Another 12 people were injured. This shooting came 11 days following Kent State, but is not as well known, which could be due to the fact that these men were Black. The outfit is a layering of different materials to underscore contrasts; organic gray twill for the pants; black, crocheted lace turtleneck sweater and a jacket of both canvas and silk. I printed the victims’ faces on silk organza to honor their memory. They may be physically gone but remain visible. Lent by the artist L2019.39.17a-c 30 25. Eleonore Zurawski & Maame Amoah “All We Are-Injustice Of Deprivation,” 2019 Artists’ statement: Depriving people of water, food and shelter is an injustice against human kind. The jumpsuit and knit structure are inspired by the basic human necessities for life and growth through water, food, and shelter. The jumpsuit fabric design, created by Eleonore Zurawski, was made from collaged photographs of food and water, then printed in the TechStyleLAB. The knit sculpture, created by Maame Amoah, represents shelter and was designed and knit on the Stoll knitting machine. Lent by the artists L2019.39.18abc 31
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f the o s n o i Fash ’70s d n a s 1960 e r u t l u c r e t n u o C e/ Cultur F s and ’70 s 0 6 9 1 of the ashions Kent State University Museum September 20, 2019 – September 6, 2020 This catalogue has been published in conjunction with the exhibition Culture/Counterculture: Fashions of the 1960s and ‘70s held at the Kent State University Museum from September 20, 2019 to September 6, 2020. This exhibition has received support from the Ohio Arts Council through a Sustainability Grant. Copyright © 2019 Kent State University Museum ISBN 0-9968318-8-8 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the Kent State University Museum. Kent State University, Kent State and KSU are registered trademarks and may not be used without permission. Published by the Kent State University Museum s t n e t n o C f o e l b a T 4 Acknowledgments by Sarah J. Rogers 7 39 Culture/ Counterculture: Fashions of the 1960s and ’70s Clothes with Fun and Flair: French Fashions of the 1960s by Sara Hume by Colleen Hill 51 Youthquake Menswear by Daniel Delis Hill 61 Checklist s t n e m g d Acknowle In poignant moments, collective and personal memory fuse as we respond to astonishing, often tragic events. What we remember feeling and seeing, even where we were standing or sitting, when we learned the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded or saw the Twin Towers on fire is reinforced and magnified by news reports, our circles of friends, and the cacophony of divergent responses. All these inputs become one memory: deeply personal, cultural, communal. The Kent State shootings of May 4, 1970, continue to hold just such personal and collective power. Depending on one’s age, political views, and perceptions of the aftermath, its complex meanings vary. Our memories evolve with time, and so does our understanding of what it all means and how we might apply its lessons to our actions today. The Kent State University Museum is deeply honored to participate in the 50th Commemoration of May 4 and to be part of the campus-wide, yearlong schedule of activities organized to generate meaningful conversation and reflection. The museum’s major contribution is this exhibition, Culture/CounterCulture: Fashions of the 1960s and ’70s, conceived and curated by Museum Curator Sara Hume. Drawing primarily from the museum’s outstanding collection, she explores the cultural canyon between youth culture and the Establishment in the 1960s and ’70s. The divides were easily read through what we wore: activists used their appearance as billboards for their beliefs, just as parents donned conventional dresses and suits inspired by couture. While what we wear has always tracked social, historic, technological trends; in the 1960s increasing power was given to the meaning of how we dressed. By the mid-1970s, the establishment (including Parisian 4 couture houses) had co-opted hippie wear and miniskirts not as the language of activism, but out of a desire to be youthful, relevant, and, yes, “hip.” This commemoration and its spirit of reflection and inclusion has been led by the remarkable visions of KSU’s immediate past president, Beverly Warren and former provost, now president, Todd Diacon. They inspired all of us to be creative and bring forth truly meaningful projects. Dean John Crawford-Spinelli, who has enthusiastically supported the exhibition from the beginning, was instrumental in the generous grant the Museum received from the provost’s fund to help fund this publication. We appreciate the support of Rod Flauhaus, the 50th Commemoration project manager, who also understood the relevance of the exhibition. While most of the exhibited objects are from the museum’s collection, we are also grateful to our lenders: the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame; The Ohio History Connection, and Kent State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives. We also thank the individuals who graciously agreed to lend their personal vintage items: Sheryl Birkner, Peter Gent, Daniel Mainzer, Diane Rarick, Cindy Sheehan, and Fred Smith. Sara Hume is to be congratulated for her insight and care in eschewing the stereotypical views of this period and teasing out the complex, nuanced differences and similarities. We appreciate the contributions of Phaedra Scherl and Carolanne Tkach, both student assistants who worked closely with Sara on the many details of the exhibition. Every Wednesday morning for the past year, our dedicated sewing volunteers—Susan Griffin, Leesa Hileman, Marilyn Lown and Millie Chrin—gathered to repair and prepare garments for the exhibition. Thanks also go to the KSU Museum staff: Joanne Fenn, collections manager; Jim Williams, exhibition designer, for his creative installation design; Todd Clark, security manager; Bianka Sinkfield, administrative assistant; Ruth Krause, store manager; Docents Jean Giulitto, Laurie Howell and Susan Laubach, as well as our colleagues Effie Tsengas, communications and marketing director, and Brittani Peterson, marketing associate. Special thanks to the designer of the catalogue, Cecilia Sveda of Minx Design, and editor Erin Holman. Finally, please join us in remembering students Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandra Scheuer, and William Schroeder and honoring all Kent State University students, alumni, faculty, staff, and administration, as well as the citizens of the city of Kent. We will not forget May 4, 1970. Sarah J. Rogers Director 5 e r u t l u c r e t n u o C e/ Cultur F s and ’70 s 0 6 9 1 of the ashions Sara Hume Curator Kent State University Museum dustry n i n o i h s the fa th. u o y y b nnized , S E I T X I S E H T N I yra t e b o t f el icated d b a d a h teachers n e t r a g r e shion kind a e f h , t e f i d a s c a e It was In this d . … y d o b t studen r down e e h lt t fi f o o t r d o e v s in fa ty. It cea i v a r g f o law omen e w h t e d h t e d d r n a disreg uturiers a o c t u a h e asses. It – from th m p e o h t t e o t h t – from dressed y e h t m d up o le h b w b u e t b s a It t . s d lutocrat p e of educate h t o t e populac culture, e r h e t d i m s t o u r f o und and ascended o r g r e d n u ent. the m h m s o li r f b , a s t r s e E g fashion e h t from teena o t d e t ople er admit v eautiful Pe e B n e s h r T e r, e n d g Ben – Marilyn from desi ts allowed i Protestors, linking arms, preparing to be arrested. This position served notice of the willingness to be arrested through non-violence. Copyright: Kent State University ars ago, e y 0 5 t s Almo the shootings of Kent State University students by the Ohio National Guard brought to a head the cultural divides that had split the nation. Much of the tension centered around the generation gap between the baby boomers who were filling college campuses and their parents who had served in World War II. The divisions went beyond the generational, however. There was a contrast between supporters of the Establishment and those who opposed it—the culture and the counterculture. These cleavages in society saw their expression in the fashions of the time. Clothing served as a powerful signifier of people’s identity and indicated their sense of group belonging as well as personal values. Students move away from the commons as the Guard fire tear gas, May 4, 1970. Copyright: Kent State University 10 It is difficult to define clearly who was part of the Establishment as opposed to the counterculture. Mainstream culture in the 1960s and ‘70s cannot be divorced from the contributions of groups that could be seen as marginalized or disadvantaged. African Americans, those of Jewish descent, and others who today we would identify as LGBTQ all played critical roles in the world of fashion. Although these groups are associated with the political activism of the period, they were not necessarily part of the counterculture. Members of these groups did, however, gain prominence in radio, television, film, theater, even politics and the society pages. Television in particular was central to the development of mainstream culture in the 1960s; by 1960 nearly 90 percent of American homes had a television set. Not only was the TV nearly ubiquitous, but other forms of media became less popular—film attendance declined as did the number of hours people listened to the radio.1 In the popular imagination, one of the icons of 1960s mainstream fashion is First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. The epitome of privilege, she was born into affluence and grew up in polite society. Known for her education in literature and the arts, Kennedy also maintained a love of fashion, particularly French couture. Her advantages extended beyond the material, as she was endowed with natural grace and beauty. During her years in the White House, she worked closely with designer Oleg Cassini to craft her signature look. She favored tailored suits with knee-length skirts and three-quarter-length sleeves in solid colors. She also wore straight, sleeveless, A-line dresses. With their simple lines and solid colors, her clothes were both flattering and photogenic. As her husband was likewise attractive, television naturally complemented the couple. The president and First Lady both used the medium to their advantage. While John F. Kennedy memorably excelled in a televised debate during his campaign, Jacqueline Kennedy took to the television for a tour of the White House that was broadcast on CBS (fig. 1). Figure 1. Jacqueline Kennedy, December 5, 1961. Photography by Robert Knudsen, White House, in the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston. 11 The Kennedys, among the youngest families to have resided in the White House, reflected the fresh optimism of the early 1960s. While they were young, they were of an earlier generation than the baby boomers—now known as the Greatest Generation. President Kennedy had served with distinction in World War II, and he inspired members of the next generation, who heeded his call to ask what they could do for their country. The infatuation with the presidency and politics fostered during the Camelot years, however, did not long survive after the president’s assassination. Vietnam, first, then Watergate shattered such optimism. In the years following her first husband’s death, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis kept largely out of the public spotlight. However, she did continue to dress with her characteristic grace and elegance. For instance, in 1967, on a visit to Cambodia, she wore a dress identical to the evening dress of mint-green silk edged with dense beading by Valentino that is in the Kent State University Museum collection. This gown represents both the simple lines and the exceptional quality of the clothes favored by the former First Lady (fig. 2). 12 Figure 2. Green silk charmeuse evening dress edged with beading by Valentino, 1967, Silverman/ Rodgers Collection, KSUM 1983.1.593 ab. In the 1960s, the haute couture industry continued to exert strong influence over how a large segment of the population dressed. Despite the growing prominence of youth culture, important and successful designers such as Chanel and Balenciaga created innovative designs for an older clientele. Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (1883–1971) had begun her career as a milliner before expanding to sportswear in the early 1910s and then finally opening a full couture shop in Paris right at the end of World War I.2 While her early career had been marked by her innovative use of jersey in casual sportswear, Chanel’s mature designs were noted for their tweed (fig. 3). In the years following the reopening of her house after World War II, her name gradually regained its status as a sought-after luxury brand. The quilted linings and metal chains weighting down the jackets’ hems ensured the neat appearance of the bulky fabrics. Cristóbal Balenciaga (1895–1972) was also renowned for his ability to control fabric in his distinctive designs. His house rose to prominence in the years following World War II. In contrast to the contemporary designs of Christian Dior (1905–1957), which emphasized and exaggerated the natural form of the woman’s body, Balenciaga defied a woman’s shape as he created new silhouettes. In the 1960s, he continued to maintain an appeal to older women, to whom his forgiving designs were flattering. Figure 3. Pink tweed suit with matching blouse by Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, 1960s, Silverman/Rodgers Collection, KSUM 1983.1.425 a-c. 13 Figure 4. Grey and white tweed dress by Shannon Rodgers for Jerry Silverman, ca. 1965, Silverman/ Rodgers Collection, KSUM 1983.1.663. 14 While Paris remained a center for high-end, custom-made clothing, designers in America also served an Establishment clientele. One American label that tapped into a significant market of women with its wearable, simple yet sophisticated clothing was Jerry Silverman, Inc. The label was launched in 1959 by Jerry Silverman (1910–1984) and his designer and partner Shannon Rodgers (1911– 1996), the founding benefactors of the Kent State University Museum, which now maintains an important collection of their designs. Silverman described his clothing as the “meat and potatoes of the dress industry, not the frosting,” and his pieces were offered for sale across the country in boutiques and department stores.3 The label was notable for its quality ready-towear clothing in interesting fabrics and colors. The tweed dress included in the exhibit showcases both its simplicity of line and its attention to material and texture (fig. 4). First Ladies Patricia Nixon, Lady Bird Johnson and Rosalyn Carter all wore Jerry Silverman dresses. Early in his career, Rodgers worked as a costume designer in Hollywood and cultivated connections with celebrities. He designed dresses for a number of celebrities, including Dinah Shore and Miss Americas Bess Myerson and Phyllis George. The connections Silverman and Rodgers maintained with notable figures ensured that an important collection of clothing with celebrity associations became part of the KSU Museum collection. For example, Dinah Shore (1916–1994) wore pieces designed by Rodgers, but she was also a generous donor to the museum, and its permanent collection includes a number of additional pieces from her wardrobe, among them this blue wool evening dress by Norman Norell (1900–1972) (fig. 5). Norell, like Shannon Rodgers, began his career working in theater and film as a costumer, but in the late 1920s he transitioned into working on Seventh Avenue for Hattie Carnegie (1886–1956). After twelve years with Carnegie, where he reimagined couture designs adapted from Paris into ready-to-wear garments for the American market, he moved to work with the manufacturing firm Anthony Traina. Following Traina’s retirement in 1960, Norell launched his own label. The Figure 5. Blue wool evening dress with embroidered border by Norman Norell that belonged to Dinah Shore, ca. 1965, Silverman/Rodgers Collection, KSUM 1983.1.480 a-c. 15 name “Norell” remained synonymous with craftsmanship and fine workmanship even though the clothes were not couture. Dinah Shore’s blue wool dress exemplifies the high quality and understated elegance of Norell’s work. Dinah Shore first gained fame as a popular singer and radio star during the 1940s. Her career followed the rise of television as she became the host of her own show in the 1950s. By the 1960s, she was an established celebrity known for her wholesomeness and warmth. She continued to host her own talk shows through the 1970s. Kitty Carlisle Hart (1910–2007) was another celebrity and socialite of the 1960s whose wardrobe is included in the KSU Museum collection. Like Shore, Carlisle was Jewish and became well known as a television personality familiar to Americans in the 1960s and ’70s, having made a name for herself as a film actress and opera singer starting in the 1930s. From 1956 to 1978 she was a regular panelist on the television game show To Tell the Truth. Her elegance and stylish dress on the show made her a household name. During the 1980s, 16 Figure 6. Black velvet and pink satin evening dress by Donald Brooks that belonged to Kitty Carlisle Hart, ca. 1968, Silverman/Rodgers Collection, KSUM 1983.1.1282. Carlisle donated some of her gowns to the KSU Museum. Carlisle is represented in this exhibition by a pink satin and black velvet gown by Donald Brooks (1928– 2005) (fig. 6). Brooks, also like Shannon Rodgers, enjoyed a career as both costume and fashion designer. While heading his own label from 1965 to 1973, he also designed costumes for Broadway plays, television, and film. Despite his theatrical experience, his fashions were designed to let the wearer shine so they did not overwhelm her. In his obituary in Women’s Wear Daily, the buyer Jeane Eddy was quoted as describing his designs: “Donald’s feeling about clothes is that the woman should be most prominent. He was what I called the middle of my yardstick. There was someone at the bottom with dumb dresses and there was Rudi Gernreich at the top with his over-thetop designs that were very avant garde. Donald was always in the middle. He was a designer for all seasons.”4 Bess Myerson (1924–2014) first found national fame when she was elected Miss America in 1945. She was the first (and so far, only) Jewish woman to receive that title, which she won in the weeks immediately after World War II—right on the heels of Americans’ triumph over the anti-Semitic forces of Nazism—suggesting an acceptance of Jews into the mainstream of American culture. Following her reign, Myerson served as a spokesperson and made television appearances on game shows before transitioning to a career in politics. She is represented in this exhibition by a Shannon Rodgers dress of sheer white chiffon trimmed at the cuffs with white fox fur (fig. 7). The elegant dress plays with a tension between modesty and sexiness. It includes a plunging neckline and an open back, yet the skin is discreetly concealed with a layer of sheer chiffon. Figure 7. White silk chiffon evening dress trimmed with fur by Shannon Rodgers that belonged to Bess Myerson, 1960s, Silverman/Rodgers Collection, KSUM 1983.1.640. 17 The selection of fashion designers and celebrities included in this exhibition attests to the prevalence of Jews in popular culture. The fashion industry in New York has employed a significant number of Jews as well as members of other immigrant communities. Eastern European immigrants, who fled the nineteenth-century pogroms in their native lands, put their tailoring and dressmaking skills to work in the city’s growing fashion industry.5 While they certainly faced anti-Semitism in the United States through the early twentieth century, by World War II Jews were increasingly integrated into society. Although they were now solidly members of the Establishment, many chose new names to disguise their Jewishness: Norman Levinson became Norman Norell, Hattie Kanengeiser became Hattie Carnegie, Fannye Shore became Dinah Shore, Donald Blumberg became Donald Brooks, and Catherine Conn became Kitty Carlisle. Bess Myerson resisted pressure from Miss America organizers to use the more anglicized “Beth Merrick.”6 The discretion with which they maintained their Jewishness granted these entertainers and designers full access 18 Figure 8. Black net evening dress with silver sequins by Norman Norell for Bonwit Teller worn by Diahann Carroll, 1960s, Gift of Mrs. Amy Greene-Andrews, KSUM 2002.44.1a. to the advantages that privilege afforded. Jews also made a significant contribution to the civil rights movement during the 1950s and 1960s. Driven by their own status on the margins of society, Jews made up at least 30 percent of the white Freedom Riders registering blacks to vote and picketing segregated establishments.7 In the 1960s African Americans continued to face discrimination and even segregation. However, during this time some African Americans achieved the highest levels of celebrity. The career of Diahann Carroll (1935– ) reflected the emergence in the 1950s of mainstream films that featured black casts, including Carmen Jones and Porgy and Bess. In 1962 Carroll became the first African American woman to win a Tony Award for her role in No Strings. Through the 1960s she appeared on a string of television variety shows before landing the title role in the 1968 series Julia, which made her the first African American actress to star in her own television series in a role other than as a domestic worker. While she broke barriers by her very presence on television, the content of the program was not provocative. Because the show was created at a time when racial tensions in the nation were coming to a head following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., its producers and writers struggled to avoid racist stereotypes. They faced the challenge of representing black culture for white America. In general, they presented a comfortable, middle-class woman who reflected few if any aspects of black culture besides her skin color. Carroll said in a 1968 TV Guide interview: “At the moment we’re presenting the white Negro. And he has very little Negroness.”8 Carroll is represented in this exhibition by a dress of black tulle adorned with silver sequins that Norman Norell designed for her in the 1960s (fig. 8). This dress is stunning but squarely conventional in its design and appeal. Like her television character, it was appealing in part by being nonthreatening, by conforming to mainstream aesthetics. One of the most celebrated African American stars to emerge in the 1960s was Diana Ross (1944– ). She was one of the most successful stars of Motown Records. Under the direction of Berry Gordy Jr. the public image including the dress of Motown stars was carefully controlled. Ross’s group, the Supremes, was the first major success under the Motown label, and it established a polished, sophisticated look for African American performers. Other than Diahann Carroll and Lena Horne, African American women had few examples of glamorous celebrities as inspirations.9 Motown was an important player in the progress African Americans made in shaping popular culture. As a black-owned business, it provided an opportunity for black stars and executives to profit. The story of American popular music through the 1950s was dominated by white stars such as Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly, who reinterpreted the blues and other musical styles developed in the African American community. By the 1960s, groups such as the Supremes and the Miracles gained a mainstream audience in both the United States and Europe. British pop groups who would come to dominate the airwaves through the 1960s were also heavily influenced by the blues and R&B, including the music produced by Motown. During the 1960s, television played a large role in 19 popularizing musical groups. Programs like American Bandstand and The Ed Sullivan Show brought entertainers into American living rooms and contributed to a culture of celebrity. Similar shows in Great Britain, including Ready, Set, Go and Top of the Pops, popularized American music across the pond. In 1970, Diana Ross left the Supremes to launch her own solo career, and in 1971, she had her own television special, Diana! in which she wore the taupe sequined dress included in this exhibition. The dress is a testament to Ross’s attention to cultivating her glamorous persona. In the early years of her career, she had made her own dresses, but by the 1970s she had designers such as Bob Mackie help her establish her look. As much as Diana Ross was the essence of glamor and sophistication, Jimi Hendrix (1942–1970) epitomized wild experimentation. In contrast to the generally conservative style of many of the African American stars through the 1960s, Hendrix was extravagant and deliberately thumbed his nose at the constraints of polite society. He began his career, wearing suits and standing in the background, in backup 20 bands for rhythm & blues acts including Little Richard, Wilson Pickett, Sam Cooke, and Ike and Tina Turner. After signing with British manager Chas Chandler in 1966, Hendrix moved to London, where his career took off. He developed a highly individual style, in part from his exposure to London’s fashion scene, that favored bright colors, a combination of bold patterns, and luxurious textures. His flashy stage presence was a combination of statement clothing choices and such antics as burning his guitar. Despite his roots in the US blues and soul music scene, Hendrix’s mature music was part of the predominately white psychedelic rock scene of the late 1960s. The fashion he gravitated to, including the purple velvet jacket displayed in the exhibition also pushed established gender boundaries. The luxurious material and its bold color were and still are largely viewed as feminine. Hendrix was a pivotal figure in the development of countercultural style for his provocative exploration of the boundaries of race, gender, and personal style. Hendrix’s bold personal style was groundbreaking in the 1960s. But by the 1970s, many of the dramatic style choices that had been on the fringe in the 1960s became increasingly mainstream. The dresses included in the exhibition that were worn by Lena Horne (1917–2010) demonstrate the increasing acceptance of bohemian style. A generation older than Diahann Carroll, Horne had a career that spanned more than seventy years and truly reflects the increasing opportunity for African American women. She acted in Hollywood films during the 1940s, but her parts were restricted to minor roles because scenes she was in would have to be cut for cities that did not allow scenes with black performers to be shown. Through the 1960s, Horne performed primarily as a singer in nightclubs while also making many appearances on TV variety shows, including The Ed Sullivan Show and The Judy Garland Show. In the 1970s, she became familiar to Figure 9. Red jersey dress with long trumpet sleeves by Giorgio di Sant’ Angelo worn by Lena Horne, 1970s, Gift of Lena Horne, KSUM 1992.14.16. a new generation of viewers through appearances on Sesame Street and The Muppet Show. Like Diahann Carroll and Diana Ross, Horne cultivated an elegant and sophisticated style. By the 1970s, she had adapted her classical look to the increasingly bohemian contemporary fashions (fig. 9). Giorgio di Sant’ Angelo (1933-1989), a designer who rose to prominence in the late 1960s, designed many of her clothes. Sant’ Angelo made his name with designs that took inspiration from Native American and gypsy styles and included leather, fringe, feathers and beads. He moved on to make extensive use of stretchy, drapey materials such as the synthetic jersey shown in Lena Horne’s dresses included in this exhibition. Along with Jews and African Americans, gays were central to the development of fashion in the 1960s and ’70s. Although homosexuality remained largely unacknowledged, a significant number of prominent fashion designers were gay. While gay rights became a subject of political struggle in the late 1960s and the 1970s, particularly following 1969’s Stonewall riots, the public was not necessarily aware of the sexuality of celebrated fashion designers. In the catalogue accompanying her groundbreaking exhibition A Queer History of Fashion, Valerie Steele addresses the question of whether it is even appropriate to discuss the sexual identity of designers. She concludes that “it is entirely legitimate to discuss the sexuality of the deceased, since there is nothing shameful about variant sexuality.” Furthermore, “it is, in fact, entirely legitimate to ask why homosexuals have played such an important role in fashion.”10 Many of the designers discussed in this essay who were closely linked to designing for the Establishment of the 1960s were gay. Steele identifies two of the great icons of postwar Paris fashion, Balenciaga and Dior as having been gay. Both were discreet in their personal lives, but each shared his life with a male partner. Norman Norell was another designer of the same generation who was likewise discrete in his sexual identity. While known among his circle as gay, he would never admit it.11 Jerry Silverman and Shannon Rodgers were partners in their personal as well as 21 professional lives. They owned and lived in adjacent penthouse apartments on Park Avenue in New York City and shared a country house upstate. Like many of these other designers, their relationship was certainly known among their friends but not by the public. Rodgers, the creative force in the partnership while Silverman was the businessman, loved dramatic displays and decorating but created a firmly mainstream aesthetic for the brand. However, many members of the younger generation who came to direct fashion in the 1960s and ’70s were more open. Yves Saint Laurent (1936–2008) took over Dior’s house after the master’s death in 1957. He would assert to a French film maker in 2002, “My sexuality has been very important to my creativity.”12 He was particularly interested in the lines between men’s and women’s fashion. Taking inspiration from Marlene Dietrich’s wearing of men’s formal wear, Saint Laurent famously reinterpreted the man’s tuxedo as a woman’s tailored suit. This exhibition includes a suit with a safari jacket, a design Saint Laurent first presented in 1967 (fig. 10). The look 22 approximated the styles worn both by the Afrika Korps (the German troops stationed in Africa during World War II) and white colonists’ dress more generally. Saint Laurent, born and raised in Algeria by French parents, frequently took inspiration from points of contact between Europe and other cultures. As a young designer in the 1960s, he looked to the styles among the youth for inspiration, and many of his designs reflected innovation that pushed against Establishment constraints. While his couture designs were definitely part of mainstream fashion, he introduced a boutique—his Rive Gauche line—that offered fashions at a lower price point, allowing his work to reach a larger, albeit still select, audience. Another designer who explored the boundaries of gender constructs was Rudi Gernreich (1922–1985). Born in Austria, Figure 10. Safari-inspired suit by Yves Saint Laurent, 1968, Silverman/Rodgers Collection, KSUM 1983.1.2111 ab.1992.14.16. Gernreich was Jewish and fled to the United States with his mother in 1938, when Germany annexed the country. As early as the 1950s, he became active in the burgeoning gay rights movement through his work with the Mattachine Society, one of the earliest LGBTQ rights organizations in the United States. Motivated by his dissatisfaction with society’s attitudes toward sexuality and the body, Gernreich imagined a future where gender played a negligible role in informing how people dressed. In a January 1970 issue of Life magazine, Gernreich predicted that in the 1970s clothing wouldn’t be identified as either male or female: “Women will wear pants and men will wear skirts interchangeably.”13 While he consistently showed outfits for women with pants starting in the mid1960s, he took his idea for unisex to the Figure 11. Patchwork caftan with mirrorwork and multicolored embroidery, ca. 1975, Gift of Coral Browne Price, KSUM 1985.27.1. extreme in the 1970s when he showed identical outfits for men and women, including caftans. This exhibition includes a caftan that bears the Rudi Gernreich label, although it appears to have been made in India with traditional techniques such as patchwork and mirror-work. Gernreich was photographed wearing a similar caftan (fig. 11). While Gernreich’s designs were more revolutionary than mainstream fashion, regular Americans’ wardrobes did change in a number of ways that echoed his ideas. Women increasingly wore pants, including pantsuits for work. Men wore their hair long and embraced a more colorful palette. In his contribution to this catalogue, Daniel Hill explores what is often referred to as the Peacock Revolution in menswear. The easing of distinction between masculine and feminine dress was accompanied by an increase in casual styles. College campuses largely became incubators for these clothes—particularly jeans. Both young men and women wore jeans and T-shirts on campus for an expanding array of social occasions. While many college campuses in the 23 1960s still insisted young men wear jackets and ties for dinner, this formality disappeared by the 1970s. At the same time, young women abandoned accessories such as hats and gloves. College campuses were also the site of growing political activism during the 1960s. The civil rights movement, which took off in the 1950s, laid the groundwork for a culture of protest. By the 1960s groups such as the Black Panthers and the Black United Students had gained an important foothold on campuses. Specific clothing items became closely associated with particular groups; the black beret, for instance, came to symbolize the Black Panthers. The Black United Students held a number of rallies at the Kent State campus and participated in broader campus protests. The image to the right (fig. 12) shows members participating in the Moratorium to end the War in Vietnam, which took place across the United States in October 1969. The organization’s president, Erwind Blount, stands in the center with a microphone. He is flanked by two young men who each wear dark berets. This photograph brings together 24 symbolism that developed out of the fight for rights and respect for African Americans as well as the protest against the war in Vietnam. College students were central to the resistance because they were the generation being sent to fight and die in the conflict. Enrolling in higher education was one means of receiving a Figure 12. President of Black United Students (BUS), Erwind Blount, speaks to crowd during National Moratorium on Vietnam War, 1969, Photograph by Lafayette Tolliver. Kent State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives. Figure 13. Students protesting the draft marched by the Military Science building (the old Hub), 1969, Kent State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives. Figure 14. Poster for the Student Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam, 1969, Kent State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives, L2019.50.5. student deferment and avoiding the draft; another was joining the National Guard. Although images of student protests (fig. 13) from the 1960s reveal that students’ dress was generally relatively conservative, their elders often characterized these young protestors as rebellious, even iconoclastic. Tensions emerged not simply between the youth and their parents but between youth and the government. At its extreme, the protests were expressed as a disrespect for the young men who served. At the same time, many protest signs (fig. 14) clearly express support for GIs. On the whole, the objection to the war was a call to protect and save the lives of young men who had to fight. However, a soldier’s uniform did not confer on the wearer the respect and gratitude that is now shown to active duty soldiers and veterans. This exhibition includes both the uniform worn by Dennis Fullerton when he served in Vietnam in 1968 and a black cotton jacket he wore after he returned to the United States. The jacket bears the embroidered message “When I die I’ll go to heaven because I’ve spent my time in Hell/Chu-Lai.” Shirts and jackets with this 25 message became a form of expression for returning Vietnam veterans to both identify themselves and express the horror their service entailed. The tensions between young people and the Establishment came to a head at Kent State. When President Richard M. Nixon announced on April 30, 1970, that he was expanding military activities into Cambodia, protests erupted across the United States. Demonstrations in Kent became unruly. In hopes of maintaining order, the town’s mayor, Leroy Satrom, called the governor of Ohio, James Rhodes, to request that the Ohio National Guard be sent in. Across the Kent campus and through the town, the young men of the National Guard, many of whom were no older than the students, sought to maintain order. Student protest leaders called for a rally on the Commons at noon on Monday, May 4, and despite university officials’ efforts to prevent such Protestor speaking to the crowd during the 1972 commemoration. Copyright: Kent State University an assembly, students began gathering in the late morning. Tensions came to a head as efforts to disband the students peacefully failed, and some students yelled and threw rocks. Ultimately some of the Guardsmen fired their rifles into the crowd, killing four and injuring nine more. People across the country were shocked by the violence, which pitted the state against young protestors. Following the events at Kent State, the tensions between culture and counterculture persisted. However, the high fashion of the succeeding years reflected increasing influence of counterculture and street style. Rudi Gernreich made explicit references to the events of May 4 in a collection he presented in October 1970. In this show, known as his back to school collection, the military-influenced styles went down the runway on models holding real guns (fig. 15). One of the models who took part in the show, Leon Bing, reflected later: “It was a fearful failure and pretty much put a shadow over his career because people couldn’t get over it.”14 While designers such as Gernreich saw fashion as a vehicle to make commentary on political events, the Figure 15. Tan knit sweater and shorts by Rudi Gernreich, 1970, Gift of Marion C. Risman, The Rudi Gernreich Collection, KSUM 1993.74.6 ab. events at Kent State were so raw, so recent, and so traumatic that people were not ready accept their interpretation in design. Gernreich’s efforts to employ fashion as social commentary reflected a change in the role of fashion designers. His runway shows became a form of performance as much as a commercial activity intended purely to sell designs. This shift in the agenda of fashion shows occurred at the same time as designers were losing their place as deciders of fashion. In the world’s fashion centers emerged small boutiques that presented inexpensive, innovative clothes for trendy young people; Biba in London and Paraphernalia in New York were two of the most notable of these. Trends like the miniskirt reflect the power of these youthful consumers. While many writers have tried to assign credit for the invention of the miniskirt to such designers as Mary Quant, the style was less the result of individual inspiration as a gradual result of rising hemlines.15 Fashion was shifting from a top-down system shaped by Parisian haute couture to a bottom-up one fed by a variety of emerging style influencers. Major designers such as André 27 Courrèges, Pierre Cardin, and Yves Saint Laurent did recognize the importance of the youth market as they interpreted innovative styles in their high-end designs. Colleen Hill’s essay in this catalogue traces the growing influence of ready-to-wear on fashion, particularly in France. One of the new trends in fashion that cut across every price point was the adoption of an array of experimental materials. As the world entered the space age, futuristic aesthetics influenced fashion design, particularly in the form of new synthetic materials. Many different plastics were introduced to the world by the 1950s, and in the 1960s these were liberally used as sequins and other attachments on evening dresses, as shown on this pink and white dress by Givenchy (fig. 16). They also made their way onto accessories such as handbags and sunglasses. The Courrèges sunglasses based on Inuit eyewear designed to protect against glare off of snow and ice epitomize this modern aesthetic while demonstrating a broadening range of design influences. The emergence of inexpensive fashions meant that many outfits could be worn only 28 Figure 16. Evening dress with pink and white plastic strips and beads by Givenchy, ca. 1965, Silverman/ Rodgers Collection, KSUM 1983.1.505 ab. a few times before being discarded. This ephemeral nature of fashion was pushed to an extreme in the brief paper dress trend. Starting in 1966, companies such as Waste Basket Boutique produced dresses out of a specially produced flame-resistant paper, similar to the material used today for gowns worn in doctor’s offices. These dresses were generally cut in simple A-line shapes, exaggerating the simple silhouette fashionable at the time. While paper dresses were just a fad, new synthetic materials became a significant segment of the clothing by the 1970s. For example, because polyester was wrinkle-resistant, machine washable, and inexpensive, it found widespread popularity. The move away from copying elite styles reached its logical extension with hand-crafted, DIY designs. The rejection of mainstream consumerism and materialism reached its most extreme with hippies. Participation in the counterculture was widely associated with such clothing items as jeans that have been patched or recrafted into skirts and tie-dyed T-shirts. These forms of upcycling and reuse reflected a burgeoning concern for the environment as much as an aesthetic decision. Many of the pieces included in the exhibition were much loved items that are still in the collections of their original owners and have been lent for this exhibition. Sheryl Birkner, a freshman at Kent State in the spring of 1970, witnessed the May 4 shootings. The clothing she wore shaped the memories she has of her years in college. She still has (and wears) a dress that she bought in 1970 which is made out of four Indian wool scarves. (fig. 17). Cindy Sheehan has lent an outfit of denim culottes and matching vest, which she acquired on vacation in Southern California. As she describes it: “I visited family in SoCal each summer and enjoyed having access to new fashions before they hit the Midwest. I remember wearing this outfit in high school.” She also purchased the puka-shell and shark-tooth necklaces in Southern California as well, as they reflect a beach vibe. Diane Rarick still owns several garments that her mother, Arletta Brown made for her in the early 1970s. The wool tunic with its woven design and the poncho both draw from elements of South and Central American design. The embroidered work shirt personalizes a utilitarian garment with fanciful floral designs. For all of these women, clothing remains a link to the past. The items have strong personal attachments with the people who made them and the occasions when they were worn. While the popularity of handcrafted styles obviously rose up organically, without the direction of fashion designers, a number of designers and artists co-opted Figure 17. Dress made of wool scarves, 1970, on loan from Sheryl Birkner, L2019.42.1. 29 the trend. By the 1970s, Roy Halston Frowick (1932–1990), better known as Halston, was an influential designer. Though most famous for designs featuring clean, minimalist lines, by 1970 Halston had introduced a number of tie-dyed designs into his collection. He worked with Will and Eileen Richardson, whose firm, Up Tied, become known in New York as the best at tie-dyeing.16 The tie-dyed ensemble included in this exhibition may well have been part of this collaboration (fig. 18). Tie-dye, widely used to color T-shirts and other garments during the 1960s and ’70s, is a form of resist dyeing that has a long tradition in many cultures. Halston’s tie-dye ensemble combines the skillful execution of this highly esteemed artistic tradition with the brightly colored vocabulary of the popular style. Like tie-dye, patched and refashioned denim was a popular staple of many young people’s wardrobes in the early 1970s. Denim had once been a signifier of the working class, but beginning in the 1950s blue jeans became a symbol of youthful rebellion among high schoolers. Through the 1960s, denim 30 Figure 18. Tie-dyed ensemble with matching scarves by Halston, 1970s, Gift of Marti Stevens, KSUM 1988.11.32 a-d. became increasingly ubiquitous, leading style leaders to develop new variations on the basic jeans. Used, worn denim became sought after, as did all manner of manipulations to the basic jeans. The pieces donated to the KSU Museum by Susan Allen-Umerley are representative of this fashion (fig. 19-20). Allen-Umerley was an undergraduate at Kent State in the 1970s, and as her jeans wore out she reinforced them with patches and scraps of fabric—including some leather she purchased in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco. She also converted a pair of denim jeans into a skirt (fig. 20). In 1973, the New York Times alerted readers to the popularity of aged denim in an article titled “If Jeans Seem on Their Last Legs, It’s Only the Beginning—As Skirts,” Just as in the case of tie-dye, a tension developed between the aesthetics Figure 19 Detail of patched denim jeans, 1970-74, Gift of Typical Student Fashions of 1970-1974, KSUM 2018.9.1. 31 of DIY and high-priced, boutique designs. According to the Times, a new Levi’s denim skirt cost about $8 in 1973. Bloomingdale’s sold skirts of recycled denim for $20, while the New York City boutique Serendipity 3 sold custom-made skirts with appliqués and embroidery for $300.17 Serendipity 3 was and still is a restaurant that also sells an array of funky and one-of-a-kind goods. In the 1960s and ’70s the store became known for its denim clothes and accessories in particular. The KSU Museum boasts an extensive collection of its denim fashions and accessories, donated directly by the business when the museum was founded. Among the many Serendipity 3 pieces in the collection are several that make references to Asian design motifs (fig. 21). The exhibition includes a denim maxi skirt hand-painted with a female figure that draws heavily from Indian aesthetics. Men also looked to India for inspiration as they adopted a style of suit jacket named after Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India. The opening up of fashion choices to include design ideas from other cultures allowed Americans to break away from 32 Figure 20 (top). Pair of jeans reworked into skirt and cotton shirt, 1970-74, Gift of Typical Student Fashions of 1970-1974, KSUM 2018.9.2-3. Figure 21 (right). Maxi skirt of painted denim from 1971 and denim bikini top from 1974 by Serendipity 3, Gift of Serendipity 3, KSUM 1983.2.65 and 63 a. the limitations of western dress. This was particularly the case for men, who had long been confined to the strict uniformity of the suit. While the Nehru jacket allowed for restyling the conventional suit coat, some men were even more adventurous. African American men began to adopt elements of traditional African dress as a means of honoring their heritage; notable among these is the dashiki. The word dashiki comes from the Yoruba or Hausa word danshiki and refers to a style of tunic worn by men in West Africa, specifically Nigeria. Credit for popularizing the dashiki among Americans is given to Jason Benning, who helped found the New Breed cooperative in New York City’s Harlem, which opened a store in 1967.18 The tunic included in this exhibition is actually from Northern Ghana, where Kent State University professor Fred Smith purchased it (fig. 22). This style of garment was not technically a dashiki, which was developed by cultures farther south in Ghana and in neighboring Nigeria. Ultimately dashiki became a general term for the styles of shirt that became popular both across West Africa and throughout the African diaspora. High fashion also exploited the popularity of global inspiration not just in actual clothing design but also in the settings for photo shoots. Cuban writer Edmundo Desnoes criticized the trend in an essay titled “Suzy Parker and the Third World”: “The disdain and ridicule Figure 22. Embroidered smock from Northern Ghana, 1960s, on loan from Fred T. Smith, L2019.45.1. 33 of capitalist countries toward the Third World reached its peak in photographs that appeared in Harper’s Bazaar using the African continent to launch the latest exotic furs, hats and stockings. . . . There is elegance and exoticism in all these photographs, true, but there is also cruelty. The cruelty that uses men as decorative elements.”19 The 1960s were turbulent around the world, as former colonies broke from their imperial powers and achieved independence. Fashion reflected both the continued dominance of former colonial powers and the new valorization of previously subordinated cultures. While many fashion trends drew inspiration from foreign cultures, a number of designers developed purely original patterns and motifs. Emilio Pucci was one of the most significant designers who became known for his abstract and Figure 23. Printed blouse and wrap skirt by Emilio Pucci, ca. 1973, Gift of Charles Sawyer, KSUM 2001.50.1 ab. 34 Figure 24. Cotton dress and crocheted shawl with printed underwater scene by Tina Leser, ca. 1968, Gift of Mrs. Charles Rumsey in memory of Tina Leser, KSUM 1995.19.3 a-c. brilliantly colored patterns. Pucci had his roots in producing sportswear, and his clothing had a casual ease (fig. 23). He also produced an array of accessories and even housewares, ranging from the handbag included in the exhibition to scarves, jewelry, glasses, and even airline uniforms.20 Missoni was another Italian brand known for its bright patterns. Although the label was founded 1950s, it first found success in the 1960s and became widely influential starting the in early 1970s. Missoni specialized in innovative knitwear. The example included in this exhibition is representative of the label’s signature brightly colored designs in which the knit is skillfully placed on the diagonal. The multicolored buttons and bright green belt buckle add to the whimsy and humor of the piece. Another fun piece in the exhibition is a blue cotton dress by Tina Leser (1910– 1986), decorated with an undersea design of fish and coral (fig. 24). The dress, with its pattern so large that a single repeat fills it completely, is paired with a crocheted shawl adorned with appliqués of fish cut out of the same print. Although the cut of 35 this rather formal dress is conventional, its originality comes from the inventive print. Leser was known for her pioneering sportswear. She began her career as a fashion designer in Honolulu, where she focused on resort wear, including playsuits and coverups. This blue undersea dress retains the seaside theme even though Leser created it after moving her operations to New York. The spirit of fun in the works by designers such as Pucci, Missoni, and Tina Leser underscore the period’s lighthearted side. The fashion model Peggy Moffit summed up the spirit of the times: “If you are serious about fashion, you don’t take it seriously. . . . I don’t think fashion is a joke, but real fashion must have wit.” Although the 1960s and ’70s were a time of turbulence and protest, they were also full of youthful enthusiasm and innovation. T-shirts with political messages also date to the 1960s. In the 1950s, the T-shirt emerged as a garment in its own right rather than just underwear, and it quickly became a site for communicating messages. Whether advertising products or politics or broadcasting school affiliations, plain cotton T-shirts became 36 blank canvases. As protest movements grew in the 1960s and into the ’70s, the shirts’ messages were often political. The powerful legacy of this turbulent era can be seen in the design of T-shirts made to commemorate May 4, 1970. During the 1990s and continuing through 2000s, anniversaries of the event were marked with T-shirts, many of which are included in the exhibition. These attest to the continuing power of clothing to convey a powerful message and issue a direct call to remember and learn from the past. The 1960s marked a sharp rupture in style and the overall organization of the fashion industry. By the 1970s, couture fashion lost its place as the determinant of how Americans dressed. The growing influence of the baby boom generation can be seen in greater political consciousness but also in the shift in fashions that catered to young people. In many ways, college campuses led the push to more casual clothing, including the move toward women wearing pants and the ubiquity of blue jeans. By the late 1970s many of the innovations introduced by the counterculture found widespread acceptance by the Establishment and became mainstream. In fact, many styles we still wear today have their roots in the 1960s counterculture. About the Author Notes Sara Hume is Associate Professor and Curator of Kent State University Museum. Her research in the history of dress has focused on the intersections between fashionable and traditional dress as well as the global reach of the fashion industry. She also studies the relationship between evolving fashionable aesthetics and the underlying forces of economic and political change. She earned her PhD in Modern European History from the University of Chicago. She is currently completing a book which examines the development and preservation of regional or folk dress practices in Alsace in the face of pressure both from political conflict and mainstream fashion. She holds a BA in Art from Yale University and an MA in Museum Studies: Costume and Textiles from the Fashion Institute of Technology. 1. Robert J. Thompson and Steve Allen, “Television in the United States,” in Encyclopedia Britannica, last updated July 1, 2019, https://www.britannica.com/art/ television-in-the-United-States. 2. Jessa Krick, “Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel (1883–1971) and the House of Chanel,” Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, October 2004, https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/chnl/hd_chnl. htm. 3. Esther B. Fein, “Jerry Silverman, 74, Is Dead; Founder of a Fashion House,” New York Times, October 28, 1984. 9. Ruth La Ferla, “Dare to Be Supreme,” New York Times, December 17, 2006. 10. Valerie Steele, “A Queer History of Fashion: From the Closet to the Catwalk” in A Queer History of Fashion: From the Closet to the Catwalk, ed. Valerie Steele (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2013) 8–9. 11. Steele, Queer History of Fashion, 37–38. 12. Steele, Queer History of Fashion, 56. 13. “Fashion for the ‘70s: Rudi Gernreich makes some modest proposals,” Life, January 9, 1970. 4. WWD Staff, “Fashion Designer Donald Brooks Dies at 77,” WWD, August 2, 2005, https://wwd.com/fashionnews/fashion-features/fashion-designer-donald-br…. 14. Booth Moore, “Rudi Gernreich ‘Fearless Fashion’ Exhibition Opens in L.A.,” Women’s Wear Daily, May 9, 2019, https://wwd.com/eye/lifestyle/rudi-gernreichfearless-fashion-exhibition…. 5. For further reading about Jewish immigrants in the fashion industry see Nancy L. Green, Ready-to-Wear and Ready-to-Work: A Century of Industry and Immigrants in Paris and New York (Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1997); Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers: The Story of Success (Boston: Little, Brown, 2008). 15. Colleen Hill, Paris Refashioned, 1957–1968 (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2017), 77. 6. Emily Shire, “Why Was Bess Myerson the First and Last Jewish Miss America?” Daily Beast, January 7, 2015, https://www.thedailybeast.com/ articles/2015/01/07/why-was-bess-myerson-the-firstand-last-jewish-miss-america. 7. Howard Sachar, “Jews in the Civil Rights Movement,” My Jewish Learning, accessed May 20, 2019, https:// www.myjewishlearning.com/article/jews-in-the-civilrights-movement/. 8. Aniko Bodroghkozy, “‘Is This What You Mean by Color TV?’ Race, Gender, and Contested Meanings in Julia,” in Critiquing the Sitcom: A Reader, ed. Joanne Morreale (Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2003), 138. 16. “The Psychedelic Tie-Dye Look,” Time, January 26, 1970. 17. Angela Taylor, “If Jeans Seem on Their Last Legs, It’s Only the Beginning—As Skirts,” New York Times, September 1, 1973. 18. Ann Geracimos, “About Dashikis and the New Breed Cat,” New York Times, April 20, 1969. 19. Quoted in Marylin Bender, The Beautiful People (New York: Coward-McCann, 1967), 22. 20. Bernadine Morris, “Emilio Pucci, Designer of Bright Prints, Dies at 78,” New York Times, December 1, 1992. 37 w s e h t o Cl r i a l F d n a n u F ith French F 1960s e h t f o ashions Colleen Hill Curator of Costume and Accessories The Museum at FIT, New York ead. d s i E t COUTUR a socialis H A U T E esign for the street . . . 1 d . o s t s t a n I wa and m r g e h t r o nf a, who o g i a i h c s n a le f a f B kind o odel for m r e m r o f —a er— design e Khanh ll n e o i u h n s a a f m r m a E dy-to-we a e r g n i z hen she la w lb , i 4 a r 6 t 9 a 1 became ment in e t a t s t n e i c igning pres s t e e d y n ld u o g b e nh had b made this a h K . ld o s both ix years a -s w y t t n a e h t w t g g clothin was only n i k a m , r e ars earli e y e e r h t s in Pari sible. s e c c a d n oking a for ward-lo Figure 1. Women shopping in the Biba boutique on Kensington Church Street, London, 1965 Photograph ©Pictorial Press Ltd/Alamy Stock Photo ? n matter o i n i p o ’s id Khanh d h c u m But how Anyone with an interest in dress history may consider “Swinging London” the epicenter of 1960s fashion, and for good reason. British designers such as Mary Quant and Barbara Hulanicki, the founder of the legendary Biba boutique, created vibrant, youthful, and affordable clothes that have come to define the look of the decade (fig. 1 previous page). The excitement of London’s fresh influence on fashion, however, did not entirely overshadow the significance of Paris, long established as the fashion capital of the world. That French fashion had lost its relevance is a persistent yet easily disproven myth. Even a cursory glance at leading fashion publications from this era demonstrates that magazines such as Vogue and Queen continued to feature French couture while simultaneously expanding their coverage of ready-to-wear. Faux tortoiseshell sunglasses by Emmanuelle Khanh, probably 1970s, Gift of Mrs. William McCormick Blair, Jr., KSUM 2001.43.17 a. 42 Although ready-to-wear clothing was not unheard of in France prior to the 1960s, it had suffered from a poor reputation. Initially known as confection, these machine-made, mass-produced garments were of dubious quality and design and were generally disregarded by fashionable women. While many French women could not afford couture, they often frequented the workrooms of “little dressmakers” who provided custom-made clothing at affordable prices. It is important to note that the wardrobes of most women during this time period—and French women, in particular—comprised fewer garments that were better made. As the fashion arbiter Geneviève Antoine Dariaux noted in her 1964 style guide Elegance, the Parisian woman “considers it a compliment (as is it meant to be) when her best friend says ‘I’m so glad you decided to wear your red dress—I’ve always loved it!’”2 Cheap, ready-made clothes were simply not a viable or necessary option for many French women. During the 1950s, prêt-à-porter replaced the term confection. A literal translation of the existing English phrase ready-to- wear, this new term was a clear nod to the fashion industry in the United States, known for its manufacture of stylish, massproduced garments. Yet, ready-made clothing in France needed more than a new name: it needed a new identity. Emmanuelle Khanh took on the challenge, establishing herself as a leader among a small but lively group of designers known as stylistes. Their strictly ready-to-wear creations were experimental in ways that couture could not afford to be. A couture garment was characterized by its lavish materials and extensive handwork, meaning that the production of even a sample was expensive. Furthermore, a couturier’s survival depended on his or her clientele, who could easily be alienated by ideas that were too avant-garde. The significantly lower cost of clothing by Khanh and other stylistes allowed for a free-spirited approach to design that appealed to their peers. By 1964, onethird of the population in France was under the age of twenty.3 This influential consumer group was determined to look and behave differently than its parents did.4 For young women, that 43 included purchasing fashionable clothes from shops rather than engaging in the time-consuming, outdated practice of frequenting dressmakers. The fashion press regularly mentioned Khanh’s name alongside those of several other young French designers, including Christiane Bailly, Daniel Hechter, Michèle Rosier, and Sonia Rykiel. Writing about the changes to the French fashion industry, the fashion journalist Hebe Dorsey noted that the stylistes were “a bit like The Beatles, with a great appeal to the masses from whence they came. They are free, unafraid—and will do vulgar things with fun and flair.” An especially audacious dress design by Khanh, dating to 1966, exemplifies this statement. It was made from wide stripes of colorful vinyl that could be stripped away, one by one, to shorten the skirt’s length (fig. 2). Although the stylistes were immensely important in France and abroad, their names are not always well known today, particularly among Americans. This is due in part to the fact that they regularly, though not always, worked under labels other than their own. Khanh, for example, designed for the French labels I.D., Pierre D’Alby, and Cacharel, as well as the New York boutique Paraphernalia. She also shared a label with Christiane Bailly, which they called Emma-Christie. Hechter negotiated licensing contracts with labels around the world, including the United States and Japan, and reported sales of $25 million by 1972.6 Michèle Rosier worked for Chloé and also established her own label, Vêtements de Vacances (V de V), which specialized in chic sporting attire (fig. 3). Sonia Rykiel began her career by designing for a Left Bank boutique called Laura, which was owned by her husband’s family. After divorcing Sam Rykiel in 1968, she began selling clothes under her own name. Figure 2. Dress by Emmanuelle Khanh made from removable strips of vinyl, 1966 Photograph ©Keystone Pictures USA/Alamy 44 Leading fashion magazines had little choice but to keep up. As the New York Times journalist Marylin Bender noted in her revealing 1967 book, The Beautiful People: “when the news of fashion is being made by and for the age group that subscribes to Mademoiselle, Glamour, Seventeen and Elle, their French equivalent that forcefully promoted the manufacture of ready-to-wear and gloated over the decline of haute couture, where do Vogue, the bible of American elegance, and its rival, Harper’s Bazaar, go? They raid the territory of their younger sisters. That’s where the action is.”8 Sandra Horvitz, a young editor at Mademoiselle during the 1960s, recalled the tremendous impact that Elle had on other fashion magazines, including her own New York–based publication.9 Under the direction of Hélène Gordon-Lazareff (who also happened to be Michèle Rosier’s mother), Elle did not entirely eschew couture, but it was more focused on the innovative ready-to-wear offerings of the stylistes. Figure 3. Ski and après-ski ensembles designed by Michèle Rosier, 1966 Photograph ©Keystone Pictures USA/Alamy 45 Horvitz recalled that as the 1960s progressed, Elle’s influence resulted in the growing popularity of ready-to-wear fashion shows in Paris. As a regular attendee, Horvitz would select styles to be featured in Mademoiselle—and she also chose designs for her personal wardrobe (fig. 4). The increasing influence of the stylistes—and by extension the assertion of ready-to-wear as a consumerist force— was evident by the mid-1960s. It was impossible for couturiers not to take note of these changes, and several adapted accordingly. Pierre Cardin, who had worked for Christian Dior before opening his own couture house in 1950, was known as one of the “least stuffy” of the couturiers.10 He had even shown an early interest in ready-to-wear, when he planned a line of prêt-à-porter to be sold in Paris’s Printemps department store in 1959. This endeavor led to his expulsion from the Chambre syndicale—the governing body of the French couture industry—who cited his violation of a rule dictating that any ready-to-wear designs by a couturier could only be sold in his or her own boutique.11 Although Cardin continued to 46 produce couture, he maintained a keen understanding of the future of fashion. In a 1964 interview for the New York Times Magazine, he expressed his belief that couturiers should introduce a limited number of changes to fashion each season, as the industry had become too democratic for the dictatorial voice of the couturier.12 The most acclaimed launch of a couturier’s ready-to-wear line occurred in 1966, when Yves Saint Laurent, who also trained with Dior, opened his Rive Gauche boutique. Literally meaning “Left Bank,” Rive Gauche referred to the boutique’s location in an area with a reputation for being the “bohemian” part of Paris. Because Saint Laurent was one of the most famous couturiers of the 1960s, his Rive Gauche designs enjoyed an immediate Figure 4. Dress by Emmanuelle Khanh for I.D., 1966. The Museum at FIT, 77.57.2. Gift of Sandy Horvitz. Photograph © The Museum at FIT cachet. And because the designs introduced in his couture collections were similar to those sold at the store, more women could afford the distinctive Saint Laurent look. That did not mean that Rive Gauche offerings were considered a bargain. As Marylin Bender observed, Saint Laurent’s ready-to-wear fashions were still costly, describing a particular garment—a shiny, yellow vinyl raincoat with crocheted sleeves—to exemplify her point.13 Costing $90 in 1966, or more than $700 in 2019, this distinctive jacket was hardly an impulse purchase for the average woman (fig. 5). Figure 5. Raincoat by Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, fall 1966. The Museum at FIT, 77.21.4. Gift of Ethel Scull. Photograph © The Museum at FIT 47 Alongside Cardin and Saint Laurent, André Courrèges was considered one of the most innovative couturiers working in Paris during the 1960s. A protégé of Cristóbal Balenciaga, he developed a sleek, minimalist aesthetic that was the result of his mastery of cut. Yet his streamlined silhouettes were especially vulnerable to poor ready-made copies (fig. 6). Rather than see women dressed in such low-quality imitations, the couturier decided to offer more accessible versions of his designs. In 1966, he presented a runway show with a variety of options: couture (designated as “Prototypes”); ready-to wear (cleverly called “Couture Future”); and an even less expensive ready-towear line similar in concept to today’s “diffusion” lines (he called it “Hyperbole”). To showcase couture designs alongside ready-to-wear creations was a bold and unprecedented move.14 The couturiers’ firm stamp of approval on prêt-à-porter was critical to its widespread acceptance and growth in France. It should not be forgotten, though, that couturiers often followed the daring experimentations of the stylistes. As a whole, the changes that took place in the fashion industry during 1960s, in France and abroad, provided the framework for the ways fashion is produced and consumed today. As one of the most dynamic periods in fashion history— aesthetically and commercially—it is little wonder that the 1960s continue to fascinate dress enthusiasts of all kinds, including designers, historians, and museum visitors. Figure 6. A young woman in Munich wears a “Courrèges-look” wool dress and boots (left), 1966. Photograph © Keystone Press/Alamy Stock Photo 48 About the Author Notes Colleen Hill is the curator of costume and accessories at The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (MFIT). Since joining the museum in 2006, she has curated or co-curated more than a dozen exhibitions, including Fashion Unraveled (2018), Paris Refashioned, 1957-1968 (2017), Fairy Tale Fashion (2016), Exposed: A History of Lingerie (2014), and Eco-Fashion: Going Green (2010). She holds an MA in Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice from FIT, and is currently pursuing a PhD at London College of Fashion. She has published six books on fashion and contributed essays to numerous other publications. 1. James W. Brady, “The Alley Khanh of Fashion,” Women’s Wear Daily, February 17, 1964, 8. 2. Geneviève Antoine Dariaux, Elegance: A Complete Guide for Every Woman Who Wants to Be Well and Properly Dressed on All Occasions (New York: Doubleday, 1964), 203. 3. Chris Tinker, “Rock ’n’ Roll Stardom: Johnny Hallyday,” in Stardom in Postwar France, ed. John Gaffney and Diana Holmes (New York: Berghahn Books, 2007), 75. 4. John Gaffney and Diana Holmes, “Stardom in Theory and Context,” in Gaffney and Holmes, Stardom in Postwar France, 17. 5. Hebe Dorsey, “Conclusion: Prêt-à-Porter v. Couture,” in Couture: An Illustrated History of the Great Paris Designers and Their Creations, ed. Ruth Lyman (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1972), 243. 11. Claire Wilcox, “The Legacy of Couture,” in The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947–57, ed. Claire Wilcox (London: V&A Publishing, 2007), 81. Couture boutiques were generally located on the ground floor of couture houses and featured items such as scarves, perfume, and a limited range of simple garments. 12. Interview with Pierre Cardin, New York Times Magazine, July 19, 1964. 13. Bender, Beautiful People, 222. 14. Didier Grumbach, “Haute Couture and Ready-toWear: A Recent History,” in Fashion Show: Paris Style, ed. Pamela A. Parmal and Didier Grumbach (Boston: MFA Publications, 2006), 93. 6. Dorsey, “Conclusion,” 250. 7. Olivier Saillard, Sonia Rykiel (New York: Rizzoli, 2009), 11. 8. Marylin Bender, The Beautiful People (New York: Coward McCann, 1967), 25. 9. Sandra Horvitz, interview with the author, February 23, 2016. 10. Bender, Beautiful People, 224. 49 r a e w s n e M e k a qu Youth Daniel Delis Hill Fashion Historian, Author, and Illustrator baby I I r a W Wo r l d t s o p t s r the fi y midb d n a , l schoo h g i h tion d a e l r u e t p n o e p . s e U.S h t boomer f o f l a than h e r o m , e five. y t decad n e w t ge of a e ogue h V t a r s e a d ” n , e u was hquak IN 1960, “yout a g n i o g r e re unlike e d n w u , s h a g u w o America ouths, th y e s e h T . in 1965 d e r la c e d people. g editor n u o y f o erations n e g s u o i v most pre Crowd of people, some with fists raised. 1970. Kent State University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives. American s he 1960 t f o s r e t youngs rejected the materialism, social conformity, and complacency of their elders. Instead, many chose to rebel against the “Establishment”—schools, government, the military, religion—and bring about sweeping social change through activism and protest. At college, they demanded that students have rights of free speech and that school bans on political activity on campus be rescinded. In the civil rights movement, they registered voters and protested the delays in implementing court-mandated desegregation in the South. In the Second-wave feminist movement, they marched for women’s pay equality and reproductive self-determination. And they joined with American Indians to bring attention to the government’s broken treaties and neglect. Most galvanizing for all American young people at the time, though, was the Vietnam War (1965-75). No sooner had the first U.S. combat troops been sent to South Vietnam in 1965 than campuses nationwide erupted with antiwar demonstrations. Nightly TV news reports brought the war in Asia and the antiwar protests at home into millions of living rooms each night. The events of May 4 continued to draw protest activities, including Vietnam Vets Against the War (organization VVAW). Copyright: Kent State University 54 Shocked citizens across America watched the reports of the tens of thousands of antiwar protesters who marched on the Pentagon in 1967. And horrified parents were stunned by the televised scenes of violence against protesters during the 1968 police riot in Chicago, and most especially, the killing of unarmed students by national guardsmen in Ohio and Mississippi in 1970. The great majority of American youths, though, found ways other than activism and protests to rebel against sociopolitical conventions. For young men, the most direct and personal way to rebel was to choose a nonconformist, nontraditional look and dress. Particularly alarming to parents, teachers, and other adult authorities was long hair on men. With the appearance of the Beatles on American TV in 1964, teen boys were inspired to grow their hair long, a break with the gendernorm orthodoxies of masculine identity established during the era of Napoleon. At first, social opprobrium against men’s long hair was broad, but by the late 1960s, the look had evolved from a subversive defiance of masculine norms into a fashion trend featured throughout American popular culture. The Beatles likewise introduced to American youth a new concept in men’s clothing called mod, short for modernist. In England, the center of men’s mod styles was Carnaby Street, a narrow lane in Soho lined with specialty boutiques that offered young men fashions that were fresh, innovative, and decidedly nonconventional. Skinny rib pullovers flattered the slim youthful physique; shirts of the new synthetic fabrics in neon hues and psychedelic patterns were eyecatching; and see-through voile and lace shirts became all the more exhibitionistic when worn unbuttoned down the front. Jackets were tapered to fit snugly at the waist and hips, and variations were designed without traditional collars and lapels. Similarly, trousers and jeans were sexualized with a painted-on fit through the hips and thighs, and low-rise hiphugger waistbands. In 1968, the era’s iconic bellbottom cuff became a phenomenon that lasted through the mid-1970s. Among the favored mod accessories for young men were skinny ties in floral prints, scarves in 55 vibrant colors and patterns, and jewelry ranging from chain necklaces and ropes of love beads to multiples of bracelets and rings (fig. 1). For most traditionalists in America, mod styles were viewed as effeminate and antithetical to conventions of American masculine identity. Parents genuinely worried that such clothing might “turn” their sons gay. But since young women liked the modernity of the peacock revolution looks, the youthquake male gladly donned the latest Carnaby Street import or knock-off. The American menswear industry eagerly adapted Carnaby styles for the US market, many of which sold well, notably granny-print calico shirts in the new permanent-press fabrics, hiphugger pants, and tapered suits and sports jackets. However, for many American youthquake men, the once controversial mod fashions became too commercialized and mainstream, thus just another iteration of conformity. Instead, some young men explored a more personalized self-expression in their dress through street styles. The antiestablishment, 56 antiwar counterculture that emerged in the second half of the 1960s provided young men with an abundance of ideas for unconventional, individualist looks. The ultimate nonconformists of the period were the hippies, whose eclectic and nontraditional dress was a multicultural mix of clothing. Vintage styles from thrift shops were layered with military garments from surplus outlets, which were often combined with nonwestern styles that included embroidered East Indian shirts, African kente cloth tunics, Arabian kaftans, and colorful Mexican vests and ponchos, among others. In addition, hippies embellished their well-worn jeans with drawings in permanent marker of flower power motifs, antiwar symbols and slogans, and psychedelic swirls with strips of machine-made embroidery stitched to the cuffs of bell-bottoms or along the fly fronts and pocket edges. Among the preferred street looks of the peace-and-love flower children were handcrafted clothes and accessories. Such styles were often one-of-a-kind that allowed the wearer the truest form of independent, personal style. Many enterprising art Figure 1. “Uncommon shirtery,” asserts a 1969 ad from Carriage Club. students and craftspeople made extra cash by creating wearable handicrafts for “bein” and “sit-in” protests and, especially, for music festivals. Textile artisans skilled with knitting or macramé produced a wide variety of unique garments and accessories such as soft hats, bags, vests, scarves, and belts. Silkscreen printmakers adapted or copied graphics and messages from popular dorm posters and applied them to T-shirts. Still other handicrafters added embroidery or beading to flea-market clothing. The most ubiquitous handmade look of the era, though, was tie-dye. Not only was the process easy, quick, and inexpensive—requiring a twenty-cent box of powdered dye, a few rubber bands, and some hot water—but also each resulting pattern was unique. Still, even with the uniqueness that each flower child might achieve with his handcrafted clothing, ultimately the nonconventional look was tribal. The young people who wore flowers in their hair, painted their faces, and layered tiedyed, multicultural, and vintage clothing were mostly from white, middle-class families. Their street looks were a unified Figure 2. The look of the hippie was at once individualistic and, at the same time, tribal. William Barry ad, 1969. expression of rebellion against conformist parents and the Establishment much more than a statement of protest against social injustices or the Vietnam War (fig. 2). Yet, other tribal street looks were worn specifically to make protest statements. The more assertive antiwar young men selected protest clothing to declare unequivocally their stand against the draft, the military, and the war. In addition to long hair and perhaps strands of love beads, one of the most effective forms of antiwar protest dress was modified military garments, particularly those in the distinctive army olive green color, which were cheap and easily available through army-navy surplus outlets. Activists tribalized these symbols of the military establishment with antiwar messages and graphics written in permanent marker, silkscreened, or painted on them, especially the circular peace sign. Military garb was further tribalized with the addition of laminated buttons proclaiming antiwar messages, often worn in multiples clustered on lapels and sleeves. Probably the most incendiary antiwar protest look, though, were patchworks made of pieces cut from 57 US flags that were stitched to the seats of jeans or backs of jackets. Wearers of the patches ran the risk of confrontations and even violence on the street from supporters of the war. In African-American communities, the emergence of a new masculine identity was equally dramatic. Among young, urban black men and women, the civil rights movement had inspired an ethnic consciousness and the desire to reconnect with their African heritage. Many wanted their dress not only to symbolize this legacy but also to present a tangible protest against racism and exploitation. From the late 1960s through the early 1970s, the full, rounded Afro hairstyle became the most visible representation of black pride and unity. In addition, as a further statement of their African heritage, many black men adopted the dashiki—a collarless tunic, usually made with fabrics that replicated African kente cloth. Similarly, boutiques in African-American neighborhoods provided ready-to-wear shirt styles in prints and patterns that represented the colors of Kwanzaa or imitated resistdyed cloth from West and Central Africa. 58 As young people explored street style looks that expressed their sociopolitical activism, newfound cultural identities, and rebellion against convention, the American ready-to-wear industry was provided a continual source of new ideas for the youth market. The flower children inspired flower-power prints and patterns for every conceivable form of men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing, ranging from shirts, jeans, and outerwear to intimate apparel and accessories. Similarly, everything from T-shirts to evening gowns was tiedyed. From the multicultural dress of the hippies came mass-market adaptations of American Indian dress, including beaded headbands and belts; buckskin moccasins and boots; and fringed leather vests, jackets, and totes. Likewise, hippies inspired the Nehru jacket, based on the East Indian sherwani—a men’s long jacket with a circular stand-up collar made famous by Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The Arabian kaftan, also a favorite of hippies, became commercially marketed as loungewear for the sophisticated urbanite. In the early 1970s, wide elephant bells became a trend, derived from the street style of ripping open the side seams of standard bell-bottoms and stitching in contrasting gussets for an even wider, homemade look. In body-conscious vest suits, sleeves and collars were removed from suit jackets, and youthful waists and hips were belted. From handmade protest clothing came an endless variety of novelty T-shirts with whimsical rather than radical messages. These and other street styles of the 1960s have been continually revisited by the fashion industry since the looks were first innovated and donned by the youthquake generation more than fifty years ago (fig. 3). About the Author Bibliography Daniel Delis Hill has worked as a retail fashion illustrator, catalogue art director, and creative director of fashion photography. He also taught in the fashion departments of Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, and the University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio. Other books by Daniel Delis Hill include Fashion from Victoria to the New Millennium and Necessaries: Two Hundred Years of Fashion Accessories. Bennett-England, Rodney. Dress Optional: The Revolution in Menswear. Chester Springs, PA: Dufour, 1968. Costantino, Maria. Men’s Fashion in the Twentieth Century: From Frock Coats to Intelligent Fibers. London: B.T. Batsford, 1997. Hill, Daniel Delis. American Menswear from the Civil War to the Twenty-First Century. Lubbock: Texas Tech University Press, 2011. Hill, Daniel Delis. Peacock Revolution: American Masculine Identity and Dress in the Sixties and Seventies. London: Bloomsbury, 2018. Lester, Richard. Boutique: A History, King’s Road to Carnaby Street. Woodbridge, UK: ACC Editions, 2010. Marwick, Arthur. The Sixties: Cultural Revolution in Britain, France, Italy, and the United States, c.1958–c.1974. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998. Ross, Geoffrey Aquilina. The Day of the Peacock: Style for Men 1963–1973. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 2014. Whitney, David, ed. Youthquake. New York: Cowles, 1968. Figure 3. Body-conscious suits of the youthquake era included the vest suit and belted safari styles in the new double knit fabrics. Europecraft ad, 1970. 59 t s i l k c e Ch Celebrities Green silk charmeuse evening dress edged with beading Valentino Italian, 1967 Silk charmeuse, rhinestones, ribbon, pearls, beads Silverman/Rodgers Collection, KSUM 1983.1.593 ab Blue wool evening dress with embroidered border, Belonged to Dinah Shore Norman Norell American, ca. 1965 Wool, embroidery, rhinestones Silverman/Rodgers Collection, KSUM 1983.1.480 a-c White silk chiffon evening dress trimmed with fur, Belonged to Bess Myerson Shannon Rodgers American, 1960s Silk chiffon, fox fur Silverman/Rodgers Collection, KSUM 1983.1.640 Black velvet and pink satin evening dress, Belonged to Kitty Carlisle Hart Donald Brooks American, ca. 1968 Velvet, satin Silverman/Rodgers Collection, KSUM 1983.1.1282 62 Black net evening dress with silver sequins, Belonged to Diahann Carroll Norman Norell for Bonwit Teller American, 1960s Black net, sequins Gift of Mrs. Amy Greene-Andrews, KSUM 2002.44.1a Purple velvet jacket worn by Jimi Hendrix American or European, ca. 1967 Velvet Collection of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, L2019.37.2 Beaded taupe dress worn by Diana Ross Probably American, 1971 Plastic beads and sequins Collection of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, L2019.37.1 Red jersey dress with long trumpet sleeves, Worn by Lena Horne Giorgio di Sant’ Angelo American, 1970s Polyester jersey Gift of Lena Horne, KSUM 1992.14.16 White jersey dress with matching overdress, Worn by Lena Horne Giorgio di Sant’ Angelo American, 1970s Polyester jersey Gift of Lena Horne, KSUM 1992.14.5 ab Couture and Its Influence Cream tweed suit Cristóbal Balenciaga French, 1960s Wool tweed Gift of Mrs. Emmet Whitlock, KSUM 1986.10.1 ab Pink tweed suit with matching blouse Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel French, 1960s Wool tweed, silk blouse and lining Silverman/Rodgers Collection, KSUM 1983.1.425 a-c Two-piece tweed dress Shannon Rodgers for Jerry Silverman American, ca. 1965 Wool tweed Silverman/Rodgers Collection, KSUM 1983.1.662 ab Grey and white tweed dress Shannon Rodgers for Jerry Silverman American, ca. 1965 Wool tweed Silverman/Rodgers Collection, KSUM 1983.1.663 Dress and matching coat of striped wool Mila Schön Italian, ca. 1965 Wool Silverman/Rodgers Collection, KSUM 1983.1.620 ab Man’s wool houndstooth coat Pierre Cardin French, ca. 1965 Wool Silverman/Rodgers Collection, KSUM 1983.1.628 ab Divisions over Vietnam Green army fatigues American, 1968 Cotton Loan from the Ohio History Connection, L2019.41.1 Camouflage bucket hat American, 1968 Cotton Loan from the Ohio History Connection, L2019.41.3 Armbands worn by members of the Committee for Nonviolence Marshals American, 1970 Cotton muslin Jerry M. Lewis papers. May 4 collection. Kent State University Libraries Special Collections and Archives, L2019.50.2 ab Armband with text “Remember Kent & Jackson State. Stop the Draft” American, early 1970s Cotton twill Jerry M. Lewis papers. May 4 collection. Kent State University Libraries Special Collections and Archives, L2019.50.3 Black cotton jacket American, 1969 Cotton Loan from the Ohio History Connection, L2019.41.2 Banner “NO WAR – Kent State Students United” American Canvas May 4 banners and posters collection. May 4 collection. Kent State University Libraries Special Collections and Archives, L2019.50.4 Jacket of dress uniform from Ohio Army National Guard American, 1970 Wool May 4 memorabilia and artifacts. May 4 collection. Kent State University Libraries Special Collections and Archives, L2019.50.1 Poster for the Student Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam American, 1969 Paper May 4 banners and posters collection. May 4 collection. Kent State University Libraries Special Collections and Archives, L2019.50.5 Tan knit sweater and shorts Rudi Gernreich for Harmon Knitwear American, Fall 1970 Wool knit, leather, metal rings and clasps Gift of Marion C. Risman, The Rudi Gernreich Collection, KSUM 1993.74.6 ab Experimental Materials Paper dress with original packaging Waste Basket Boutique American, ca. 1966-67 Paper Anonymous gift, KSUM X2017.1.1 Paper dress with original packaging Go!!! Clothes by James Sterling Paper Fashions Ltd American, ca. 1967 Paper Gift of Paige Palmer, KSUM 2001.1.49 a Silver coated paper dress Waste Basket Boutique American, ca. 1967 Metallic coated paper Gift of Paige Palmer, KSUM 2001.1.38 63 Clear plastic dress with yellow and orange flowers Paraphernalia American, 1960s Plastic Gift of A. Christina Giannini, KSUM 2017.7.2 Evening dress with pink and white plastic strips and beads Hubert de Givenchy French, ca. 1965 Net, plastic strips, beads Silverman/Rodgers Collection, KSUM 1983.1.505 ab Ivory wool knit dress with clear vinyl insets Rudi Gernreich American, 1968 Wool knit, vinyl Gift of Marion C. Risman, The Rudi Gernreich Collection, KSUM 1993.74.29 a-c Global Influence Crocheted lace dress and matching coat of white raffia Italian, 1968-69 Raffia Gift of Susan L. Otto, KSUM 2017.5.1 White evening dress with circular paillettes Elinor Simmons for Malcolm Starr American, made in Hong Kong, 1965-72 Chiffon, paillettes, beads, metallic thread Gift of Joanne Mumford Walker, KSUM 1993.70.2 Embroidered smock Northern Ghana, 1960s Handwoven cloth, embroidery On loan from Fred T. Smith, L2019.45.1 Orange and gold dress and jacket with floral pattern Adele Simpson American, 1960s Silk and metallic brocade Gift of Adele Simpson, KSUM 1990.112.3 ab Man’s brown suit with Nehru jacket Jacques American, ca. 1965 Wool Gift of Lee Stewart and Sheila Stewart, KSUM 1984.32.7 a-c Denim wrap dress Serendipity 3 American, 1966 Bleached cotton denim Gift of Serendipity 3, KSUM 1983.2.59 Man’s orange shirt Fortnum Mason English, 1967-74 Silk Gift of Leamond Dean in memory of Margery Knight, KSUM 1995.54.40 Maxi skirt of painted denim Serendipity 3 American, 1971 Bleached and painted cotton denim Gift of Serendipity 3, KSUM 1983.2.65 Patterned lamé jacket and pants Bill Blass American, ca. 1970s Lamé Gift of Mrs. J. Rene, KSUM 1989.44.1 ab 64 Orange and gold evening caftan Thea Porter American, late 1960s Chiffon, metallic jacquard woven fabric Silverman/Rodgers Collection, KSUM 1983.1.1244 Denim bikini top Serendipity 3 American, 1974 Bleached cotton denim Gift of Serendipity 3, KSUM 1983.2.63 a Beyond the Gender Binary Black jersey pantsuit Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche French, ca. 1967 Jersey Silverman/Rodgers Collection, KSUM 1983.1.714 a-c Man’s black wool vest suit The Higbee Co. American, 1960s Wool twill From the collection of and in memory of James Melvin Someroski, KSUM 1997.6.25 ab Man’s paisley shirt P Celli Italian, 1967-68 Silk jersey Gift of Leamond Dean in memory of Margery Knight, KSUM 1995.54.30 Ivory wool pantsuit Jacques Bellini Italian, 1970s Wool Silverman/Rodgers Collection, KSUM 1983.1.1213 ab Blue blouse Jack Mulqueen Silksational American, 1970s Polyester Fulton-Lucien Collection, KSUM 1992.37.1 Man’s three-piece ivory suit Carlo Ciatti Italian, 1960s-90s Wool Gift of Barry Bradley, KSUM 2009.37.5 a-c Man’s blue shirt House of Dior French, 1960s 80% Dacron, 20% cotton Gift of Joseph S. Simms, KSUM 1985.6.4 Paisley tie American, ca. 1950s-90s Silk Anonymous gift, KSUM X1997.252.1 Safari-inspired suit Yves Saint Laurent French, 1968 Wool gabardine Silverman/Rodgers Collection, KSUM 1983.1.2111 ab Patchwork caftan with mirrorwork and multicolored embroidery Rudi Gernreich American, probably made in India, ca. 1975 Cotton, mirrors, metallic ribbon, metallic thread, cotton and silk thread Gift of Coral Browne Price, KSUM 1985.27.1 DIY Patched jeans American, 1970-74 Cotton denim, leather patches Gift of Typical Student Fashions of 1970-1974, KSUM 2018.9.1 Pair of jeans reworked into skirt American, 1970-74 Cotton denim, cotton patches and inset Gift of Typical Student Fashions of 1970-1974, KSUM 2018.9.2 Cotton shirt Mexican, 1970-74 Cotton Gift of Typical Student Fashions of 1970-1974, KSUM 2018.9.3 Dress made of wool scarves American, 1970 Wool On loan from Sheryl Birkner, L2019.42.1 65 Navy wool tunic with woven designs Arletta Brown American, late 1960s Wool On loan from Diane Brown Rarick – Arletta Brown Collection, L2019.43.1 Wool knit sweater Rudi Gernreich for Harmon Knitwear American, 1972 Wool rib knit Gift of Marion C. Risman, The Rudi Gernreich Collection, KSUM 1993.74.51a Wool poncho Arletta Brown American, ca. 1970 Wool, wool yarn On loan from Diane Brown Rarick – Arletta Brown Collection, L2019.43.2 Puka shell necklace American, 1970s Shells On loan from Cindy Arnold, L2019.44.2 Embroidered cotton work shirt Arletta Brown American, 1972-73 Cotton chambray On loan from Diane Brown Rarick – Arletta Brown Collection, L2019.43.3 Denim culottes and matching vest American, 1976 Cotton denim, printed cotton On loan from Cindy Arnold, L2019.44.1 ab 66 Shark tooth necklace American, 1970s Shark teeth, leather, glass beads, wooden beads, metal wire On loan from Cindy Arnold, L2019.44.3 Gardening chaps and matching gloves Leila Larmon for Serendipity 3 American, 1970s Cotton denim, plastic, foam sponges, cotton appliqués, elastic Gift of Serendipity 3, KSUM 1983.2.31 a-c Wool knit jumpsuit Rudi Gernreich for Harmon Knitwear American, ca. 1972 Wool knit Gift of Marion C. Risman, The Rudi Gernreich Collection, KSUM 1993.74.37 T-shirt made with cotton lace doily Serendipity 3 American, 1970 Cotton jersey, cotton lace doily Gift of Serendipity 3, KSUM 1983.2.26 Midi skirt of patchwork denim and mattress ticking Serendipity 3 American, 1976 Cotton denim, mattress ticking Gift of Serendipity 3, KSUM 1983.2.75 Patterns and Textures Sheer white dress with circles embroidered in blue André Courrèges French, late 1960s White organza, wool binding Gift of Aileen Mehle, KSUM 1986.2.12 Hand block-printed silk dress American, 1960s Hand block-printed silk Gift of Dr.& Mrs. (Karen Jenson) Reginald Rutherford III, KSUM 1998.47.6 Printed blouse and wrap skirt Emilio Pucci Italian, ca. 1973 Cotton Gift of Charles Sawyer, KSUM 2001.50.1 ab Tie-dyed ensemble with matching scarves Halston American, 1970s Silk chiffon Gift of Marti Stevens, KSUM 1988.11.32 a-d Tie-dyed T-shirt American, ca. 1960s Cotton On loan from Daniel Mainzer, L2019.47.1 Striped knit ensemble Missoni Italian, early 1970s Silk/cotton knit Gift of Mrs. Jerome (Loretta) Borstein, KSUM 1986.31.2 a-c Patterned knit shirt American, 1970s Acetate tricot knit From the collection of and in memory of James Melvin Someroski, KSUM 1997.6.14 Unbleached cotton pants Cotler American, ca. 1970 Cotton From the collection of and in memory of James Melvin Someroski, KSUM 1997.6.4 Cotton dress and crocheted shawl with printed underwater scene Tina Leser American, ca. 1968 Cotton, acrylic yarn Gift of Mrs. Charles Rumsey in memory of Tina Leser, KSUM 1995.19.3 a-c Accessories White plastic sunglasses André Courrèges French, ca. 1965 Plastic Gift of Mrs. John Frankenheimer, KSUM 1987.100.41 a Faux tortoiseshell sunglasses Emmanuelle Khanh French, probably 1970s Plastic Gift of Mrs. William McCormick Blair, Jr., KSUM 2001.43.17 a Black hat with pink brim House of Dior French, 1960s Velvet, synthetic fabric feathers Gift of Matilda Miller, KSUM 1994.23.19 White leather pillbox hat Cristóbal Balenciaga French, ca. 1965 Leather Silverman/Rodgers Collection, KSUM 1983.1.1587 Round hat covered with pink and green feathers Vincent & Harmik American, early 1960s Feathers, net, velvet Gift of Eleanore Midrack Shockey, KSUM 1986.82.28 Light orange corduroy hat with leather bow Cristóbal Balenciaga French, ca. 1965 Corduroy, leather Silverman/Rodgers Collection, KSUM 1983.1.1589 Black and white leather gloves Kislav French, ca. 1960 Leather Gift of Vera Gawansky, KSUM 1985.33.7 ab 67 Embroidered black doeskin gloves French, 1945-65 Doeskin, embroidery Gift of Roslyn Scheinman, KSUM 1995.16.3 ab Metal lunchbox-like purse American, 1960s Metal, decoupage, leather handle Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Victor (Lilian) Gross, KSUM 1991.68.9 Cotton twill handbag Emilio Pucci Italian, 1962 Cotton twill, leather strap Fulton/Lucien Collection, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Robert E. Fulton, KSUM 1986.123.38 Black alligator shoes with stiletto heel Roger Vivier for Dior French, 1963 Alligator leather Gift of Mrs. Surella D. Ames, KSUM 1993.23.1 ab White patent leather handbag with wooden buttons Coppola e Toppo for Valentino Italian, 1960s Patent leather, wood and metal buttons Martha, Inc., KSUM 1991.34.90 White leather handbag covered in plastic disks Italian, 1960s Leather, plastic, metal rings Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Victor (Lillian) Gross, KSUM 1991.68.8 Black crocodile Kelly bag Hermès French, 1960s Crocodile leather, metal Bequest of Joanne Toor Cummings, KSUM 1996.81.313 ab 68 White leather boots André Courrèges French, mid 1960s Leather Gift of Mrs. John Frankenheimer, KSUM 1987.100.3 ab Purple vinyl shoes Capeto’s American, ca. 1975 Vinyl Gift of Bill Reilly, Jr., KSUM 1998.25.6 ab May 4 Commemorative T-Shirts Selection of T-shirts commemorating May 4 American, 1980-2009 Cotton May 4-Related T-Shirts collection. May 4 collection. Kent State University Libraries Special Collections and Archives, L2019.50.6 a-g, .7 a-e Grey suede shoes American, 1968-74 Suede, metal buckle Gift of Eleanore Midrack Shockey, KSUM 1987.16.3 ab Blue and tan leather platform wingtips Dexter American, 1970s Gift of Dick and Isabel Kertscher, KSUM 1986.104.2 ab Detail of patterned knit shirt, 1970s, From the collection of and in memory of James Melvin Someroski, KSUM 1997.6.14 kent.edu/museum 515 Hilltop Drive Kent, Ohio 44242-0001 • 330-672-3450
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TRANSCENDING TRADITION s I Ohio Artists in CLAY + FIBER TRANSCENDING TRADITIONS Ohio Artists 1n CLAY + FIBER Organized by the Ohio Arts Council CURATORS Janice Lessman-Moss, Professor of Art, Kent State University Judith Salomon, Associate Professor, Cleveland Institute of Art EXHIBITION SCHEDULE Ohio Arts Council's Riffe Gallery, Columbus November 4, 1999 - January 8, 2000 Kent State University February 16 - March 17, 2000 Southern Ohio Museum April 8 - May 27, 2000 Copyright 1999 Ohio Arts Council co TE 4 INTRODUCTION 5 Ohio Arts Council Programs Impact Artists' Work Ken Emerick 6 Handwork Endures Because Craftspeople Love It Bruce Metcalf CLAY 12 Ohio Artists Transcend Traditions of Ceramics Judith Salomon 14 The Clay Artists FIBER 28 Fiber Art Reflects Sensitivity for Materials and Processes Janice Lessman-Moss 30 The Fiber Artists 42 Work in the Exhibition 44 Acknowledgements INTRODUCTION This exhibition is exciting not only because it showcases some of the best work in crafts and fiber in our state, but also because it is a demonstration of the Ohio Arts Council's continuing support for individual artists. This Riffe Gallery exhibition, our fellowship program, arts in education program, artists residencies in the United States and other countries, and a variety of other programs give creative artists opportunities to grow artistically and to bring new ideas and challenges to their communities. All of that combines to make Ohio a great place to live and work. The artists and the work in this exhibition demonstrate that philosophy. Barbara S. Robinson, Chair, Ohio Arts Council Board Wayne P. Lawson, Executive Director 4 OHIO ARTS COUNCIL PROGRAMS IMPACT ARTISTS' WORK Transcending Traditions: Ohio Artists in Cloy and Fiber celebrates the work of 13 artists from Ohio's crafts and visual arts communities. The artists in this exhibition use clay and fiber to express a broad range of artistic styles. Many of the participants have been involved with the Individual Artists Program for years and have been awarded numerous fellowship grants in recognition of their artistic accomplishments. In 1979 the first Individual Artist Fellowships were awarded to 62 artists. Since then 1,838 fellowships have been awarded to Ohio artists through the program. The budget for the program has increased from $150,000 in 1979 to more than $500,000 in 1999. Funding for artists has expanded from fellowships and professional development grants to include artists project grants, Ohio Percent for Art commissions and national and international residency opportunities. The Individual Artists Program recognizes and supports artists as a valuable resource of Ohio. Fellowship grants, available topracticing professional artists who are residents of the state, may be awarded to artists at any stage of their careers, from emerging to mature. Applicants are judged on their artistic accomplishments and promise, based on work they have completed. The program awards fellowships in 12 disciplines. Panels of distinguished artists and arts professionals review applications. These panelists, chosen for their expertise and breadth of aesthetic vision, serve for one year and usually come from other states. The panelists are instructed to select work that has a strong artistic vision, demonstrates expertise and craftsmanship, and explores and expands upon the medium the artist has chosen. All of the participants in this exhibition have received OAC fellowships. It. has been wonderful to follow the careers of many of them. Dorothy Gill Barnes was honored with a 1999 Governor's Award for the Arts in Ohio. Nancy Crow and Susan Shie participated in our fir~t international artists' exchange with China. They have told us how that experience continues to deeply affect their work. Janice Lessman-Moss was a member of an OAC delegation to Israel and was in the first artist exchange with Prague in the Czech Republic. Others in the exhibition have been involved in various OACprograms. Lilian Tyrrell, in collaboration with her husband Brinsley, was one of the first artists to receive a commission through the Ohio Percent for Art Program. George Bowes has participated in the OAC Arts in Education Program. His residencies have enriched many Ohio school children. It is evident that the experiences these artists gained through OAC programs have had a great impact on their work. The goal of the Individual Artists Program is to continue to support and develop these programs and services for Ohio's individual artists. This exhibition represents the diversity of artists funded through the Ohio Arts Council's Individual Artists Program and the quality of work they create for the enjoyment of all Ohioans. Iwant to thank curators Janice Lessman-Moss and Judith Salomon for creating an exhibition that reflects the depth andwealth of talent found in Ohio. Ialso thank the artists who are participating in Transcending Traditions: Ohio Artists in Cloy and Fiber. Their accomplishments and long-term commitment to the arts continue to enrich our community. Ken Emerick, Individual Artists Program Coordinator 5 Bruce Metcalf, Independent Jeweler and Writer Transcending Traditions: Ohio Artists in Clay and Fiber intends to document the state of clay and fiber art in Ohio at the end of the 20th century, a time when people are inclined to evaluate past accomplishments and look forward to the future. This exhibition asks people to reflect on how we got here and where we are going. The "here" in "how we got here" bears a little examination. The exhibition's title makes a claim to the status of art that reflects a power struggle on the edges of the art world, where people who work in traditional craft mediums clamor for acceptance by major art galleries and museums and magazines. To a modest degree, that struggle is having an effect: Objects like the ones in this exhibition are sold in New York galleries for prices between $10,000 and $20,000, and you can spot a few of them in major museums. That's fine, but I want to stress one thing: These are craft objects. All of these objects are made from clay or fiber, two of the most traditional craft materials. They are fabricated using the traditional ways of manipulating clay and fiber: throwing clay on the wheel, hand building, glazing and firing in a kiln; or weaving, plaiting and stitching. Most of the objects refer to traditional craft formats: They are pots, coverlets, quilts or baskets. The artists who made these things, for the most part, identify themselves with a modern culture of crafts. They are not just artists, but fiber artists and ceramic artists. Each of those cultures has distinctive values and communities that are defined by the craft. But the one thing most of these objects have in common is that they are made by hand - carefully and often slowly. They all are repositories of skill and patience and extraordinary dedication. Some of them - the pots - will even bear fingerprints. The heart of the "here" is the handwork. The crucial question is why anyone should bother making things by hand in the next millennium. Given the massive power of industrial production, the attractions of the computer and its immediacy, why would anyone bother to practice a craft? Isn't handwork an anachronism? Isn't craft outmoded? Aren't these objects just nostalgic holdovers from an obsolescent way of life? Some people say handwork will have no place in the next century. They make an analogy between hand labor and buggywhip making. Who wants that stuff? They say all handwork will become a refuge for a small population of Luddites. The rest of us will embrace the possibilities of the new millennium - mass-marketing, computerized communication and production, immediate gratification for everyone. Alternatively, art theorists argue that art 6 is primarily an intellectual activity and any emphasis on hand labor is stupid and beside the point. Most current theory says the artfulness of art lies in the thinking, not in the making. Either way, some people would say this exhibition is a nostalgic look backward. At this point, a little history lesson may be useful. The craft in this exhibition, aestheticized, professionalized and the subject of discourses like the one you are reading, is a recent invention. Ifs not the craft of the tradesman; it is not tool-and-die making. Nor is it the craft of a tribal member; it is not Pueblo pottery. Both craft-as-trade and craft-as-folkway extend back to the beginning of recorded history and probably before. But the craft in this exhibition was invented in the mid-19th century, largely inspired by John Ruskin's The Nature of Gothic, a chapter in his book The Stones of Venice. Ruskin's genius was to think about the way things were made, not just what they looked like. He wrote about Victorian architecture and how the men who built the buildings were forced to become living machines, not creative agents. Although Ruskin was writing about architecture, his readers recognized that factory laborers suffered the same type of dehumanization. People began to think of handwork as dignified labor in which workers had an active engagement. The Arts & Crafts Movement in industrialized countries was based on that idea of unalienated, creative work. In the end, the movement that Ruskin set in motion was a social critique of industrialization and its miserable conditions of labor. Truly, not much has changed in that respect. Some might argue that social conditions have changed beyond recognition in the 150 years since the publication of The Stones of Venice. But in practical terms, what does labor look like today? How many jobs offer creative control and self-direction? Work may be much safer than it was in 1850 and a good bit less onerous, but many jobs in America today, from flipping burgers to directphone sales, offer little dignity and self-empowerment. It's surprising how many people hate their jobs. Ruskin's critique still applies. I think craftspeople realize they don't have ordinary jobs. In the studio, you're your own boss. You decide whether or not to compromise to market demands. You set your own hours. You work as hard as you like. You control the design and fabrication of your product down to the tiniest detail. But there's more than control involved. The objects in Transcending Traditions were not easy to make. A4year-old child couldn't make them. They are the result of hard-won skill and judgment. Most of the artists 7 represented here served a long and demanding apprenticeship to their craft, and that is important. In learning their craft people also learn to love their craft. That intimate connection between skill and passion is difficult to explain to outsiders. Perhaps I can make an analogy to athletics. We frequently hear star athletes say, "I love this· sport so much, I would do it even if I wasn't paid." What they're saying is that even though they have spent years learning to play the game well, and even though the sport can be excruciatingly demanding, they love what they do. It's the same for craftspeople. The people who have work in this exhibition aren't making these objects for money, let me assure you. None of them is getting rich. They're doing it because the work is deeply satisfying, because they are exercising a gift they were born with, because the challenge is exhilarating, because the project is all consuming in a way that nothing else in their life is. They do it because they love it. Science isn't very good at explaining human emotions, but there is an idea that might prove useful in illuminating how a craft skill can excite so much feeling. Harvard educational psychologist Howard Gardner proposes that humans have more than two kinds of intelligence. That is, we have intelligence other than the mathematical and verbal skills that SAT exams measure. Gardner surveyed research into the brain structure of people whose brains were damaged in certain areas and who lost brain functions. The specificity of those losses can be amazing. The obvious deduction is that certain brain functions occur in certain regions of the brain, and that those functions constitute types of intelligence. Those intelligences are unequally distributed, so each person ends up with innate strengths in some areas and deficits in others. Gardner calls one such brain function the bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, which has to do with gross and.fine motor skills. Gross motor skills are conspicuous in gifted athletes, in whom we recognize genuine talent. In the same way, skilled craftspeople have innate fine motor skills in their hands, a variant of bodily-kinesthetic intelligence. The emotional charge comes when individuals exercise their natural talent. Some people never use their gifts. But those who do often feel a profound desire and motivation to explore and exploit their particular mix of intelligences. Some people intuitively recognize an activity that matches their particular gifts. Arecent book by Frank R. Wilson, The Hand, documents several individuals who discovered particular activities, from juggling to jewelry making, and developed life-long passions. Craft teachers witness the same kind of awakening when 8 a student takes a class, and suddenly realizes that the craft, whatever it is, is what they need to do. I know, because that's exactly what happened to me 29 years ago. I took a jewelry class, and knew I had found my life 's work. I love what I do. My craft makes my life meaningful. What happened to me happened to all the artists in this exhibition. And it will keep happening as long as people have hands. That's why crafts won't die out. That's why this exhibition is a look forward into the next millennium. There always will be people for whom handwork is deeply satisfying, empowering and liberating. Transcending Traditions is not just a display of aesthetic objects. It's also a body of evidence that people can make sense of their lives by working with their hands. The idea of craft made sense to Ruskin in the 19th century, it makes sense to the 13 artists in this exhibition and it will make sense in the 21st century. 9 Judith Salomon, Associate Professor, Cleveland Institute of Art Ceramics has a long history in Ohio, from the industrial southern clay belt at the turn of the 20th century to the Cleveland-based, Austrian influenced ceramics of the 1930s. Artists in this show continue the tradition of questioning the past and represent the diversity of contemporary ceramics. All of them are interested in form, volume, surface and personal interpretation. They have appropriated their sources and reinvented them in avariety of manners and styles. I chose these six artists because of their clarity of vision and their commitment to clay and its history. Rebecca Harvey makes utilitarian, functional pottery using traditional, industrial slip casting techniques that have been questioned and reinvigorated with aplayfulness more often associated with childhood toys than with clay. The volumes are layered with asugary, unctuous glaze coating that wraps the shapes in acocoon of color and sensuality. The pieces are malleable and fresh and ask to be held, touched and used. Their joyful, jelly bean personas have transformed normal everyday table top vessels into an enchanted party. The works of George Bowes are a hybrid of the decorative, obsessive past of Sevres and Wedgewood, with a contemporary embrace of popular culture and asense of humor and political potency. He makes vessels that are classic in form, then transforms them with apainterly deftness that makes them radiate and undulate. His intense color palette is vibrant; asense of cloisonne pattern envelops the shapes. Bowes chooses utilitarian objects as his format to discuss , real life, everyday issues and seduces us into his world by his elegant use of decorative elements and luxurious glazing. Eva Kwong juxtaposes biomorphic shapes and volumes to create her sculptures. Nature and its relationship to the human figure is her main source of influence. The surfaces are layers of clay slip carved and scratched away to reveal the world beneath the skin. The forms take on a meditative sensuality that is powerful in its simplicity and directness of hand. Asense of wonderment and quietness sets the tone for viewers' interaction with the installation and the sculptures. The wood fired vessels of Kirk Mangus borrow the sensibility of early Asian ceramics and get their volumes from the classic Greek clay tradition. Then Mangus plunges into the ceramic abstract expressionism movement of California in the l 960s. His pieces are irreverent, boisterous and explore the roughness and rawness of the clay and the joy of making. The carving of multi-layered, contemporary, comic-book quality caricatures gives these pots an air of humor and insolence that is refreshing and unnerving. 12 Kelly Palmer takes the human form and transforms it so that it is almost unrecognizable, then holds viewers' attention . byenticing them to take a closer look by punctuating the volumes with portholes into the soul. The amorphic shapes of the 1950s are blown up; sensuality and mass are emphasized. The addition of surface embellishment is used to tell a story of one's own making and imagination. Approaching Kelly's pieces is like being invited to a telescopic viewing of an unknown abyss. The quirkiness of the drawings adds just enough humor to keep viewers on their toes. The tile pieces work in a similar fashion yet appear like pages in a book where the story is just unfolding. KristenCliffel makes sculptures using feminine iconography and a tongue-in-cheek view of the contemporary woman's role insociety. She uses gender specific objects to question norms and confront stereotypes. Her universal message is ladenwith humor and the addition of self-appraisal and self-searching. Her sources range from the domestic bliss of 19 50s television sitcoms to the kitsch memorabilia of flea market finds. The clay scenarios shift our allegiances fromthe inside to the outside and vice versa to reveal questions about our reality. All of these artists have transformed nature into art through human activity. They have transcended tradition and have createdtheir own voices and styles. Clay is their medium of choice because it can reflect their sense of touch and give permanence to their creations and ideas. They are specific in their intent and confident of their voices. The strong clay traditionof Ohio is thriving and challenging the preconceived notions of the past. ALL OF THEM ARE INTERESTED IN FORM, VOLUMEt · SURFACE AND PERSONAL INTERPRE ATION 13 A RIGID UST/NG 1994 11" X 5" stoneware, underglaze, glaze C 0 Cf) ~ ~ .2 ':; ES Studio Artist ..c 0 0 .....J -0 -~ C Vl "'QJ v> -~ .....J EDUCATION QJ 0 4- BFA, 1984, Cleveland Institute of Art 0 2:-- Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, 1984-85 QJ E ~ RECENT EXHIBITIONS Spinning Tales, 1998, Odyssey Gallery, Asheville, NC Eating Well, 1998, Penland Gallery, Penland, NC PORTRAIT CUP 1998 4" X5" X4" porcelain, underglaze, glaze Howling at the Edge of a Renaissance: SPACES and Alternative Art in Cleveland, 1998, SPACES Gallery, Cleveland George Bowes; Recent Work, 1998, Mobilia Gallery, Cambridge, MA Companions of the Cupboard, 1997, Lill Street Gallery, Chicago Plates: Salon Style, 1997, Pewabic Pottery, Detroit Ohio Perspectives: Explorations in Clay, 1996, Akron Art Museum, Ohio AWARDS LARGE VASE 1998 13• X 7.5" llO!celoin, underglaze glazes ' OhioArts Council Individual Artist Fellowship, 1999, 1995, 1992, 1990 Ohio Arts Council Professional Development Award, 1997 Arts Midwest-National Endowment for the Arts Regional Visual Arts Fellowship Award, 1993 15 ALL SHE'D EVER DREAMED OF 1995 41" X 22" X 9" ceramic C L 0 0) KRISTEN CLIFFEL 0 ~ Studio Artist ! Q) > Q) 0 EDUCATION Q) BFA, 1990, Cleveland Institute of Art > ~ Skidmore College, 1985-1986, Saratoga Springs, NY WORRY JARS: TRAVEL, HEALTH+ SAFETY, HOME 1998-99 23" X10" X34" RECENT EXHIBITIONS ceramic Anderson Ranch Ceramics Show, 1998, Evelyn Siegel Gallery, Fort Worth, TX Solo exhibition, 1997, Gallerie Dorita, Atlanta, GA Art Scene, 1997, Cleveland Center for Contemporary Art, Ohio The Clothes Show, 1997, Center for Creative Studies, Detroit Young Sculptors, Four from the Northcoast, 19 97, Cleveland Center for Contemporary Art and The Sculpture Center, Cleveland Ohio Perspectives, Explorations in Clay, 1996, Akron Art Museum, Ohio Juried Artist Series, 1995, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia Arts Industry Juried Exhibition, 1993, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI PASSAGE 1994 6'-10" X 13" X 9" clay and wood AWARDS Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship, 1995 17 BALLS INORDINATE FONDNESS SERIES 1998 4" X 4" X 7" pressmolded and assembled porcelain Assistant Professor, Ceramics Department, The Ohio State University, Columbus V > EDUCATION _::j BFA, 1991, University of the Arts, Philadelphia MFA, 1993, Cranbraok Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, Ml MENDEL'S BEAN STRIPE INORDINATE FONDNESS SERIES 1998 RECENT EXHIBITIONS New Work, 1998, Stratton Gallery, Detroit, Michigan 5" X 3" X 6" pressmolded and assembled porcelain Rebecca Harvey- New Work, 1998, Cedar Valley College, Huntsville, TX Rebecca Harvey, 1998, Clay Studio, Philadelphia Vessels that Pour, 1998, Lill Street Gallery, Chicago Ohio State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition, 1998, Cox Fine Arts Center, Columbus Plate Show, Pewabic Pottery, Detroit AWARDS Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship, 1998, 1996 COMPOSITE #4 INOR DINATE FON DNESS SERIES 1998 10"x4"x 7" Ple5smolded and assembled porcelain Greater Columbus Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship, 1996 Epsilon Theta Chapter Merit Award, Mid States Craft Exhibition, 1995 Purchase Award, Feats of Clay VI, VII, VIII; Merit Award, Feats of Clay VIII; Lincoln Arts; Lincoln, CA; 1993, 1994, 1995 19 LOVING SPROUTS 1997 17" X 16" stoneware cloy C 0 co 0 i: 0 (lJ > :.:J Professor of Art, Kent State University EDUCATION BFA, 1975, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence MFA, 1977, Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia PINK FLOW 1992 42" X 26" X 12" stoneware clay RECENT EXHIBITIONS Made in Clay, 1998, Greenwich House Pottery Invitational, New York, NY Plates, 1998, Fifth Element Pottery, Portland, OR Eva Kwong and Kirk Mangus, 1998, College of the Ozarks, Point lookout, MO References, 1998, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN 6th Annual Teapot Exhibition, Craft Alliance, St. Louis, MO #U(LE-1 1995 21" X JO• X 20" stoneware cloy AWARDS Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship, 1994, 1988 National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, 1989 Arts Midwest· National Endowment for the Arts Regional Fellowship, 1987 Pennsylvania Council of the Arts Fellowship, 1985 21 MORTALITY AMPHORA 1996 29" X 18" X 18" wood-fired cloy C 6 o::J KI~ NGUS Professor of Art, Kent State University, Ohio QJ > ~ EDUCATION BFA, 1975, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence MFA, 1979, Washington State University, Pullman LITTLE FISH AMPHORA 1990 11 " X 5" X 5" earthenware, lusterglaze RECENT EXHIBITIONS Made In Clay, 1998, Greenwich House Pottery, New York, NY New Pots: Kirk Mangus, 1998, The Clay Place, Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Collects Clay, 1998, Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh Clay and Friendship · Contemporary Ceramics: Korean and American Connection, 1998, Towson State University, Maryland Intersections: Large Drawings by 4 Ceramic Artists, 1997, Las Vegas A.rt Museum, Las Vegas, NV WIL DLIFE VASE 1989 l] " X 9" X 9" earthenware, luster glaze American Wood-Fired Ceramics, 1997, Wright Museum of Art, Beloit College, Wisconsin AWARDS Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship, 1996, 1990, 1987 23 C 0 en KELL p LMER 0 ~ !cu > Q) 0 Visiting Artist in Foundation Design and Ceramics-Glass, Technical Assistant, Cleveland Institute of Art, Ohio Q) > ~ EDUCATION BFA, 1990, Cleveland Institute of Art, Ohio MFA, 1994, New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, Alfred, NY UNTITLED 1997 ll" xll "x l" earthenware RECENT EXHIBITIONS Cleveland Institute of Art Ceramic Alumni Exhibition 1978-1998, 1999, Avante Gallery, Cleveland Anderson Ranch Artists, 1998, Evelyn Siegel Gallery, Fort Worth, TX Companions of the Cupboard, 1997, Lill Street Gallery, Chicago WRETCHED EXCESS 1996 7" X7" X 3.5" Young Sculptors, 1997, Cleveland Center for Contemporary Art, The Sculpture Center, Cleveland CIA Craft Faculty, 1997, Ohio Craft Museum, Columbus earthenware 11th Annual San Angelo National Ceramic Competition, 1996, San Angelo Museum of Art, San Angelo, TX AWARDS Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship, 1996 25 DOROTHY GILL BARNES NANCY CROW DEBORAH FRAZEE CARLSON JOANN GIORDANO SUSAN SHIE + JAMES ACORD LI LIAN TYRRELL Janice Lessman-Moss, Professor of Art, Kent State University Fiber art is a broad field with a rich history of varied forms and traditions. The fiber artists selected for this exhibition, Dorothy Gill Barnes, Nancy Crow, Deborah Frazee Carlson, Jo Ann Giordano, Susan Shie, James Acord and Lilian Tyrrell, represent that breadth. All of them create work that reflects an understanding and sensitivity for the processes and materials of fiber art. The works possess a richness of detail and convey a sense of wholeness and integrity of design and concept. While they are united under the umbrella of fiber art, the works reflect the pluralism that is characteristic of our diverse contemporary culture. These artists create work with roots in the traditions of basketry, tapestry, screen printing, weaving, brocade, quiltmaking and embroidery. Their unique visions and aesthetic sensibilities become clear through their use of distinctive craft vocabularies. While both Deborah Frazee Carlson and Lilian Tyrrell are weavers who use pictorial images, their works are very different in scale. The size of their work is an integral part of the effective communication of their ideas. Frazee Carlson uses doubleweave and brocade to create small detailed cloth tablets or scrolls. The intimate size compels viewers to examine the weavings carefully, drawing them in by the rhythmic movement of marks and images and the recognition of symbols or words. For Frazee Carlson, the rhythm and repetition of weaving becomes a meditation, occurring as the measure and cadence of mantra and prayer. Tyrrell's weavings are created through the traditional pictorial process of tapestry that has been used historically to record heroic or religious events and allegories. Tyrrell employs this timeconsuming method of production to contrast with the immediacy and proliferation of visual images conveyed through popular media. Her images, woven at a scale that commands attention, are frozen moments, distilled and discomforting. They force viewers to consider her timely yet timeless narratives. Tyrrell' s felts jar viewers into reconsidering their initial perceptions and into questioning the context of visual·information. Jo Ann Giordano and the .team of Susan Shie and James Acord also work with images of social or political significance, but use mixed media surface design techniques. Giordano's constructions use sheer fabrics and delicate materials as a metaphor for the fragility of human existence. At a distance her works are beautiful and compelling patterned objects. Close examination reveals provocative content. This subversive method of communication has its roots in traditional textiles. At a time when women had no opportunity to voice their concerns beyond the domestic sphere, they embedded visual messages in functional fabrics as their only means of redress. As Giordano says, "expressing myself through the medium of cloth lends accessibility, immediacy and familiarity to the work." While Giordano uses subtlety to entice viewers, Shie and Acord dazzle the eye and mind with visual stimuli in their quilted, beaded, painted, embellished, 28 mixed media objects. Joy, exuberance and spontaneous energy are evident in their work. The heavily encrusted surfaces engage viewers with familiar and universal images from everyday life. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad, they instill a quality of hope and healing in their messages. As Shie says, "I have this theory about art as energy that can be intentionally used for healing. I believe whatever moods and thoughts we're having as we work go into the art and are always available to the people who look at the art." While the artists mentioned above use pictorial images, Nancy Crow and Dorothy Gill Barnes use an abstract language in the creation of their beautiful and enticing objects. Crow's quilts are dynamic patterned compositions. They have a strong affinity with the informal, often chaotic method of construction found in traditional crazy quilts. Crow looks at the time in her studio making her quilts as a process of discovery. Her bold, saturated array of hand dyed fabrics provides a palette for the creation of her work. Her densely colored patterned quilts are rich with nuance and harmonious visual passages. The rectangles of colored cloth that are sewn to make up the top surface attract viewers, while the traditional quilt stitching playfully shadows that established movement. The three-dimensional objects of Barnes are quite different in form and materials. Working from the traditions of basketry, Barnes manipulates bark and other natural materials into sculptural forms of provocative beauty. She is acutely aware of the seasons and is respectful of and excited by the subtleties and variations of nature. Her ideas are generated by her raw materials. She lets the forms and techniques evolve with the flexibility, texture, color and character of the harvested bark. The final forms, although often minimally altered from their natural state, seem familiar and strange, elegant and bold, referring to functional forms, symbols or glyphs. These artists have been working in fiber art for a number of years and have become fluent in the vocabulary of their craft. Like all craft work, the physicality of the processes they employ and the resulting tactile forms are critical to their expression. The repetitive, time consuming and often laborious processes provide a visual, conceptual and somatical foundation for their work. Although they are engaged with historic craft processes, the artists acknowledge the present through their reflections on the contemporary human condition. Some represent the culture of our times in a literal way; others embrace a more poetic, symbolic or abstract vocabulary. Through their continued explorations, they should enrich the future with stimulating visual insights. THE WORKS POSSESS A RICHNESS OF DETAIL 29 WINDFALL RIDGE BARK BOWL Detail 1998 6.5" X 9" X 8" heavy bark with pine weaving and twined base C '0 co 0 ~ C: 0 Studio Artist ]° I EDUCATION C (lJ > BA, University of Iowa :.:J BARK BOX WITH STONE IN LID RECENT EXHIBITIONS Threads, Inventing America, 1998, Barbican Centre, 1995 London, England 6" X 14" X 3" folded bark Five Points of View, 1998, San Francisco Craft and Folk Art Museum Dorothy Gill Barnes 8 John Garrett, New Works, 1996, Brown Grotto Gallery, Wilton, CT Basketry, Redefining Volume and Meaning, 1993-199 5, University of Hawaii Basketry, Japan '92, 1992, Tokyo, Japan Craft Today U.S.A., 1991, European Tour AWARDS Governor's Award for the Arts in Ohio, 1999 PINE DENDROGLYPH THREE KINGS Fellow, American Craft Council, 1999 1993-1995 Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship, 1998, 1986, 1984 4" X 5" X 20" drawing and weaving, live tree scarification Ohio Designer Craftsmen Award for Outstanding Achievement, 1998 Lifetime Achievement in the Craft Arts, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C., 1993 Distinguished Visitor, QEII Arts Council of New Zealand, 1990 31 CONSTRUCTIONS #4 1997 38.'5'' X 91" quilted hand-dyed cotton C 0 a) NANCY COW Studio Artist EDUCATION BFA, The Ohio State University Q) > :.::, MFA, The Ohio State University RECENT EXHIBITIONS Solo exhibition, 1999, Sloan Museum, Flint, Michigan Solo exhibition, 1998, Kulturzentrum der Stadt Konstanz, Germany COLOR BLOCKS #69 1995 81 " X 93" quilted hand-dyed cotton Solo exhibition, 1996, American Museum of Quilts and Textiles, San Jose, California Solo exhibition, 1995, Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. BOW TIE #10 1994·95 66" X 70" quilted hand-dyed cotton Solo exhibition, 1993, American Craft Museum, New York, N.Y. AWARDS Fellow, American Craft Council, 1999 Member Quilters Hall of Fame, Marion, Indiana, 1997 National Living Treasure Award, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 1996 Ohio Arts Council Major Fellowship, 1990-91 Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship, 1988 National Endowment for the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship, 1980 33 PRAYER CLOTH · DIVINE MOTHER MANTRA #4 1996 8.5'' X 13" silk, silk/ rayon C 0 co 0 c3 _g Professor of Art, Cfeveland Institute of Art C C ClJ CL ClJ > _:::; EDUCATION BFA, University of Michigan MFA, Cranbrook Academy of Art RECENT EXHIBITIONS Global Rivers, An International Art Exchange, 1998, 44" X 74" X .75" silk, metallic thread, industrial felt Volgograd, Russia What's Rite?, 1997, SPACES, Cleveland Perspectives: Contemporary Work in Textiles, 1997, Massillon Museum, Ohio Textile as Narrative, 1996, ARC Gallery, Chicago Work Along the Way, 1996, Columbus Cultural Arts Center, Ohio Facets of Fiber, 1995, Fine Arts Galleries, Texas Women's University, Denton, Texas AWARDS SRI MATA Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship, 1994 Detail 1998 19" X 35" wool National Endowment for the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship, 1987 Michigan Council for the Arts Creative Artists Grant, 1991, 1987, 1983 Handweaver Guild of America Scholarship, 1979 35 TRANSFORMATION ROBE 1996 53" x 59" x l" screenprint, silk organza, polyester · C L 0 c:o JOANN GIORDA 0 ~ ~ Studio Artist and T~acher -~ a., I >-~ EDU CA Tl ON a., -~ C :::) MFA, Cranbrook Academy of Art MA, Purdue University Q) > :.:::i WEB RECENT EXHIBITIONS Environment vs. Enterprise: AFragile Order, 1999, Textile Arts Centre, Chicago Narrative Textiles: Three Voices, 1999, Suburban Fine Arts Center, Highland Park, IL Best of 1998, Ohio Craft Museum, Columbus Detail 1996 60" X 54" X 3" screenprint, photocopy transfer, marbeling, silk organza, netting Covering the Cause: Social Commentary in Quilts, 1998, Harold Washington Library Center, Chicago Focus: Fiber, 1997, Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio Chautauqua International for Fiber Art, 1996, Adams Art Gallery, Dunkirk, New York AWARDS Third Place, 1996 Fiber Arts Competition and Exhibition, Creative Arts Guild, Dalton, GA Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship, 1995 photocopy transfer, applique, silk organza, gut, synthetic fabrics Best of Show, The Fragile Environment: Artists Reactions, 1993, Dairy Barn, Athens, OH Best of Show, Michigan Fine Arts Competition, 1989, Birmingham Bloomfield Art Association, Birmingham, Ml Residency at Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Sweet Briar, VA, 1985 37 PRAYER FOR OKLAHOMA CITY 1996 86" X78" . mixed media art quilt C 0 co Studio Artist EDUCATION MFA, Kent State University QJ > __:::i 0 RD 8 Studio Artist QJ > __:::i EDUCATION Self-taught artist since 1977 BA, The College of Wooster, Ohio Detail RECENT JOINT EXHIBITIONS Seeing Yellow, 1999, New England Quilt Museum, Lowell, MA 1994 82" X 74" mixed media art quilt Quilts in Bloom, 1999, Castle Gallery, lnsel Mainau, Germany The World Quilt '98 in Japan, Japan Handicraft Instructors Association and Nihon Vogue Dwellings, Also Shrines, 1997, American Museum of Quilts and Textiles, San Jose, CA Signatures in Fabric II, 1996, American Quilt National traveling exhibition, Prague, Paris, London, United States Full Deck Art Quilts, 1995, Renwick Gallery, Washington, D.C. TROPICAL NEW YORK 1998 90" X 90" AWARDS mixed media art quilt Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowships, 1998, 1996, 1988 Major Fellowship, Ohio Arts Council, 1990-9 l National Endowment for the Arts, Individual Artist Fellowships, 1995, 1991 Artists in Residence, Crafts Council of Ireland, 1994 Artists Exchange with China, Ohio Arts Council, 1990 39 DISASTER BLANKET THE IRONY 1998 89" X 159" wool and linen C L. 0 a::, RRELL Studio Artist Q) > :.:J EDUCATION Kent State University MEDICAL FELTS 1996 four units approximately 90" x 60" each wool RECENT EXHIBITIONS Disaster Blankets/Anguished Cries Out North, 1998, Visual Art Center of Alaska, Anchorage Urban Evidence: Contemporary Artists Reveal Cleveland, 1996, SPACES Gallery, Cleveland Center for Contemporary Art, and Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio Lilian Tyrrell, 1995, Maine College of Art, Portland 1994 Invitational, Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio Media Images, 1993, Richmond Art Museum, Richmond, Indiana ANew World Order?, 1992, The Museum of Textiles, Toronto, Canada AWARDS DISASTER BLANKET COLLATERAL DAMAGE 1992 83" X120" wool and linen National Endowment for the Arts, Individual Artist Fellowship, 1995 Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship, 1992, 1990, 1988, 1985, 1982 Cleveland Arts Prize, Visual Artist of the Year, 1992 Arts Midwest-National Endowment for the Arts Regional Individual Artist Fellowship, 1989 41 GEORGE BOWES Nerve Slice, 1994, stoneware, underglazes, glazes, 11" x 5", collection of the artist Progression, 1994, stoneware, underglaze, glaze, il" x 5", collection of the artist ARigid Listing, 1994, stoneware, underglaze, glaze, l l" x 5", collection of the artist Portrait Cup, 1998, porcelain, underglaze, glazes, 4" x 5" x4", collection of Howard and Ellen Landau Split Image Cup, 1996, mid-range porcelain, 5" x4.5" x4", collection of Jerome Weiss Cup, 1998, porcelain, underglaze, glazes, 4" x 5.5" x4", collection of Sandy Kostantaras Vase, 1998, porcelain, underglazes, glazes, 12" x 6", collection of Dr. Mark Cole Tub, 1999, porcelain, underglaze, glaze, 9" x10", collection of Matthew Hollern and Pamela Argenteri Large Vase, 1998, porcelain, underglaze, glazes, 13" x7.5", collection of the artist KRISTEN CLIFFEL Passage, 1994, clay and wood, 6'-10" x 13" x9", collection of the artist Black Box, 1997, ceramic, 29" x22" x 24", collection of Bob Stana and Tom Judy Worry Jars: Travel, Health+ Safety, Home, 1998-1999, ceramic, 23" x10" x 34", collection of Margit Harris and Richard Harris Keep Up/Let Go, 1999, ceramic, 42" x43" x28", collection of the artist All She'd Ever Dreamed Of, 1995, ceramic, 41" x22" x 9", collection of the artist Little Red Riding Hood, 1997, ceramic, 30" x 27" x 19", collection of the artist Journey, 1999, ceramic, wooden support, 15" x 13" x9", collection of George Bowes REBECCA HARVEY Inordinate Fondness Series, 1998: Lean Pour, pressmolded and assembled porcelain, 6" x2" x 5", collection of the artist Bump Lean Pour, pressmolded and assembled porcelain, 9" x3" x4", collection of the artist Lean, pressmolded and assembled porcelain, 6" x2" x3", collection of the artist Slipper Drip, pressmolded and assembled porcelain, 5" x3" x6", collection of the artist Mendel's Bean Stripe, pressmolded and assembled porcelain, 5" x4" x9", collection of the artist Balls, pressmolded and assembled porcelain, 4" x4" x7", collection of Jennifer Wuorinen Composite #4, pressmolded and assembled porcelain, 10" x 4" x7", collection of the artist Anomaly, slip cast and assembled porcelain, 4" x3.5" x8", collection of Susan Wuorinen EVA KWONG Bacteria, Diatoms and Cells, 1995-99, stoneware clay, variable dimensions, collection of the artist Nude-I, 1995, stoneware clay, 21" x 10" x20", collection of the artist Inner Pulses, 1999, stoneware clay, 52" x 18" x 15", collection of the artist Loving Sprouts, 1997, stoneware clay, 17" x 16", collection of the artist Embrace, 1997, stoneware clay, 39"x 22" x 14", collection of the artist Pink Flow, 1992, stoneware clay, 42" x26" x 12", collection of the artist KIRK MANGUS Kiss Amphora, 1998, wood-fired clay, 29" x 13" x 13", collection of the artist Little Fish Amphora, 1990, earthenware, luster glaze, 11" x 5" x5", collection of the artist Beautiful Girl Amphora, 1990, earthenware, luster glaze, 14" x5" x5", collection of the artist Wild Life Vase, 1989, earthenware, luster, 11" x9" x9", collection of the artist Food Chain Amphora, 1996, wood-fired clay, 31" x 16"x 16", collection of the artist Mortality Amphora, 1996, wood-fired clay, 29" x 18" x 18", collection of the artist See Life Amphora, 1999, wood-fired clay, 30" x 15" x 15", collection of the artist Dead Soldier Amphora, 1996, woodfired clay, 30" x 18" x 18", collection of the artist KELLY PALMER Fierce Simian, 1997, earthenware, 28" x 18" x 14", collection of Bob Stana and Tom Judy Untitled, 1997, earthenware, 11" x l l" x1", collection of the artist Saphena, 19 96, earthenware, 44" x25" x 17", collection of the artist Trough, 1999, earthenware, steel, 48" x 18" x25", collection of the artist Wretched Excess, 1996, earthenware, 7" x7" x3.5", collection of Heather Martin Proxemics, 1999, earthenware, l l" x8" x3.5", collection of the artist Babble, 1994, earthenware, 20" x21" x2", collection of the artist Follows Form, 1999, earthenware, 12" x8.5'' x5.5", collection of the artist 42 I FIBER DOROTHY GILL BARNES Windfall Ridge Bark Bowl, 1998, heavy bark with pine weaving and twined base, 6.5" x9" x8", collection of Eric and Barbara Dobkin Willow Drawing with Hickory Lacing, 1997, dendroglyph -live tree drawing and lacing, 14" x 6" x 53", collection of the artist Pine Dendroglyph · Three Kings, 1993-1995, drawing and weaving, live tree scarification, 4" x 5" x20", collection of the artist Bark Box with Stone in Lid, 1995, folded bark, 6" x 14" x 3", collection of the artist Worthington Mulberry Trees, 1999, dendroglyph, weaving, assembly, 11 '·9" x40" x40", collection of the artist NANCY CROW Bow Tie #10, 1994-95, quilted hand-dyed cotton, 66"x 70", collection of the artist Color Blocks #6 9, 1995, quilted hand-dyed cotton, 81" x93", collection of the artist Constructions #4, 1997, quilted hand-dyed cotton, 38.5" x 91 ", collection of the artist Constructions #10, 1997, quilted hand-dyed cotton, 31" x81 ", collection of the artist DEBORAH FRAZEE CARLSON Sri Mata, 1998, wool, 19" x35", collection of the artist America Fragment Coverlet Series #4, 1986, silk, metallic thread (synthetic), industrial felt, 44" x74" x.75", collection of the artist Prayer Cloth: Divine Mother Mantra #3, 1996, silk, silk/rayon, 8.5" x 13", collection of the artist Prayer Cloth: Divine Mother Mantra #4, 1996, silk, silk/rayon, 8.5" x 13", collection of the artist The First Name, of the Thousand Names, of the Divine Mother, 1998, wool, 19" x35", collection of the artist Deva Karya Samudyata: She who is intent on fulfilling the wishes of the gods, 1999, silk, 20" x36", collection of the artist • JO ANN GIORDANO Broken Web: Breast Cancer, 1999, photocopy transfer, applique, silk organza, gut, synthetic fabrics, 60" x41" x 5", collection of the artist Web, 1996, screenprint, photocopy transfer, marbling; silk organza, netting, 60" x 54" x 3", collection of the artist Transformation Robe, 1996, screenprint; silk organza, polyester, 53" x 59" x l ", collection of the artist SUSAN SHIE + JAMES ACORD Tropical New York, 1988 and 1998, mixed media art quilt, 90" x90", collection of the artists That Old Devil Moon, 1994, mixed media art quilt, 82" x 74", collection of the artists Prayer for Oklahoma City, 1996, mixed media art quilt, 86" x 78", collection of the artists LILIAN TYRRELL Disaster Blanket· The Irony, 1998, wool and linen, 89" x 159", collection of the artist Disaster Blanket· Collateral Damage, 1992, wool and linen, 83" x 120", collection of the artist Medical Felts, four units, wool, approximately 90" x 60" each, collection of the artist 43 We' re Building Ohio Through the Arts The Ohio Arts Council, a state agency established in 1965, builds the state through the arts - economically, educationally and culturallypreserving the past, enhancing the present and enriching the future for all Ohioans. The Council believes the arts should be shared by the people of Ohio. The arts arise from public, individual and organizational efforts. The OAC supports and encourages those efforts. Ohio Arts Council 727 East Main Street Columbus, OH 43205-1796 614/466-2613 Ohio Arts Council Boord Members For TTY/TDD use Ohio Relay Service 1-800-750-0750 Visit Us on the Internet www.oac.state.oh.us The Ohio Arts Council is an equal opportunity employer. The Riffe Gallery, operated by the Ohio Arts Council, showcases the work of Ohio's artists and curators and the collections of the state's museums and galleries. Where Art and People Mix! Riffe Gallery Vern Riffe Center for Government and the Arts 77 South High Street Columbus, Ohio 43215 614/644-9624 Bob Taft, Governor Wayne P. Lawson, Executive Director Share theArts Gubernatorial Appointments Barbara S. Robinson, Chair, Cleveland Susan R. Sofia, Vice Chair, Bexley Georgia E. Welles, Secretary, Bowling Green Barbara Baker, Lancaster David Barker, Columbus Ann Amer Brennan, Akron Martha Appel Burton, Portsmouth Rene Glidden, Athens Joe Hale, Cincinnati Bradley R. Kastan, Columbus Alex Machaskee, Cleveland Shelia M. Markley, Canton Michael T. Radcilffe, Columbus Geraldine B. Warner, Cincinnati Mary T. Wolfe, Perrysburg Legislative Appointments Senator Grace L. Drake, Cleveland Senator Robert F. Hagan, Youngstown Representative Kevin Coughlin, Cuyahoga Falls Representative Jack Ford, Toledo Ken Emerick, Individual Artists Program Coordinator Susan DePasquale, Visual Arts and Crafts Program Coordinator Mary Gray, Riffe Gallery Coordinator Larry Heller and Rory Krupp, Exhibition Preparators Beth Fisher, Public Information Office Director Charles G. Fenton, Editor and Publications Manager Jami Goldstein, Public Information Officer Lucy Spurgeon, Special Events Planner Katie Popoff, Public Information Assistant Design by Susan Hessler Artists and Curators Photographs by Robert Colgan Printed by Byrum Litho Front Cover LEFT George Bowes, Vase RIGHT Susan Shie + James Acord, Tropical New York, Detail Riffe Gallery Supported by Ohio Building Authority Exhibition Media Sponsors ~ TIME WARNER ~ COMMUNICATIONS 44 Hffl SBN magazine Smor1ideo1lorgrowingcomponie, Share the Arts
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THIS YEAR S CONFERENCE THEME WAS CR0SSIPrn BoUPJDARIES AND THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE TITLE ARE MULTIFACETED. IT IS OUR FIRST CONFERENCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES, IN WATERLOO, ONTARIO, CANADA. Now ADMITTEDLY, THAT IS FOR THE FIRST TIME SOCIETY'S ORIGIN US, OUTSIDE THE NOT GEOGRAPHICALLY FAR BUT IT IS A COUNTRY OTHER THAN IN 1 IN OUR HISTORY. THAT OF THE WE HAVE CROSSED A BOUNDARY. BUT >f- u 0 CROSSING A PHYSICAL BORDER {NOT TO DIMINISH THE HARD WORK OF THE ORGANIZERS OF THE V) f- EXHIBITIONS AND CONFERENCE} IS EASY COMPARED TO TRAVERSING BOUNDARIES ESTABLISHED BY OUR ATTITUDES, BELIEFS AND PRECONCEPTIONS. As ARTISTS AND ENAMELISTS, IS IT NOT OUR JOB TO l/) '.::2 <( EXPLORE AND TO NUDGE AND SOMETIMES UNDO THESE BOUNDARIES? IT IS HOPED THAT SOME OF THE z LU INDIVIDUALS IN THIS EXHIBITION HAVE DONE THIS. AND PERHAPS OTHERS HAVE TRIED TO CELEBRATE THE I WONDER OF A HUMANITY THAT BOTH ERECTS BOUNDARIES AND THEN TEARS THEM DOWN. 1 SPECIAL f- THANKS GO TO GRETCHEN Goss AND RAY PARISI, THE CO-COORDINATORS OF THE JURIED SHOW WHO f- ORGANIZED AND CARRIED OUT THE IMPORTANT WORK NECESSARY TO MAKE THE EXHIBITION HAPPEN. WE z 0 ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE HONESTY AND INTEGRITY OF THE JURORS WHO SELECTED THE WORK FOR THIS EXHIBITION: JOHN IVERSEN, KENNETH TRAPP AND YOHKO YOSHIMURA. GRATITUDE TO HARBINGER a.. GALLERY INC. FOR HOSTING THE 'MASTERWORKS' EXHIBITION AND TO THE CANADIAN CLAY AND GLASS GALLERY FOR THEIR DISPLAY OF THE JURIED SHOWS. THANKS TO MAUREEN COLE FOR HER WORK ON THE 11- STUDENT EXHIBITION, REBEKAH LASKIN FOR JURYING IT AND TO FAY ROOKE, WHO, AS CONFERENCE COORDINATOR, SAW TO SO MANY OF THE DETAILS AND INTERNATIONAL :::::, co CON- NECTIONS WHICH MADE ALL THE EXHIBITIONS POSSIBLE. AND FINALLY, SPECIAL APPRECIATION GOES z OUT TO LINDA VISIONS. DARTY WHO HAS ONCE AGAIN PRODUCED A CATALOGUE WORTHY OF THE ARTISTS' < R. KENNETH ONE IS OF THE WONDERFUL ENAMELING. SUPPORTERS TRUE, OF WORLDS THERE ENAMEL, IS BUT OF A ART HIGHLY THEIR THE GENERAL PUBLIC KNOWLEDGEABLE NUMBERS ARE HAS YET CONSTITUENCY RELATIVELY CURATOR-IN-CHARGE TRAPP SMALL, DISCOVER TO OF ENTHUSIASTIC COMPOSED MOSTLY OF a, )> ,- PRACTITIONERS - THE DOERS - AND SOME COLLECTORS - THE CONSUMERS. THE DOERS ARE A DIS- ,m :,:, PARATE GROUP OF ENAMELISTS . 1 THEY RANGE FROM SEASONED PROFESSIONALS WHO HAVE WORK AND -< 0 'Tl EARNED THE RIGHT COMMITMENT TO TO BE THEIR ART, CALLED ARTISTS CONTINUOUS BECAUSE STUDY, OF AND YEARS OF HARD INTELLECTUAL AND AESTHETIC z )> ~ REFINEMENT, TO RANK AMATEURS WHO CONFUSE THE ART OF SIMPLE MAKING WITH TRUE 0 z )> CREATIVITY. THERE IS NO REASON AN AMATEUR CANNOT BECOME A PROFESSIONAL. BUT THE JOURNEY FROM THE ONE TO THE OTHER IS ARDUOUS AND DEMANDS MORE THAN MOST PEOPLE ARE ,- s:c:: V\ m WILLING TO GIVE. 1 UNFORTUNATELY, ENAMELING SUFFERS FROM THE ARTISTIC PITFALLS THAT PLAGUE GLASS. INTENSE BRILLIANT COLOR COMBINED WITH REFLECTIVITY, TRANSLUCENCY AND GLITTERING EFFECTS - ALL ATTRIBUTES THAT CAN BE GLASS - ARE ARTISTICALLY LETHAL IN c:: s:: 0 UN-SURE HANDS. IN THE HANDS OF AN EXPERT, HOWEVER, ENAMELING IS A GLORIOUS ART THAT NO OTHER ART ("') FORM CAN EQUAL. IT IS A PITY THAT ENAMELING IS SEEN BY TOO MANY IN OUR CULTURE WHO VALI- )> )> z :,:, ~ DATE AESTHETICS AS 11 CRAFT 11 IN THE VERY WORST MEANING OF THE WORD. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT PROFESSIONAL ENAMELISTS WORK WITH MUSEUMS AND ART PROGRAMS TO RETRIEVE THEIR ART. You MUST -I :r: V1 0 HELP ME MAKE CERTAIN THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS EDUCATED TO SEE THE FINEST THAT ENAMELING z ► z z V1 -I -I C -I 0 z THANK TO YOU THE OF BOARD THE SOCIETY ENAMELIST GIVING FOR ME THE DUTY HONORABLE OF JURYING THIS EXHIBITION. WHEN FIRST HEARING THE TITLE CROSSING BourrnARIES I CONJECTURED ITS MEANING TO INCLUDE NOT ONLY THIS FIRST CONVENTION HELD OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES, BUT INCLUDE TO ALSO AND EXPRESSIONS THAT ANTICIPATED CROSSING THE IN MATERIALS I COULD OF BOUNDARIES ENAMELING UNDERSTAND WHAT ART. SUCH 1 AS CONCEPTS, THROUGHOUT FASCINATING IDEA OR MY TECHNIQUES, TASK JURYING CONCEPT EACH I ARTIST MIGHT HAVE REPRESENTED, BUT SUCH WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE IN THE SLIDES. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I REALIZED THAT SOME OF THE PIECES WERE SHOWING THE INTENTION OF CROSSING BOUNDARIES, BUT REGRETFULLY, THEY WERE NOT MANY. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT SO MANY APPLIED TO THE EXHIBITION. IN SUCH A SHOW, YOU CAN BRING TOGETHER A VARIETY OF WORKS INTERNATIONALLY, WHERE YOU ARE SURE TO FIND AESTHETIC MERIT. THEREFORE, THROUGH YOUR OWN VISION YOU COME TO VERIFY WHICH WORKS ARE BETTER OR INFERIOR IN EVERY ASPECT OF ART AND ENAMELING. IN ORDER TO SPECIALTY, WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT YOU MUST FULFILL THE NECESSARY CONDITIONS MAKE PROGRESS THE DISCIPLINES. 1I CREATION You IN ENAMELING. OF YOUR NEW You CONCEPT SHOULD FOCUS AND THE ON THE PURSUIT REPETITIOUS CHALLENGE MUST NOT HESITATE TO MEET THESE CHALLENGES WITH THE FREEDOM OF YOUR TO NEW TO FAIL. FINALLY, I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO ADVANCE YOURSELF BY THIS LANDMARK EVENT AND EXHIBITION, AND THAT YOU MIGHT CROSS THE BOUNDARIES OF YOUR OWN ENAMELING ACTIVITIES. JUROR'S STATEMENT YOHKO YOSHIMURA A JAPANESE ENAMELIST AND FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE JAPAN SHIPPO CONFERENCE AND AN AWARD-WINNING ARTIST WHOSE WORK IS EXHIBITED INTERNATIONALLY. ME EXPERIENCE. INFORMATIVE SELECTION. SLIDE PIECE BY GUIDE. SAME THE 1 As 1 THAT INFLUENCES DIRECTIONS, BoutrnARIES CROSSltrn THE TRIED I KINDS CRITERIA. I BE BECAME SOON AND TO OF WENT ENAMELIST SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL THANK THE TO LIKE WOULD FOR JUROR AS THE I ALL, FIRST OF AS AND OPEN VERY FRAMES FOR IT EXHIBITION. OBJECTIVE CONFLICTUAL. IN THE INTUITION BEEN HAS AS THERE PRESENTATIONS AND FIRST A FOR INVITING POSSIBLE WERE TO AND VALUABLE DURING MANY TOO EACH CONSIDER IMPRESSIONS AS MY FOR THE TITLE OF THE EXHIBITION, IT WAS GIVEN TO THE JURORS ABOUT THREE MONTHS AHEAD OF THE SLIDE REVIEW. IT BECAME CLEAR TO ME THAT THE TITLE CROSSING BOUNDARIES WILL GET ITS TRUE DEFINITION NOT FROM EACH JUROR'S POINT OF VIEW, BUT AFTER THE EXHIBIT 15 COMPLETELY ASSEMBLED AND INSTALLED. ONLY THEN WILL WE BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE OUTCOME OF THE COMBINED CHALLENGED; SELECTIONS AND INTl:RPRET WHERE AND WHAT BOUNDARIES WERE BY EACH INDIVIDUAL PIECE AND BY THE ENTIRE COLLECTION AS A BIENNIAL EVENT. 1 IN ALL THERE WAS AN AMAZING VARIETY AND QUALITY OF WORK TO CHOOSE FROM. I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE ALL THE ARTISTS FOR ENTERING THEIR WORK. IN LARGE PART, THE SUCCESS OF AN EXHIBITION LIKE THIS 15 TOTALLY DUE, NOT TO THE SLIDES SELECTED, BUT TO THE WHOLE, TO ALL THE WORK 1 ~J~OR S STATEMENT SUBMITTED. JOH N IVERSEN AWARD WINNING INTERNATIONALLY JEWELER, GOLDSMITH AND ENAMELIST WHOSE WORK 15 EXHIBITED ,,,,,.,,,.,.,,,..,,,. ...... .......... ...... ............ .,,,.,.,,,..,,,..,,,. ...... ............ .................. ...... ................ ...... ...... ...... .,,,..,,,..,,,..,,,., _,...- ----------------------------- __________________________________________________________ .,,,.,.,,,., ,.,,,.,.,,,.,' ............ ...... ............ ,,,,,,,.,,,..,,,. ...... ............ .,., _,, ,,.... .......... .... ............ ......... .... ----- ----------------------------- s C T H 0 N 0 S N A M M INTERNATIONAL T S 0 JURIED T C A N D y S E V N H T INVITATIONAL X H 0 N s IE Ross 1 ,i 6 eo 1:1 ,1 s AR IE s I fNAMfJ s 1999 Edith Kahn USA Set of Cups enamel, copper, silver foil sifted, limoges 10.3 x 5.3 mm 8.8 x 5.7 mm Harlan W. Butt USA Earth Beneath Our Feet {incense burner # 1} enamel, copper, sterling silver, shibuichi sifted 10.2 x 10.2 x 12.8 cm C R 0 5 5 I p~ 6 B 0 l:I p~ B A R I E 5 Diane Almeyda USA Opposing Forces enamel, fine silver plique-a-jour 4.4 x 5.8 x 5.8 cm I F NAM FI 5 I 9 99 19 IE RO 5 5 I Pl 6 B O l:J Pl B A R I E S I f NAM f 1 5 I 9 99 10 Suzanne Kustner USA Folded Boxes enamel, copper foil limoges 4 cm x 4 cm x 3 mm 4 cm x 4 cm x 1.4 mm Ray Parisi USA Sedona enamel, etched copper basse-taille 20 cm diameter 8 cm deep Mary Chuduk USA Stroke enamel, brass cloisonne wire, copper, silver foils basse-taille, limoges, . cloisonne 8 cm x 5 cm x 5 cm CROSS I Pl 6 BOU Pl BAR IE S I FNAMFI 5 1999 I II James Doran CANADA Tab le Stakes ena mel, steel, copper, stai nl ess steel grisa ille, limoges, electroformed 26.5 cm Tazuko Inoue JAPAN Incense Burner Paradise enamel, silver, copper cloisonne 19.5 x 18.5 x 13 cm Jill Parnell AUSTRALIA Fairy Wrens in the Dunes {detail} enamel, copper, fine silver wire and foil cloisonne 5 x 17 cm I CR8SSING B8UNBARIES I FNAMF) 5 1999 12 Jane Short ENGLAND Sea Spiral enamel, sterling silver champleve 19.2 cm diameter James Malenda USA Ill Station enamel, copper, silver foil limoges, sifted 79 x 32 x 48 cm CR0SSIPIG B0l:IPl0ARIESI FNAM[IS,9991 13 Linda Darty USA Garden Candlesticks enamel, sterling silver champleve, fabricated 10.16 x 7.62 x 7.62 cm Fay Rooke CANADA Narcissus enamel, copper, fine silver wire, fine silver foils cloisonne, limoges, plique-a-jo.ur 20 cm x 30.5 cm x 4.2 cm IE ROS 5 I Pl 6 BO l:l Pl DAR I E 5 j FNAMFJ s 1000 Abby Schindler Goldblatt USA Amanda Clarifies the Wind Yohko Yoshimura JAPAN Flowers of Crimson enamel, copper, silver cloisonne 13.6 x 12 cm Helga M. Palko enamel, copper, fine silver cloisonne wire, Two Gold Fish enamel, copper, fine silver w1 gold and silver foil cloisonne, electroformed 24.3 x 30.7 x 25.6 cm cloisonne 18 cm diameter ER9SSIP~6 B9UP~0ARIE SI FNAMEIS,999 I 15 Sarah Perkins USA Contained Folded Vessel enamel, sterling silver limoges, formed 20.5 x 10.25 x 10.25 cm 16 I ER0 55I N 6 B 0 1:1 Pl B A R I E S I EN AME J 5 J 9 99 Wanda Wesolowski CANADA Untitled enamel, copper, fine silver wire, fine silver foil cloisonne 5.3 x 4.5 x 9 cm June Schwarcz USA Untitled Vessel #2130 enamel, copper sifted, electroformed 25 x 12.8 x 9.6 cm CR 0 S SI N 6 usana M. Garten USA Offering Bowl II erarnel, copper, 24k god foil oac.,se-taille, limoges 3.18 x 21.9 x 20.3 cm Yoshiko Yamamoto USA Mesh Form # 13 enamel, copper mesh sifted 14.6 x 7.62 x 7.62 cm B 0 UNBAR I ES I ENAMEi S 1999 I 17 IE R 0 S S I pj 6 B 0 l:J pj B A R I E S I f N AM f I 5 I 9 9 9 18 Jean Vormelker USA Australian Impressions: #2 Sunshine Coast enamel, copper, gold and silver foil limoges, sifted 11.5 cm diameter Helen Elliott USA Shore-Line Offering enamel, copper limoges, sifted, electroformed 18 x 13 x 2 cm ER0SSIP~6 Irene McGuckin and Susan Wood Onstad USA Crossroads II: The Quest for Truth and Beauty enamel, fine silver, silver and gold cloisonne wire, gold and silver foil, 18k white gold, 18k, 22K yellow gold cloisonne 4.7 x 8 x .6 cm B0lc.lP~BARIESI FNAMFIS,9991 I C R 0 5 5 I p~ 6 B 0 l:J p~ B A R I E S I EN AME I 5 I 9 9 9 20 Donna Wilson USA Lady enamel, copper and sterling silver laminate, garnets, citrine basse-taille, limoges 105 x 29 x 15 mm C R 9 S S I Pl 6 B 9 U Pl B A R I E S I EN AME I 5 19 99 I 21 Deborah Lozier USA Welded Study in Stripes {bracelet} enamel, copper limoges, torch fired 9 x 9 x 1.2 cm Ginny Whitney USA Jamie Bennett USA Brooch Jurjani Brooch #4 enamel, copper, iron enamel, gold cloisonne wire limoges, fabricated cloisonne 5.75 6.4 x 10.2 x .6 cm x 4.5 x .65 cm jcR0ss1P 1G BBl:!PIBA RIEs 22 Marilyn Druin USA Brooch/Pendant enamel, 18k, 24k, fine silver, diamonds, pink sapphire cloisonne, basse-taille, guilloche 5 x 3.5 x .25 cm I ENAMEIS1999 En es s I Rebekah Laskin ri 6 e e u Pl o An I Es I USA Untitled Brooch enamel, copper, 24K, 18K, sterling silver, onyx sifted, painted 9 x 1.25 cm Sarah Letts ENGLAND Untitled Neckpiece enamel, sterling silver, 18k, rose quartz beads champleve 6.5 x 7.5 cm ENAMEi s 1999 I 23 IER0SSIN6 B0UNBARIESI FNAMFJS1999 24 Marianne Hunter USA Kabuki Kachina Calls for the Winds of Eventide enamel, copper, gold and silver foil, 24K, 18K pink, 14K, sterling silver, carved chalecedony and sapphire, tanzanite sifted 10.16 x 6.985 x 1.59 cm ER es s IN 6 dra Raphael ENGLAND ft Talisman silver, gold, coral, ose quartz, onyx, ... rne ian, marble, rystal, garnet, ..,~, tourmaline e Minor USA ed Enameled Egg and Read Necklace fine silver, silver foil, J Iver, 24k, e" cable +opher Hentz} Beu N 0 AR, Es I ENAMEi s 1999 I 25 IEROSSIP ~G 26 BOl::!NBA RIES I FNAMFJS1999 Patricia M. Perito USA Fabric Fragment #2 {Pin} enamel, fine silver, gold and silver foil, fine silver overlay formed, sifted 12.8 x 14.75 x 1.28 cm Debbie Wetmore USA Akbar I enamel, dichro,c g'ass, cement, sterlirig basse-taille 9.6 X 3.8 X 2 C'11 CROSSI NG BOUND ARIES I FNAMEI S,9991 27 Don Viehman USA Reconstruction enamel, fine silver, 24K wire, 14K cloisonne 4 x 5.3 x .5 cm Lori A. Messenger Pin enamel, copper, fine silver wire, sterling silver cloisonne 3.5 x 14.6 x 1 cm USA [ E R 0 5 5 1 Pl 6 B e 1:1 Pl B A R I E s I EN AME I s , 9 99 28 Siona Benjamin-Kruge USA Resurrection IX '98 enamel, steel, mixed media, silver foil limoges, sifted 49 x 30.75 x 2.5 cm Katherine S. Wood USA Tribal Rites enamel, copper, {24K gilt} painted wood champleve 36 x 46 x 5 cm CR O 5 5 IN 6 BO l:J ND AR IE 5 Natalie McGrorty ENGLAND Transmission enamel, copper limoges 7.5 x 24 x .5 cm Deanna Robb USA Appalachia, Fall enamel, copper limoges, basse-taille 15.3 x 19 cm I FNAMFJ S 1999 I 29 IC RO 5 5 I Pl 6 BO l:J Pl DAR IE S I FNAMFJ S 1999 30 JoAnn Tanzer USA Suspended From a Fixed Point. .. and Swinging Freely Jan Harrell USA Escape From the Labyrinth enamel, sterling, fimo, enamel, steel gold leaf sifted, stenciled, sgraffito stenciled, baisse-taille 36 x 36 cm 25.4 x 35.56 x 2.54 cm ER0SSIN6 B0UP~BARIESI FNAMFIS,9991 31 Deirdre McCrory Birds enamel, copper sifted, stenciled 9.5 x 14 cm IRELAND IC RO 5 5 IN 6 BOU NB AR IE S I ENAMEi 5 1999 32 James Whitmire USA Bugs and Viruses {detOJ!} enamel, steel limoges, screen-printed 20 x 25.6 cm Ora A. Kuller USA Ronnie enamel, copper, fine silver, sterling silver limoges 27x19cm Alice Calhoun USA The Spinner: Whirling to Warm the Earth enamel, copper limoges, torch fired 61 x 55.9 x 5.1 cm C R O 5 5 I Pl 6 B O l:J Pl B A R I E S I EN AME I 5 19 99 I 33 Maureen Cole USA The Moon and Her Suitors enamel, copper, terra cotta limoges, sifted 20.3 x 20.3 cm Ann Gover ENGLAND Still Life enamel, copper sifted 26 x 19 x 2 cm IC R 0 S SIN 6 B 0 UNBAR IE S I FNAMF( S 1999 34 Elizabeth "Turrell ENGLAND Postcard from Delhi # 1 enamel, steel limoges 10.25 x 15 cm C R O 5 5 I Pl 6 Lindsay Hemmens Inside Story ENGLAND Den Parkin ENGLAND Ottercops Moss enamel, copper enamel, copper limoges sifted 26 x 21 cm 31 x 31 cm B O l:J Pl D A R I E S I EN AM E J 5 19 9 9 I 35 IC ROSS ING BO tJ N DAR I ES I FNAMFJ 5 1999 36 Kyoko lio JAPAN Don't Hurry enamel, copper, fine silver, sterling silver, gold leaf cloisonne 26 x 17.6 cm c R e s s I r~ G B e uNs ARI cs I EN AME I s , 9 99 I 37 John Killmaster USA As a Dog Returns to His Vomit, So a Fool Repeats His Folly enamel, steel limoges 22 x 11 x 1 cm IC ROSS I Pl 6 BO 1::1 Pl BAR IE S I FNAMFJ 5 1999 38 Vivian B. Kline USA Cityscape {detail} enamel, copper, plexiglass limoges 30 x 60 x 35 cm C R O 5 5 I N 6 B O 1:1 Pl D A R I E 5 I EN AME I 5 1Q IJIJ I 39 Normand Fillion CANADA Mythical Figure enamel, copper limoges 30.75 x 38 cm IEROS SIPIG B01:JN DARIES I FNAMF] 5Jggg 40 Marian Slepian USA Turning Worlds enamel, copper, fine silver wire and sheet, etched pewter cloisonne, basse-taille, plique-a-jour 59 x 93 x 8 cm CR 0 S SI pj 6 B 0 l:J pj BAR IE S I FNAMfl 5 IQ!)Q I 41 Judy Foreman USA One Giant Leap for Man enamel, steel, fine silver wire, aluminum over wood cloisonne 18.7 x 15.9 cm Achim R. Tandler GERMANY Eyeblink enamel, steel limoges 40 x 30 cm IE R 0 S SI p~ 6 B 0 UNBAR I ES I FNAMFI 5 l
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the art and nfluences of Kent State University School of Art Gallery 14 October - 13 November 1996 Acknowledgements Since becoming Gallery Director in 1985, I have helped organize seven enameling exhibitions in three separate gallery spaces at Kent State University This focus on enamel art is appropriate since northeastern Ohio has been a significant center of enameling for the past sixty years. However, an exhibit honoring]. Mel Someroski is even more appropriate since he has been influential in maintaining the area's reputation for craft production. Many individuals and institutions helped make this important project possible. I am especially grateful to Deanna Robb who worked with me in organizing the exhibition and related activities. Elizabeth Turrell and Faye Rooke wrote catalogue essays and provided enthusiastic support. Their help was invaluable. I would also like to thank the Gallery Staff, especially our designer, Michele Hudak, who maintained her calm in the face of demanding deadlines. Michele was able to produce quality products with very little time allocated. Mel's sister, Jacklyn S. Vittimberga, and his entire family need to be acknowledged for without them, this exhibition would not have been possible. It is also necessary to thank our various financial supporters. These include the Ohio Arts Council and Kent State University's College of Fine and Professional Arts. In addition, special support came from the exhibition benefactors who are listed at the end of this catalogue. They made the catalogue possible, and I am grateful to them. Fred T. Smith, Director School of Art Galleries J. Mel Someroski I first met Mel Someroski when he invited me to be one of the visiting artists for the new Large-Scale Enameling Blossom Summer workshop in 1990. I had known of Mel and the Enamels Program at Kent for a number of years, so ·1 was particularly pleased finally to meet him . We became firm friends . His legacy to enameling has many standards: his students, many of whom are now teaching and producing work; a tradition of enamels at Kent State University enhanced by a continuing commitment, and the Large-Scale Out-Reach program . He was a key player in raising the profile of enameling, both at the national and international level, through sheer enthusiasm and dedication. He was widely known and respected for his role as curator of "The Cleveland Enamelists 19301955 ", "Fireworks: Enamel on Metal" in 1990, and "Contemporary American, British and European Enamelists" in 1994; and, of course, his commitment to the Enamelist Society. Through his teaching, he instilled not only an appreciation for values of tradition, but also he encouraged his students to see the rich potential of enamel as a contemporary medium for expression . It is entirely fitting and appropriate that this memorial exhibition "The Art and Influence of J. 'Mel' Someroski" should be organized and held at the Kent State University School of Art Gallery. Although his horizons and interests were broad, I know that Mel felt the program at KSU was his life's work and that Ohio was his home. I suspect that of all possible venues for this exhibition, Kent would have been his first choice . Elizabeth Turrell, President British Enamel Society J. Mel Someroski: Colleague, Friend, and Mentor Nearly a year ago in October 1995, 250 people gathered to pay tribute to Mel Someroski and his family at the memorial service in his honor at The Kent State University Museum. Students, colleagues, friends, and family were in attendance because he had touched their lives in a personal way. October 14, 1996 through November 13, 1996, the School of Art Gallery celebrates "the art and influences" of this talented man. In showcasing Someroski's work, the Gallery pays tribute to a man dedicated to his art, his students, his family, and his ideals. When selecting the work for this exhibition, Fred Smith and I were constantly reminded of the exceptional breadth of Mel's talents, from his drawings throughout his career to the plique-a-jour enamels in progress at the time of his death. It was drawing and enameling that he was teaching just before he retired in 1993, after 32 years at Kent State University. While, Someroski enrolled in an Amigos De Las Americas program that took him to the Nicaraguan highlands and the Amazon basin where he assisted with immunizations. "The sites were beautiful, spectacular with natural wonders. The plights of the people living there with whom I worked were desperate and tragic. " These thoughts were the beginnings of Someroski's Fibre Performance Ensemble, a group of international recognition which gave workshops and performances in Poland, Australia, Japan and the United States. In 1988, Mel was invited to be the artist in residence at the Ferro Corporation and when he was interviewed about the gift of a 20 foot gradient furnace, he said "Not only will it expand the scale and the potential for enameling students, there's a possibility of cooperation with painters, interior designers and architects--possibly workshops and residences for professionals. We are very hopeful that it will have meaning beyond the immediate classroom." During his last four years at the University he worked to see these goals attained. The Agnes Gund Memorial Award Traveling Scholarship from the Cleveland Institute of Art, the Ohio Designer Craftsmen Achievement Award, Kent State University's Distinguished Teaching Award and Fellow of the American Craft Council highlight Someroski's long list of honors. His work is in many museum collections including the Cleveland Museum of Art, the North Carolina Museum of Art, and the Johnson Wax Company Collection. He designed the Founder's Scholarship Award for the University and created three university presidential medallions. In an article Mel wrote for Dialogue Magazine in 1984, he explained how his ideas emerge for a performance ... "Think about it, Dream about it, Write about it, Sketch about it. ... " More than strictly the basis for a good performance, this credo fashioned his life's work. Through his art and his sensibility. Mel Someroski deeply touched the lives of thousands. It is with great respect and admiration that I participate in this tribute to my mentor--a fine artist, friend and colleague. Deanna R. Robb, Coordinator Large Scale Enameling OutReach Program 2 J. Mel Someroski: Friend and Colleague In "Education and the Significance of Life, Krishamurti suggests that from the educational process the individual should emerge and the teacher should disappear. I like that idea." (Someroski, J.M. Glass on Enamel, Vol.11, No. 6, December 1992, p .123) J. Mel Someroski, Emeritus Professor of Art at Kent State, will (in spite of his "liking that idea") never_disappear. His life has been one of great significance and with this retrospective exhibition we will know and respect him even more. I can't remember exactly when Mel Someroski first entered my life. He was certainly there Someroski, Untitled, Enamel peripherally during my early enameling years ... a far-off star in a distant constellation one of the most respected educators who taught at Kent State University (Ohio), at Penland School of Crafts ( North Carolina) and at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Tennessee. His artistic reputation and teaching influence were evident in several studio arts: enamel, metal smithing, weaving, ceramics, and drawing. Performance Art was still to come. Years passed, enamelists became more numerous and more active and, in 1987, The Enamelists Society was formed. As a Board Trustee, I had many opportunities to meet members at the biennial conferences. At a round table on education, there he was participating ... just like everyone else ..only more what you wanted everyone else to be. Later, on the Educational Committee, his sincere interest, solid someroski, Metta, 1983, Tapestry, nylon.wood, cotton w arp involvement and years of experience contributed greatly to the substructure of the Society. Many of the objectives and procedures of the young organization were initiated by Mel. An indication of his recognized abilities was his 1994 nomination, by acclamation, to vice-president of the Enamelist Society. Mel was a man of vision who could set goals and achieve them. His hard work and enthusiasm were catalysts to supporters. Capitalizing on the creative energy of northeastern Ohio and the availability of manufactured enamels, enameling facilities, and enamel instructors, Mel was pivotal in sustaining the region's reputation as the center for enamel in the United States. This was most evident in the realization of the Large-Scale Enameling Outreach Program at Kent State University, which developed, out of the donation of a 7000-pound, nineteen-and-one-half-foot gradient furnace by the Ferro Corporation. Ferro's continued support of the kiln and Mel's 1988 appointment to artist-in-residence at Ferro raised the international profile of enamel in the worlds of both craft and fine art. Mel's commitment to and excellence in crafts was further acknowledged when he became a fellow in the American Craft Council in 1992. On several occasions, students from the Ontario College of Art, Toronto, were fortunate to participate in the Large Kiln Program. The facility is remarkable, as are the faculty. This opportunity to test techniques and then to work on larger-size steel...to move from concept to an expanded reality. .."is a lively engagement with materials, techniques and ideas. " This stimulating experience heightened the students' appreciation of the scope and creative potential of the enamel media. It also provided several personal glimpses of Mel Someroski that I would like to share with you: Someroski, Branch Bottle, 1960, Stoneware, School of Art Gallery, permanent collection 3 To the students "This work is wonderful! Such energy! You're an inspiration to us all! " About the students "They really must see the University and the Kent area ... you'll just have to lock them out of the studio or even turn the kiln off. " About recommending restaurants "You could go here , or here .. .I've got it. .. just follow me ." Quietly, to stressed waitress "What would you recommend as your best vegetarian .." And my favorite recollection ..in the claustrophobic, clamorous, hi-energy atmosphere of an over-crowded van .. Mel.. serenely meditating. We will always be grateful for his wisdom, his perception, sensitivity; gentle humour, his openness, patience, reliability; understanding and dedication. "Enamel has reached across the ages with its seductive colors and surfaces, and with a history that suggests that it will be with us long into the future. " (Someroski, J.M. Contemporary American Canadian, & European Enamelists, Kent State University School of Art Gallery exhibition catalogue, P.30) You'll be with us too, Mel. Miss you! Fay Rooke, Toronto, Canada J. Mel Someroski: Colleague and Teacher James Melvin Someroski - born 13 March 1932 in Piney Fork, Ohio - has influenced many people in Ohio and beyond as teacher, arts advocate, humanitarian, organizer, concerned citizen, and artist. I have been fortunate to have known Mel in a number of these capacities. Mel's career reflects a diverse range of interests and a strong commitment to sharing his expertise and enthusiasm for life with students and colleagues. Mel Someroski received a B.F.A. from the Cleveland Institute of Arts and a B.S. and M.A. from Kent State University He also studied at Cranbrook Academy of Art and the Cape School of Art in Provincetown, MA. Throughout his life, Mel received many honors and awards such as the Distinguished Craftsman Award from the Ohio Designer Craftsmen. In 1992, J. Mel Someroski was made a Fellow of the American Crafts Council, at which time he observed that "a life of crafts has been a spiritual awakening and enlightenment. " And in 1985, Mel was honored by Kent State University with a Distinguished Teaching Award. While aware of his many achievements, Mel considered himself to be first and foremost a teacher. It is, therefore, appropriate that a selection of work by some of his many students be included in this exhibition. As a faculty member at Kent State University since 1956, Mel was , in large part, responsible for the early development of the School of Art's Crafts Division. Over the years , he taught courses in weaving, ceramics, metal smithing, drawing, design, as well as enameling. Mel also taught at Penland School of Craft in North Carolina, at Arrowmont School in Tennessee, The Art Institute of Chicago, the University of Warsaw in Poland, and the Government College of Arts and Crafts in Sri Lanka. A few years ago, Mel wrote: 4 "In over 35 years, one of the most constant things in my life has been teaching arts and crafts. Teaching forges links between past and present, and I see my students cqntinuing that work." For Mel, teaching involved much more than the classroom experience. He was a strong advocate of the need for both special learning opportunities and a variety of workshops to benefit students, fellow artists, and community members. In response to this need, Mel established exciting art programs at Stonington on Deer Isle, somerosk i, wrapped Man, 1980 , enameled Maine, and at St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. At Mel's Barber Shop in Stonington, two drawing on steel with fine silver laminate or three Kent students set up a production studio and marketed their crafts, each summer beginning in 1976. In the Gallery's 1988 catalogue featuring Stonington enamelists, Deanna Robb noted that: "Kent State University's summer proprietors, usually two advanced enamelists, are completely responsible for the shop, including equipment, sales, and upkeep. Practicing these skills in tiny Deer Isle in Stonington, enhances the students experience, making it unique ." Mel also involved students from Kent's Theodore Roosevelt High School in the design and production of murals for the MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland and the city hall annex in Kent. Both of these murals were made on the large scale 7000-pound kiln that Mel convinced the Ferro Corporation of Cleveland to donate to the School of Art. With the large furnace at Kent, Mel along with his former students - Deanna Robb and Kathy Taylorestablished the Enamel Outreach Program. This ambitious program allows artists and students from all over the world to utilize this large scale furnace. The artists included in this exhibition have all participated in the outreach program. Finally, Mel was committed to the educational importance of art exhibitions, and I worked with him closely in this particular area. Together, we curated two major exhibits Someroski, Study of Jesse, for the School of Art Gallery: The Cleveland Enamelists 1930-1950 1983, Pastels 0989) and Contemporary American, Canadian, and European Enamelists 0994). We also organized two enamel exhibits 0991 and 1992) for the Eells Gallery at Blossom Music Center. Although Mel had proposed the Cleveland Enamelists exhibition to two previous School of Art Gallery Directors, I am glad that I was able to work with him on that project. It was both a pleasure and an all consuming experience . More importantly, I got to know Mel and we became friends - in spite of the difficulties of fund raising and organizing a fairly complex exhibit. His enthusiasm, insight, and strong sense of design produced an exceptional installation. In addition, his strong belief in the Gallery as a teaching institution resulted in a series of valuable educational programs. Mel will be missed by all of us who believe in the value of art and education in our society. I still feel the loss of a good friend, dedicated teacher, and concerned human being. Someroski, Cross for Deanna & Jim Robb Fred T. Smith, Director School of Art Galleries 5 Contemporaries g b e d h a 6 a. Babs Bannenberg Netherlands A Decade of Craft, Recent Acquisitions, Part 2: 1992 Clay Fiber and Metal. American Craft Museum,N.Y Exhibitions: Awards: Tokyo, Japan; Coburg, Germany; Barcelona, Spain; Laval, Canada 1993 Memberships: f. V.E .S. (Dutch Design); Dutch Enamelists Kunst Verein Coburg (Germany); Enamelist Society (U.S.A.) Fay Rooke Canada Exhibitions: 1994 Contemporary American, Canadian & European Enamelists, K.S.U. School of Art Gallery, Kent, Ohio 1994 Containment: The Space Within, Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery, Waterloo, Ontario 1993 Enamel Contemplation, Canadian Clay and b. Harlan W. Butt United States Solo Exhibitions: 1995 Twenty Year Retrospective University of North Texas Art Gallery, Denton, TX 1994 Westaff National Endowment for the Humanities Glass Gallery, Waterloo, Ontario Twenty Year Retrospective University Museum S.I.U., Carbondale, IL g. Jean Tudor United States Select Group Exhibitions: c. 1996 International Metalsmiths Exhibition University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, WS 1995 International Exhibition of Enameling Art Ueon Royal Museum, Tokyo, Japan Exhibitions: Amal Ghosh United Kingdom 1996 Three-person exhibition, The Columbia Club, Indianapolis, IN 1995 Association Mexicana de Esmaltistas, A.C. Invitational, Mexico City 1995 Email 3, Coburg, Germany 1994 Contemporary American, Canadian, and European Ename/ists, Kent State University Exhibitions: 1994 Contemporary American, Canadian & European Enamelists, K.S .U. School of Art Gallery, Kent, Ohio 1993 Kunstverein Coburg, Germany 1993 CCA Galleries, Cambridge, United Kingdom h. JoAnn Tanzer United States Professor Emeritus of Art, San Diego State University; B.A./M.A. Michigan State University Ed .D. Columbia University Awards: 1986 L'Art de /'Email, Limoges, France 1988 Enameling Competition, Barcelona, Spain Dr. Tanzer has developed a degree program at San Diego State University and helping to establish Enamel Guild: West and Studio Five of San Diego. Exhibitions: d. John Puskas United States Tokyo, Japan; Limoges, France; Coburg, Germany; Barcelona, Spain; as well as many national juried and invitational exhibitions Exhibitions: 1994 Contemporary American, Canadian & European Enamelists, K.S.U. School of Art Gallery, Kent, Ohio 1991 Fireworks by John Puskas, K.S .U. Eells Art Gallery, Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio i. Elizabeth Turrell United Kingdom Exhibitions: Awards: 1996 The Works Gallery, New York 1994 Contemporary American, Canadian & European Enamelists, K.S.U . School of Art Gallery, Kent, Ohio 1993 The City Art Gallery, Leicester, U.K. 1993 Kunstverein Coburg, Germany Cleveland May Show; Nursing Careers National; Wichita Museum, Wichita, Kansas e. June Schwarcz United States Awards: Exhibitions: 1994 Contemporary American, Canadian & European Enamelists, K.S .U. School of Art Gallery, Kent, Ohio 7 1986 L'Art de /'Email, Limoges, France 1987 Chairman's Award, Enameling Art in Japan 1989 Enameling Art in Japan Students d b e a 8 d. Maureen Cole Kent, Ohio B.S. 1968 a. Carol Adams Peninsula, Ohio M .F.A. 1976 Ohio Designer Craftsman: Best of 1996 RTA Waterfront Station, Cleveland, Ohio Ohio Crafts Museum Columbus, Ohio 1996 Laser Show, 100th Birthday CelebrationCarnegie Museum, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania The 25th Ohio Crafts Invitational, Mansfield Art Center 1995 One Person Show-9th Street StudioC leveland, Ohio The 5th Juried Enamelists Society Exhibition: Great Expectations 1995 Elanvital Gallery, Boston Graffiti V 17 1/2" X 14" Contemporary American, Canadian & European Enamelists Kent State University Gallery 1994 X 4" Fishes & Loaves, 10"x 13.5" b. Karen Schulze-Alexander Creston, Ohio B.S. 1988, M.A. 1997 e. Rick Curtner Hiram, Ohio B.S.A. 1990, M .F.A. 1990-present Gordon Beall Frank Gallery 1996 Blue Moon Gallery 1994 Silvia Almond Gallery, Cleveland, Ohio 1995 Mid-Town Gallery, Cleveland, Ohio 1995 Box 1995, 3"x 3"x 17.5" Mathers Mansion, Cleveland, Ohio 1992 Penland School of Craft Scholarship, North Carolina 1989 Rebecca Brannon Worchester, Massachusetts M.F.A. 1985 Worchester, MA Center for Crafts Exhibitions 1996 f. Lexington Society for Arts and Crafts workshops DeCordiva Museum workshops Paul C. Davis Cincinnati, Ohio B.S. 1976, M.F.A. 1979 Shippo Conference, Tokyo , Japan 1996 Horizons Center for Crafts, Sunderlend, MA workshops International Enamel Exhibition , Coburg, Germany 1995 c. Marlene Byer Rocky River, Ohio M.A. 1975 Contemporary American, Canadian & European Enamelists, Kent, Ohio 1994 16th Annual Competitive Exhibition, Art Consortium, Cincinnati , Ohio 1992 Art Teacher (K-5) Cleveland Public School Greater Columbus Arts Festiva l 1980s Invited artist Penland School of Craft, North Carolina, and Arrowmont School, Tennessee 1980s Summer Art Shows, Ann Arbor, Michigan 1987-96 9 k h 10 j. g. Andrea Dockery University Heights, Ohio B.A. 1991, M.F.A. expected 1996 Gretchen Goss Cleveland Heights, Ohio B.F.A. 1978, M.F.A. 1982 University Hospital & Case Western Reserve University Cleveland Contemporary Metal: Northeast Ohio Artists William Busta Gallery Bicentennial Mural 1996 Glass on Metal : Contemporary Enamels Tempe Art Center Tempe, Arizona Williams Gallery, Washington, D.C. 1994-96 Metals Invitational University of Akron, Akron Ohio Art Teacher, Louis Pasteur Elementary School Comforts of Home Fava, Oberlin, Ohio Stress, 5 7/8" x 5 3/4" Farm Series, 1995, 6" x 23" h. Diane Whitmer-Francko Oxford, Ohio B.S .N. 1974 k. Brian Harvey Akron, Ohio B.F.A. 1991, M.F.A. 1997 Quilt National - Traveling Exhibit 1995 Taught Jewelry, Canton Art Institute 1989-91 Visions: Quilt Art, Quilt San Diego 1996 Quilts, Fitton Center, Summer 1996 Young Ohioans Show 1990 Greater Hamilton Art Show Spring 1996 Taste of Stow Art Exhibition 1996 Student Annual, Kent State University 1989 Many Moons Over Serpent Mound i. Enamel Exhibition, American Enamel Symposium, Virginia 1995 Abby Shindler Goldblatt Silver Spring, Maryland B.F.A. 1970, M.F.A. 1973 I. Faculty Show, Montgomery College, Rockville, Maryland 1982, 1983 Michael Jaszczak Parma, Ohio M .F.A. 1994 Great Expectations, Juried Show 1995 National Enamelist Gild Shows Washington D.C. Metropolis Area 1973-1983 Great Expectation Juried Student Show 1995 Channeling New Technique in Enamels, published Feb. 1992 Glass on Metal Other Spaces, 12 "x 12 3/4" x 6 1/2" Kennedy Prize for Excellence in Art, Western Reserve College Pinecone, 8cm x 6cm x 1 .5cm 11 p m 0 12 m. Joan Parcher Providence, Rhode Island Kathy Simone Chagrin Falls, Ohio B.F.A. 1979 B.F.A. 1991 National Endowment for the Arts 1990 Solo Exhibition- Susan Cummins Gallery Mill Valley, California 1995 Founder of Blue Moon Gallery, Chagrin Falls; Artists in Residence at Chagrin Falls High School and developer of enameling program Contemporary American Jewelry, Edinburgh International Festival, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland 1996 Valley Arts Center, Chagrin Falls 1992/1993/1995 Fairmount Art Center 1995-1996 One Person Exhibition Mobilia Gallery, Cambridge, Massachusetts 1996 q. Cathy K. Taylor Lake Milton, Ohio M .F.A. 1989 Polka Dot Brooch, 1996, 2 1/2" x 2 1/8" x13/16" Juried Enamelists Society Convention Show Northfolk, Virginia 1995 n. Deanna Robb Hudson, Ohio Fireworks, Enamels on Metal, Eells Gallery, Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio 1990 M .F.A. 1987 Coordinator Large Scale Enamel Present, The Enamelist Society Contemporary American, Canadian & European Enamelists 1994 Juried Enamelist Society Exhibit, Northfolk, Virginia 1995 Temporary Part-time, Asst. Professor, Kent State University, Large Scale Enamels Ohio Metals: A Legacy, Ohio Designer Inside Out, 20" x 20" Outreach Program Craftsmen Traveling Exhibit 1993-94 Brandywine II, 11 7/8" x 13 1/8" r. Marge Widmar Westlake, Ohio M.A. 1975 o. Ursula Ryan North Olmstead, Ohio Ohio Designer Craftsman, Best of 1996 M.A. 1988 N.E.H. Grant to study Renaissance The Shippo Conference, Juried Exhibition, Tokyo, Japan 1996 Humanism in Florence, Italy 1994 Ohio Crafts Invitational, Mansfield Art Center 1994 !'Email International Juried Exhibition, Coburg Germany 1995 May Show, Cleveland Museum of Art 1993, 1988, 1987, 1983 Best Of Ohio 95 Columbus, Ohio 9th Street Gallery, Cleveland One Person Show 1991 Best of Ohio 94 Columbus, Ohio For Mel, 8" x 20" Sanibel Blossom, 11 1/2"x 9" x 1 1/4" p. Sidney Scherr Sedan, Arizona B.F.A. 1978 American Jewelry Design Council Award 1994 Sidney Scherr Jewelry 1985-1995 Wright-Scherr Goldsmith Gallery 1994-present Two Person Show, Relative Visions, Akron Art Museum 1995 · Exit Wounds 13 Exhibition Benefactors Thomas J. and Carol Barber Dorothy Caldwell John A. and Betty B. Campell Carol A. and G. Phillip Cartwright William Darien & Beverly June Faust Raymond and Catherine DeMattia Helen Dix Thomson Enamel Marlene Mancini F~ost John and Peggy Gordon Home Savings, Kent Ohio· Hunington National Bank of Kent Ohio Dr. Timothy M. Kalil, Ph.D. Terry and Elizabeth Kuhn Florence M. Lewis Ann L. Pavlovich, D.O ., Inc. John F. Puskas Valerie A and Albert W. Reischuck James P and Deanna R. Robb Mary 0. and Vincent A. Rosenthal Carol Salus Michael and Ettabelle Schwartz Fred T. Smith Jack P and Kathleen T. Smith Kay K. Taber Virginia B. Wojno Richard D. and Michele I. Worthing The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program with the state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans
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R & ALAN WEISSBERG Indonesia-a geographically and culturally diverse nation of over fourteen thousand islands of various sizes and ethnic profiles-stretches from Malaysia in Southeast Asia to the continent of Australia. It is the world's largest island complex. More than three hundred different ethnic groups make up the indigenous population. In addition, many foreign influences enrich the traditions of Indonesia, where ancient beliefs and practices coexist with Hindu, Islamic, and Christian ones. Irian Jaya, which is located on the island of New Guinea, just north of Australia, is part of the Melanesian culture area. The western islands of Sumatra, Borneo, Java, and Bali are probably the best known. Java and Bali are especially noted for their dance, theatrical, musical, and visual art traditions. The artists of Indonesia produce a wide range of jewelry, metalwork, basketry, textiles, beadwork, as well as a variety of objects carved from wood, bone, and horn. Both men and women engage in the production of these craft items. Men, for example, are the metalworkers and the carvers; while women produce the textiles, pots, and baskets. Although the art produced by women is distinct from that of men, this division of labor is basically complementary rather than competitive. Weaving is a female occupation; yet men are involved in the dyeing process, especially in the more recently established small factories. The weavers of Indonesia employ a variety of loom types. The body-tension loom is the most widely distributed type. The meaning and purpose of Indonesian artistic expression must be viewed within the context of both local and regional developments. The majority of Indonesian art functions within a ceremonial context. Masks, shadow puppets, and rod puppets, for example, are important components of Indonesian ritual and drama. Indigenous, Hindu, and Islamic myths and tales are the sources for these performances. In Java, the majority of the masquerades illustrate history by affirming the achievements of Javanese kings. However in Bali, masked performances focus on both historical events and sacred stories, such as the battle between "rangda," the queen of witches, and "barong," a positive underworld creature. Puppet plays are performed throughout Java and Bali for various religious celebrations and rites of passage. The social and philosophical implications of puppet plays can be either complex or subtle, reflecting both cultural ideals and the realities of life. Individual plays often function as part of a long cycle. There are definite regional differences in the style and context of the puppets. Shadow puppets, made from painted and gilded leather, have small attached rods that allow a puppeteer to maneuver the arms. Shadow puppet plays are performed at night against a cotton screen that has a light source positioned behind it. The puppeteer both manipulates the puppets to create various types of shadows and sings or speaks the parts of the different characters. Usually a small orchestra also accompanies the performance. To ,be understood, both puppets and masks must be viewed within a specific ritual context. The actual performance, in fact, requires the involvement of many people. The musical accompaniment is frequently a gamelan orchestra, a musical art form that predates the seventh century. The term gamelan denotes a set of instruments which consists primarily of tuned gongs and metallophones. In the absence of a conductor, players enrich the performance not by gesture but by music alone. This produces a vibrant and dramatic kaleidoscope of sound. Rich wood carving traditions can be found on the island of New Guinea, located at the eastern edge of Indonesia. Among the Asmat people of Irian Jaya, men's ceremonial houses are elaborately decorated with wooden sculpture. Large carved poles which commemorate the victims of intergroup conflict are erected on the exterior of these communal houses. Smaller standing or seated versions are used as architectural elements within the men's house. Cloth is central to much of the traditional social life in Indonesia. It is usually needed for major rites of passage such as marriages and funerals. In Sumatra, a father will give some cloth to a daughter who expects a first child or to a daughter who requires a special blessing to become pregnant. Timor is still an area of considerable textile production in part because cloth is needed for marriage. Specific kinds and quality of cloth are usually given by the bride's family to that of the groom. Various textiles are also buried with the dead in Timor. Particular events require special kinds of cloth or specific designs. Cloth designs and their meanings, however, are very localized. Java, Bali, and Sumatra also exhibit numerous foreign influences. On these islands, trade introduced gold, silver, and silk thread, the application of beads and sequins as well as new dye techniques. All of these new items enrich an already vibrant tradition. Batik and ikat are the best known of the traditional design techniques used in Indonesia. With the batik process, the design is reserved with wax either by using stamps or hand drawing. Batik is found in much of Indonesia. However, in Java it was developed to such an extent at the royal courts that it has displaced most other cloth types. Ikat produces a softer and less rigidly confined design than batik. In the ikat process, the thread is tied and immersed in dye so that the covered parts remain uncolored. This tying and dyeing process may be repeated several times. The cloth is woven only after the dyeing is completed. The School of Art Gallery exhibition is especially significant because the textiles come from the lesser known outer islands such as Sumba, Kalirhantan, Flores, Roti, and Timor. Sumba is known for its distinctive warp ikat and Detail wrap lkat supplementary warp textiles Sarong, number 16 which, in the past, were woven only by women of aristocratic households. Figurative designs reflecting the local physical and cultural environment characterize these spectacular weavings. Horses, deer, snakes, fish, and roosters are but a few of the figurative elements. Although a motif depicts a natural form, it also possesses a symbolic meaning. Roosters are associated with masculinity and deer are a royal symbol. A skull tree, which is found on some Sumba textiles, represents an old practice of suspending the heads of enemies on a tree at the center of a village in order to frighten away potential enemies and trouble makers. Although frequently part of a dress ensemble, textiles in the outer islands serve a multitude of social and symbolic functions. Cloth produced on the different islands is characterized by a great range of design, motif layout, color preference, as well as social significance. Non-Indonesian collectors are now obtaining many fine textile examples, which are still being handmade with pride throughout the Indonesian archipelago. The arts of this diverse nation have constantly confronted new concerns, new inspirations, and even new patrons. It is also important to remember that textiles, in one way or another, have always been economic goods. The textiles of Indonesia are now being promoted as export items, and are part of the international market of textile enthusiasts. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many people and organizations were responsible for the success of this exhibition. First of all, I would like to acknowledge John Hunter and Alan Weissberg, the primary lenders to the exhibit and the authors of the catalogue essays. The Field Museum of Natural History generously lent objects from its collection; and Janice Klein, the museum's registrar, assisted in organizing the loan. Joanne Giordano is another lender to the exhibition who took a keen interest in the project from the beginning. Financial support came from the Ohio Arts Council and the Friends of the Gallery. Both organizations have assisted the School of Art and the School of Art Gallery with numerous projects over the years, and they deserve my special thanks. I would also like to thank Sean Murphy for donating his time to edit the catalogue manuscripts, Dale Shidler for designing both the catalogue and the announcement, and Keith Wemm, registrar of the Gallery and assistant to the director, who handled the numerous details that made the exhibit possible. Tonia Bledsoe and Becky Summers kindly provided clerical support at critical junctions. The Gallery staff, especially Lyneise Williams, did an excellent job with the installation. Finally, John Hunter of Cleveland State University and Peg De Lamater of Winthrop University gave public lectures on different aspects of Indonesian textiles, and helped the Gallery in its educational and outreach missions. All of these individuals, graciously contributed to the success of the project, and I am grateful to them. Fred T. Smith, Director School of Art Galleries and Coordinator of Art History ■ I _, I Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago, or group of islands. It covers a vast expanse of land and water, including 13,677 islands that span three time zones. and cover 735,000 square miles. Indonesia has the fifth largest population in the world, (188 million) representing 366 ethnic groups, 250 languages and almost every known religious tradition. ~-' ~ • A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE ALAN WEISSBERG After spending numerous summers in Europe, John and I decided to expand our world view by exploring Asia, too. Many of the countries we visited-such as India, Nepal, Thailand, and China-were friendly to tourists, were vastly more affordable than Europe, and were helpful in exposing us to cultures and art forms which were quite different from the Eurocentric forms to which we were accustomed. When we discovered Bali, Indonesia, we found it all: affordability, arts of every imaginable kind, and people who were especially warm to Americans. In Bali we were introduced to the wide array of textiles, including ikat, produced in the various islands of Indonesia. A limited number of art shops in the tourist areas of Bali specialized in ikat textiles. Once comprehending the magnificence of the complexity of ikat-from hand-drawn thread made from wild-growing cotton, to the creation and drawing of the design on the threads wound on the loom, to the tying off and multiple dyeing, and then to the weaving on the backstrap loom-it became our obsession to seek out and possess as many of the finest and most beautiful examples affordable. The amazing beauty of the textiles, as well as the potent smells from the natural dyes used, were factors in driving us to learn more about them, seek their loci of origin, observe the process of their creation, and converse with their creators when possible. We sought information from books on the subject, from national and provincial museums, and from villagers involved in textile creation. In our early visit to Bali, we discovered two helpful travel guides to the country-neither of which is permitted to be sold within the borders of Indonesia since both include unkind words about its government. Both are indispensable to ferreting out the popular and less than popular venues for ikat. The Lonely Planet Indonesia is useful in providing information on how to get from place to place, where to stay, where to eat, and what to see. Bill Dalton's Indonesia Handbook is not only helpful in those areas but is additionally beneficial to the potentially ikat-obsessed because it explains the basic processes of creating different varieties of ikat, and provides the information to locate and travel to their loci of origin. After investigating the extensive variety of ikat available in the art shops of Bali, traveling to the village of Tenganan, Bali, where double ikat is still produced, talking with travelers and Indonesians, and further reading about the mindboggling methods of designing and weaving the different kinds of ikat, John and I decided to visit some of the islands noted for their ikat production. Our return visits to Indonesia have tended to focus upon those areas of islands or those remote islands which produce ikat. Two areas which we return to with regularity are West Timor and East Sumba. Timor appears to have the widest variety of textiles, including ikat (Catalog, numbers 5-11), while East Sumba seems to have the most spectacular, sensual, appealing, and finely engi- neered ikat (Catalog, Detail, Warp 1kt Selimut, (number 2) numbers 21-25). East made in Kalimantan. Sumba is a favorite place to visit since one can view much of the physical materials necessary to the production of warp ikat: cotton plants, indigo plants, cotton thread, dyes, patterns, and women who sit under their traditional houses weaving the ikat. [The creator, in an extremely complex mental task, must visualize the end product in terms of size, pattern or design, and colors or shades of colors.] In many cases, the cotton needs to be picked and processed into threads. After it is drawn, it is then wound on a loom and a design is drawn upon it. Then the threads are tied and removed from the loom for dyeing, a process that is repeated one or more times in order to obtain the correct depth of color. This process can take years depending upon the availability of materials for the making of natural dyes, the complexity of the design, and the number of tyings, retyings, and dippings. Since the people on Sumba were very friendly, I was encouraged to ask questions. "Why?" In many instances this "Why?" was answered with "It is adat." Adat means tradition about which no one seeks the origin. It just is! Ages ago, spirits handed down a set of unchangeable laws-tradition-which are overseen by the spirits of the living and of the dead. These laws need to be obeyed if all is to go well. In Sumba and many other places, adat determines the layout of the village and the architecture of the houses. It commands certain rites of passage and dictates who can marry whom. It may control funeral rituals of the tribe. Adat may also control the types of symbols incorporated into the textiles, limit their use to certain functions and to specific classes of perAt right Warp lkat Selimut (numson, and direct that the her 12): from West Central Timor. very exquisite pieces be buried with the king, or raja. This adat may be quite different from village to village, tribe to tribe, and island to island. If Sumba is the place to go to see the process of creating ikat, West Timor is the place to go to see ikat modeled. In East Sumba ikat is woven mostly for ceremonial wear and display; however, in parts of West Timor it is appa ently worn on a daily basis. Early in our study of ikat, John and I noted that Timor had the iaFgest varikety of ikat available. After talking Mlith a friend and anthropologist, Ed Powell, we headed out on a six hour bus trip to the town o Kefamenanu (upon our first arrival in Kupang, the capital of Timor). Although we did not find great amounts of the textiles in Kefa (a he locals call it), on the way back we saw many men gathered at the Wednesday mark tin the town of Niki Niki. The next year, we visited Timor with an objective of going to this Wednesday market and have scheduled it eac year since. The men and a few women ol this area travel-some from great distances-to sell their wares, mostly fruits and vegetables that ther have grown. Some bring textiles, · duding ikat and other souvenirs to sell to picke, s, who purchase the best textiles for shops in ali and Jakarta, and for tourists. Many o the men wear two or three selimut (also called hinggi or sarong) and perhaps have one or more tQiown over their shoulders (Catalog, numbers 5-11). Others will very timidly pull a corner of a extile out of a bag and hope for your permission to show more of it. Then the bargaining begins. "Berapa harga (how much)?" "100,00 rupiah!" "40,000 rupiah?" "90,000 rupiah!" The haggling continues until a bargain is sealed or an impasse is met. Many times the man looks to his wife for final consent. Further explorations have been the result of studying the travel guides in conjunction with seeing textiles in museums, stores, or books on Indonesian textiles. An interesting quest was the result of seeing a textile in an art shop in Kupang, Timor. It was a warp ikat sarong with an elephant in the design. The dealer identified its origin as the island of Alor, an hour flight Sumatra in the far western end of Indonesia to the city of Jayapura on the island of New Guinea in the most eastern region, we have used public transportation of all sorts-the domestic airline and boat ferries and, most of all, the public buses within the cities, towns, and rural areas. Usually, all of these modes of transportation, as well as foot-power, have been extremely dependable. Sometimes, however, there are surprises. In several instances, we found that there was a bus which traveled from the "big city" in the early morning and then returned in the early afternoon. And that was the only transportation that day unless one chartered a private car for a return trip. The alternative was to stay over and return the next day. On one of our recent day trips, John and I decided to travel out of the general tourist paths in the south of Bali to the city of Singaraja on the northern coast. Our trip there was a synopsis of many other excursions in Indonesia. We wanted to expand our knowledge and experience of parts of Bali which we had not previously seen. The travel guides mentioned that Singaraja, a port city and first "capital" of Bali, had two weft ikat cooperatives. From the map, it easily appeared to be a day trip from our starting point. One factor that we did not project into our planning was that the journey was all uphill for the first four or five hours. With people, pigs, goats, and produce packed into and hanging out of the doors, the bus made very slow progress for most of the trip. Also, while the bus waited, Balinese would alight from the bus and make pilgrimages to shrines along the way, taking incense and other offerings. All of this stopping and reshuffling of passengers and goods added considerably to the time. It also brought new insight into how Indonesian culture works. So, we traveled north across the mountains and were entertained by witnessing Gunung Batur, an active volcano, erupt. Gunung Batur put on a very interesting, if somewhat frightening show for us. When we got to Singaraja, we visited two factories where weft ikat was made. While not as complex and time-consuming a process as warp ikat, it still requires an extraordinary amount of creativity and labor. Weft ikat can be beautiful and is woven of both silk and cotton threads. We bought several examples of both. Although we had left southern Bali early in the morning and had seen what we thought we wanted to see in Singaraja by early evening, we found that the last bus returning to the south had already departed. We had no choice but to stay overnight and found ourselves in a Bali that was markedly different from that which we were accustomed to in the south. Such an unexpected sojourn increased our knowledge and appreciation of the incredible variety in Indonesian culture and encouraged us to return for further adventures. Warp lkat Selimut (number 25), from Suba, Rende. INDONESIAN IKAT JOHN HUNTER Ij Most Americans would be without a clue as to what was meant by Indonesian ikat. Indonesia, which is one of the largest countries in the world in terms of population and area, conjures no indelible visual image like China or India, and ikat, well, is just a strange word. From personal experience I have encountered such responses from friends and colleagues, and I have grown accustomed to describing Indonesia, as well as the type of textile known as ikat. Both are enormously complicated subjects that, fortunately, can be summarized to satisfy casual interest. However, to understand and appreciate the full complexity of the country and its textiles, much more would need to be provided than can be included in these few pages. Therefore, the following should be considered nothing more than the briefest outline of vast and fascinating topics. One of the reasons Indonesia remains unknown to Americans is the nature of its landmass. Unlike China and India, which are sizable chunks of the Asian continent, Indonesia is an archipelago of 13,000 islands sprawling across the equator between southeast Asia and Australia. Although Indonesia includes some of the largest islands on the planet, none of these islands creates a memorable geographical image comparable to the continents immediately to the north and south. Despite the fact that the modern-day country is not very well known in the western world, Americans have long been familiar with many of the major islands bearing such evocative names as Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Celebes, Maluccas, Bali, and New Guinea. In fact, the Maluccas, or Spice Islands, were the object of Christopher Columbus's voyages when he unexpectedly encountered the continents of the New World while searching for a westward ocean route to Asia. Other Europeans, particularly the Portuguese and Dutch, did find an eastward ocean route to the Spice Islands and initiated, in the sixteenth century, the colonization of Indonesia which continued up to the mid-twentieth century. European rule ended after the Second World War when, with armed revolution and rebellion, the Indonesians expelled the Dutch and Portuguese and established their own central government whose efficient control reaches from the capital Jakarta, which is located on Java, to the remotest village of the remotest island. Spanning the crossroads between the continents of Asia and Australia and the Indian and Pacific oceans, Indonesia has sheltered many of the races of the world. Indeed, the fecund islands nu_rtured some of the earliest humans on earth. Remains of homo erectus, a precursor to modern humans., homo sapiens, were recovered from central Java. Present-day Indonesians are descendants of various ethnic stocks, including Africans, Asians, and Europeans, all of whom migrated to the archipelago and hybridized to produce an amazing variety of people. With the exception of Europeans, the various ethnic groups entered the archipelago in successive waves many millennia ago and occupied the larger islands. It is among these Ancient People, such as the lban Dayak of central Borneo, the Torajans of south Sulawesi (Celebes), and the indigenous fold of Nusa Tenggara, that ikat is widely practiced. Although a highly developed form of artis- Detail, Warp lkat Selimut (number 11), from west tic expression, ikat serves central Timor. the function of portraying the spiritual beliefs of the Ancient People. Like other Indonesians, the Ancient People may belong to one of the numerous organized religious faiths. Officially, Indonesia is a Moslem country, but its people embrace all the major religions. Long before the Islamic conversion, Buddhism and Hinduism from India won numerous converts, particularly on Java and Bali. Major structures devoted to these religions are Borobodur, the largest Buddhist monument in the world, and Prambanan, a sprawling complex of Hindu temples, both of which are located on Java. After the fall of the Hindu Majapahit Empire in the fifteenth century, Moslem traders from India and Arabia brought Islam to most of the major islands, especially Sumatra and Java, and many local rulers adopted the new faith. Christianity arrived with the European colonists, first the Portuguese in the sixteenth century and then the Dutch in the seventeenth century. The Moslem traders following mercantile routes and Javanese who settled on other islands carried their faith to the Ancient People. Likewise, the European colonialists proselytized among the islanders in the remote areas of the archipelago. However, among the Ancient People the forces of nature and the spirits of the dead represent spiritual powers far more potent and real than those of the imported religions. These animistic beliefs are entwined with the constant threat to human existence posted by the volcanoes, earthquakes, and floods that are a fact of life in the archipelago. The elemental forces of * ~ ~ nature, the supernatural posers imputed to certain wildlife, and the spirits of human dead sustain the animistic beliefs located beneath the veneer of other religions. For the Ancient People, the creation of ikat is an expression of animistic beliefs. Although the Ancient People weave ikat into cloth for bodily adornment and other decorative functions, ikat serves spiritual and social needs. Through its motifs, patterns, and colors, ikat underscores the stratification of society of Ancient People-royalty, nobility, commoners and formerly, slaves. Ikat is an essential part of ceremonies-as a burial shroud for a funeral and gift exchange in marriage. Ikat preserves local history and legends. Additionally, it embodies magical poser and is a vehicle for the transmission of power. Warp Ikat Ikat is a resist-dye process, probably developed among the Ancient People during contact with the bronze age culture called Dong-Son of northern Viet Nam. Resist-dye means that the threads are bound so that portions of them will be impervious, hence resistant, to dyeing. The individual threads are dyed according to a predetermined pattern before the cloth is woven, unlike batik, another popular process, in which the woven cloth is resist-dyed. The process of creating ikat cloth is time-consuming and laborintensive. In some areas of Indonesia, locallygrown cotton is harvested and handspun into thread. Usually, machine-made cotton thread is purchased. Skeins of cotton thread are wound onto a loom. In Nusa Tenggara, these threads form the warp, or length-wise fibers, of the cloth. When all of the thread is wound onto the loom, a predetermined design is often sketched onto the threads. This design takes into account the anticipated color scheme of the cloth so that the location of the traditional colors, red, blue, and brown, are determined in advance. The weaver then calculates which areas of the warp thread are to be bound with palm leaves, coconut leaf fibers, and plastic string. The binding seals the thread from the dye, hence, a bound area is either not dyed at all or dyed once red or blue. The unbound areas are either dyed once, red or blue, and then bound to prevent further changes in the color, or dyed twice to produce brown. The entire design of the ikat is thus planned in advance and is achieved through exposing the . thread to, or concealing the thread from, the dye. Of the two principal colors, blue comes from indigo plants grown locally and red, called kumbu, is extracted from tree bark. Often synthetic dyes substitute for natural colors, and synthetically-dyed thread of various colors sometimes is used to create solid-colored bands between sections of ikat thread. While cotton spinning, arranging warp threads, and designing and binding threads are generally tasks completed by women, other members of the family, especially children of both sexes, assist. Dyeing in indigo is strictly a woman's work and is shrouded in taboo. However, pregnant women are not allowed to use indigo dye. Once the dye-process is complete and the warp threads completely dried in the sun, they are rearranged on the loom. A back-strap loom is preferred in Nusa Tenggara. Only women weave and they usually work in the shade beneath a house raised on pillars. The weaving process proceeds quickly. The weft thread is shuttled back and forth across the warp. With the use of heddle sticks, the weaver raises every other warp thread to create l shed through which the weft passes. When weaving is . complete, the cloth is removed as a continuous loop from the loom and the warp threads are cut producing a rectangular piece of cloth with fringed ends. WARP IKAT DESIGNS Borneo (Catalog, numbers 1, 2) The Iban Dayak are former headhunters who live in family clusters in the remote interior cif Borneo. Their homeland straddles the Indonesian and Malaysian portions of Borneo. (Indonesian Borneo is called Kalimantan.) Their ikat is created for ceremonial functions, serving as burial cloths, marriage exchanges, vehicles for the transmis 10n of power, and formerly as wrappings for severed heads. Motifs favored by the Iban Dayak are abstract and geometricized humans and animals. Red and brown predominate in their ikat textiles (pua kumbu). Sulawesi (Catalog, numbers 3,4) Torajans are rice farmers in the highlands of south central Sulawesi. They use ikat for ceremonial func- tions, particularly funerals, which are the most important events in Torajan society. Like the Iban Dayak, their motifs are abstract, geometric, and often without reference to humans or animals. Red and brown predominate. Nusa Tenggara An archipelago in southeast Indonesia, consisting of the islands of Flores, Sumba, Savu, Rote, and Timor, Nusa Tenggara remains relatively remote from the rest of the country. Comprised of Ancient People, descendants of Neolithic groups, the inhabitants produce some of the most distinctive and varied ikat of Indonesia. Although some inhabitants have adopted Islam of the traders and Javanese and the Christianity of former colonialists, the Ancient People are often also animist. The central stabilizing feature of their communities was the king or other hereditary ruler. Particularly on Sumba, the kings, whose monumental graves remain a striking feature of the landscape, were at the literal center of society. Villagers live in practical and sturdy houses, often elevated on pillars above the ground. The women of the village weave ikat to generate income for the family. They produce sarong, a tube-like skirt worn by women, selimut or hinggi, a rectangular cloth worn by men around the body and over the shoulder, and selendeng, a narrow rectangular cloth draped over the shoulder. Ikat sarong, selimut, and selendeng are worn for ceremonial purposes, such as burials, wedding gift exchanges, and transmission of power, as well as for ordinary everyday dress. Ironically, very few of the Ancient People wear ikat today as ordinary dress, except in central Timor. Timor (Catalog, numbers 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11) Timor is one of the largest islands of N usa Tenggara. Until the mid-1970s, the Portuguese controlled the eastern part of the island. Today, the two parts of the island 'are still divided administratively and militarily. The west-em part of Timor produces a great range of designs which are often of banded patterns. In the west central market town of Niki Niki, clans or villages favor their own particular ikat designs, usually with geometric or stylized animal motifs bordered by broad bands of vivid solid colors. The lizard is a favorite image symbolizing wisdom. Catalog number 10 is not ikat, but a striking example of a supplemental weft selimut. Rote (Catalog, numbers 12, 13) A small island lying off the southwest tip of Timor, Rote produces a very distinctive ikat with geometric and floral patterns. Blue predominates in Rotenese design. A spearhead motif, called timpal, caps the top and bottom edges of these ikat. Savu (Catalog, numbers 14,15) Savu lies between Rote and Sumba. Savunese ikat bears solid banded patterns with floral designs. Blue predominates. The individual patterns are said to relate to different clans, and the larger patterns are associated with the island's nobility. Savunese ikat sarong are extremely popular with women of ot er islands. Alor (Catalog, numbers 16, 17, 18) Tiny Ternate off the coast of Alor creates very striking ikat with elephant and sea-creature motifs on blue or brown backgrounds. The curious feature of these designs is that there are no elephants in Nusa Tenggara. The design must have been adopted from imported cloth, perhaps from India. Flores (Catalog, numbers 19,20) Like Timor, Flores is a relatively large island with diverse ethnic groups. Although much of Flores is Christian, Moslem communities are numerous. The diversity of the population explains the great variety of ikat designs. Stylized animal and vegetal motifs of red and brown predominate. Ironically, the Moslem town of Ende produces ikat with images while the Catholic village of Sikka is noted for its nonfigurative banded designs. Sumba (Catalog, numbers 21, 22, 23, 24, 25) The most popular and famous ikat comes from Sumba, the southernmost island of Indonesia. While West Sumba produces a banded selimut without ikat patterns, the villagers of East Sumba make highly decorative figurative designs that are famous throughout Indonesia and much of the world. Sumbanese ikat and design are rooted in animism and ancestor worship. The "big man" motif represents the king, a deity, or both. The skull tree (andung) is a reminiscence of headhunting and the display of enemies' skulls on trees. Although kingship remains an important concept in Sumbanese life, the Indonesian central government prohibits hereditary kings. Sea creatures constitute a prominent group of motifs in Sumbanese ikat. Shrimp, which represent longevity, and lobsters, turtles, and crocodiles, which symbolize after-life, populate designs. Other animal life is featured in ikat. Snakes suggest rebirth as well as magical powers; birds, especially roosters, are symbols of masculinity; peacocks and dragons also appear frequently. A favorite abstract motif is a geometric lozenge, called a patola ratu, which derived from Indian ikat cloth known as patola or silk textiles, with motifs copied into Indonesian ikat. Gujarat, India, was a source of patola, or silk textiles, with motifs copied into Indonesian ikat. The patola ratu symbolizes the king. Sumbanese motifs are often organized i:n layers; the central layer represents royalty at the center of the village. Successive layers symbolize the nobility, commoners, and slaves. Some of the most outstanding examples of Sumbanese ikat are compendia of motifs, including kings, warriors on horses, skull-trees, birds, seacreatures, fantastic animals, deer, rampant lions, and framed pictures from Dutch sources. It is a cloth worthy of a king, made to adorn a king's body, and buried with the king in his megalithic tomb. Frequently, Sumbanese ikat is bordered with a supplemental weft design that is woven simultaneously with the rest of the cloth. All of the textiles presented in this exhibition were obtained in Indonesia from the islands where they were produced. Our _research indicates that virtually all of them are 0f relatively recent vintage. Some of the most painstakingly created designs from Sumba and Borneo are, to our knowledge, becoming rarer. One of the saddest fads of the modernization of Indonesia is that ikat textiles are being created increasingly, out of an economic incentive, primarily for tourists and collectors such as ourselves LIST OF OBJECTS FROM THE JOHN HUNTER & ALAN WEISSBERG COLLECTION 1. Warp llcat Selimut Cotton, natural dyes; full cloth: 6 1-6 11 X 3'-111/4 11 Made in Kalimantan Stylized human figures 2. Warp llcat Selimut Cotton, natural dyes; full cloth: 5'-9 11 X 3'-4 11 Made in Kalimantan Stylized human figures, fish 3. Warp llcat Selimut Cotton, natural dyes; full cloth: 5'-6 1/2 11 X 3'-91/2 11 From south.west Sulawesi 4. Warp llcat Selimut Cotton, natural dyes; full cloth: 5'-9il X 4'-6 11 From south.west Sulawesi 5. Warp llcat Selimut Cotton, synthetic dyes; full cloth: 7'-3 11 X 3'-10 11 From west central Tunor 6. Warp llcat Selimut Cotton, synthetic dyes; full cloth: 7'-4 1/2 11 X 3'-9 11 From west central Tunor Stylized creature with tail 7. Warp llcat Selimut with Supplemental Weft Cotton, synthetic dyes; full cloth: 6'-1 11 X 2'-6 1/2 11 From west central Tunor 8. Warp llcat Selimut Cotton, natural and synthetic dyes; full cloth: 6'-1 11 x 2'-9 11 From west central Tunor 9. Warp llcat Selimut Cotton, natural and synthetic dyes; full cloth: 6'-2 11 x 2'-10 11 From west central Tunor 10. Supplemental Weft Selimut Cotton, synthetic dyes; full cloth: 5'-10 11 X 3'-2 11 From west central Tunor 11. Warp llcat Selimut Cotton, synthetic dyes; full cloth: 7'-3" X 3'-9 11 From west central Tunor 12. Warp llcat Selimut Cotton, synthetic dyes; full cloth: 6'-10 1/2 11 X 2'-2 1/2 11 From Rote 13. Warp llcat Selendeng Cotton, synthetic dyes; full cloth: 4'-71/2 11 X 1'-3 1/2 11 From Rote 14. Warp llcat Selimut Cotton, natural dyes; full cloth: 5'-11 11 x2'-71/2 11 FromSavu 15. Warp llcat Selimut Cotton, natural dyes; full cloth: 4'-7 11 x2'-11/2 11 From Savu 17. Warp llcat Sarong Cotton, natural dyes; full cloth: 4'-4" X 2'-5 11 FromAlor 18. Warp llcat Sarong Cotton, natural dyes; full cloth: 4' x2'-6 1/2" From Temate (Alor) 19. Warp llcat Selendeng Cotton, natural dyes; full cloth: 6'-3" x2·'-1" From Flores, Ende 20. Warp llcat Selendeng Cotton, natural dyes; full cloth: 6'-4 11 X 2'-3 1/2 11 From Flores 21. Warp llcat Selimut Cotton, natural dyes; full cloth: 8'-5 1/2" X 3'-10" From Sumba, Rende Indigo, sea motifs 22. Warp llcat Selimut Cotton, synthetic dyes; full cloth: 9'-4" X 3'-6 1/2" From Sumba, Rende Skull tree, rooster Made by Tamu Rambu Tupadua 23. Warp llcat Selimut Cotton, synthetic dyes; full cloth: 9' X 3 11 -4 1/4 11 From Sumba, Rende Crocodiles, shrimp, riders 24. Warp llcat Selendeng Cotton, natural dyes; full cloth: 11'-8 1/2" X 1'-9" From Sumba, Rende 25. Warp llcat Selimut Cotton, natural dyes; full cloth: 11 '-8" x 4 '-4 1/2 11 From Sumba, Rende 26. Warp and Weft (Double) llcat Selimut Cotton (handspun), natural dyes From Bali, Tengana 27a.Warp llcat Selimut Cotton, natural dyes, folded cloth, uncut From Rende 27b.Warp llcat Selimut Cotton, natural dyes, unwoven From Rende 28. Warp llcat Sarong with Embroidery Cotton, natural dyes From Sumatra, Lampung District 29. Warp llcat Sarong Cotton (handspun), natural dyes folded cloth, uncut From Lembata, Lamalera 30. Warp llcat Selimut Cotton, natural dyes, unwoven From Malaysia, Sarawak, Than Dayak FROM THE FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY COLLECTION, CHICAGO 1. Textile Stamp, Java, Batavia (gold star pattern for sarong and head band), early 20th century, c opper, catalogue number 35530 2. Textile Stamp, Java, Batavia (floral pattern, ferok hive), early 20th century, copper with cloth wraapped handle, catalogue number 35533 3. Textile Stamp, Java, Batavia (Papau plank design for sarong), early 20th century, copper with cloth wrapped handle, catalogue number 35591 4. Textile Stamp, Java, Batavia (Madong design for comer of headdoth), Early 20th century, copper, catalogue number 35594 5. Textile Stamp, Java, Batavia (Saret and comb design), early 20th century, copper with cloth-wrapped handle, catalogue number 35597 6. Mask, Java (Aradara), late 19th century, painted wood, catalogue number 36106 7. Mask, Java (Ratoden nawa), late 19th century, painted wood, catalogue number 36125 8. Puppet, Java, late 19th Century, painted wood and doth, catalogue number 36192.1-3 9. Puppet, Java, late 19th century, painted wood, doth and metal sequins, catalogue number 36202.1-3 10. Bowl, Java, Soerabaya (incised design: flower and leaf handle), early 20th century, brass, catalogue number 163629A-B 11. Bell, Java, Djokjakarta (for carabao and cows), early 20th century, brass with brass clapper, catalogue number 163645 FROM THE JOANN GIORDANO COLLECTION 1. Shadow Puppet, Java, wood, paint FROM THE PHYLLIS GOODWEATHER WEINSTEIN COLLECTION 1. Ceremonial House Figure, Irian Jaya, Asmat, wood, paint 2. Headrest, Irian Jaya, Asmat, wood, twine 3. Three Charm Sticks, Borneo, Dayak, wood 4. Puppet, Java, wood, cloth, paint 16. Warp llcat Sarong Cotton, natural dyes; full cloth: 4' X 2'-3 1/2 11 From Ternate (Alor) Elephant Warp lkat Selendeng (number 13) from Rote SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY Conway, Susan, Thai Textiles, London, 1992. Dalton, Bill, Indonesia Handbook, 5th ed., Chico, CA, 1991. Gillow, John and Nicholas Barnard, Traditional Indian Textiles, London, 1991. Gillow, John, Traditional Indonesian Textiles, London, 1992. Jessup, Helen Ibbitson, Court Arts of Indonesia, New York, 1990. Kartiwa, Dra. Suwati, Tenun Ikat: Indonesian Ikats, 2nd ed., trans, Judi Achjadi, Jakarta, 1989. Kissoon, Tracey and John Carrier, Sumba: A Unique Culture, Waikabubak, 1991. Student/Senior Citizen "· Hen Dieter Catherine Dumm Janet M. Hoover L. Cnrys Humphrey Marion J. Watson-Hard}::, Herbert Z bel • Individual Dorothy Caldwel Dr. Timothy "alil Peggy Kwong-Gordon Gary S. Neiman Albert W. Reischuck Gerald Schweigert Lois Strassburg Frank Susi 1chola-s & Katherine Syracopoulos Joseph A. Valencic Geraldine Wojno-Kiefer -----"" '-- Family Neill, Wilfred T., Twentieth-Century Indonesia, New York and London, 1973. Marlene Mancini Frost and George Frost Henry and Sandra Halem Thompson and Frances Lehnert Storey, Robert, et al, Indonesia: A Travel Luke and Roland Lietze Survival Kit (Lonely Planet}, 3rd ed., Victoria, Mark and Deb Lindemood Berkeley, London, 1992. Craig N. Lucas McKay Bricker Gallery Gustav and Kathleen Medicus Taylor, Paul Michael and Lorraine V. Aragon, Kathleen Davis Pierce Beyond the Java Sea: Art of Indonesia's John F. Puskas Outer Islands, New York, 1991. Jim and Deanna Robb & Family ==========::::::.-·.... Carol Salus Van Gelder, Lydia, Ikat, New York, 1980. ..Elizabeth and William B. Sandwick Gerald Schweigert Warming, Wanda and Michael Gaworski, The Jack D. & Kathleen T. Smith World of Indonesian Textiles, 1st paperback ed., Kay Tabor Tokyo, New York, and London, 1991. Sponsor William Bartolini Eve T. Bissler John Campell Catherine & Raymond De Mattia Helen Dix Ralph and Joanna Harley Florene€ M. Lewis Barbara Meeker - Kent Travel Allen W. and Ann L. Pavlovich Fred T. Smith • KENT STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ART GALLERY INDONESIAN IKAT FROM THE COLLECTION OF JOHN HUNTER & ALAN WEISSBERG The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program with state tax dollars to encoura e economic growth, educationaf excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.
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I I I ~ F3 t:3 Fluid History Sculpture by c:9· Bill Albertini ~ ~ c:11 ~ ~ i=II Kent State University Kent, Ohio October, I99I Cover: Decal#1 (detail) I990 color laser print 7¾ X 7¾" Copyright© I99I Bill Albertini Design: David Cundy Inc, New Canaan, CT I I Photography: Robert Puglisi, New York, NY Printing: East Coast Printing, Brookfield, CT I Foreword The School of Art Gallery at Kent State University is committed to documenting and exhibiting the work of contemporary American artists, especially those who have not been exhibited widely in northeastern Ohio. The Gallery is an educational resource for the visual arts, serving both the academic and the general community. Bill Albertini, an innovative sculptor living and working in New York City, participated in the 1988 Summer Blossom/Art program at Kent. Because that contact was so successful, plans for an exhibition and catalogue were set in motion. The works which are on exhibit were executed between 1987 and 1991. They reflect Bill Albertini's intense fascination with a primary investigative theme - a fluid perception of material evidence from the past. His work, in general, represents some of the most engaging and meaningful object-based work being made today. This exhibition and publication came to fruition through the cooperation and assistance of many people and organizations. First of all, Paul O'Keeffe served as guest curator, and I am deeply indebted to him for his expertise, enthusiasm and perseverance. I would also like to thank Robert Mahoney for a provocative essay; David Cundy for designing the catalogue; the Althea Viafora Gallery, New York and the School of Art for its assistance. A special thanks to Bill Albertini for his generosity and cooperation. It has, in fact, been a great pleasure working with him. Fred T. Smith Director, School of Art Galleries Kent State University "Salon de War": a tabloid on Bil! A!bertini's sculpture Return Of The Domino Effect! Bogeyman Of Vietnam Makes Comeback Twice in the past twenty-four months world events have travelled a path from light to shadow in a way that makes one believe again in that old whipping boy of the Vietnam era: the Domino Effect. In Eastern Europe, some East Germans on vacation there heard that Hungary was loosening travel restrictions at its border with Austria. They acted on the impulse of vacation and went on a permanent vacation - to freedom in the West. A pressure of borders built up: within eight weeks the border-crossing came right to the center of their political world: the Berlin wall. Then something curious happened: the domino rolled back down. The euphoria of Berlin was relived in a more poetic and purely idealistic mode in Prague. The names were spelt funnier, the scenes were more eccentric and self-referential. Remoteness lent a beauty and a literary nature to the revolt of Prague. Prague's overthrow was presented as a romantic fictionalization of Berlin. Then came Romania. The ethnic strife was even less defensible in the context of world politics, suspect of provincialism and unfinished business; the personalities involved, as well as the events shouting Ceaucescu from the balcony, his execution - something out of the thrillers of another generation. 2 Also, the sheer fact of anything like that going on "out there" made it more brutal: a shadowy country, if it too had an army, then armies must pervade all life. The scene became an elemental and fundamental passion play about the pervasion of faceless militarism in modern life. From the nonpartisan and mainstream thrill of Berlin, came provincialism succumbing to the shadow that haunts all events in history. In the Gulf War too, the roll of the domino carried events through all the political orbits, from center to periphery. When the bombing started, Tel Aviv felt the commencement of another holocaust. World War loomed, for a moment. The ground war involved the largest amassed force of infantry by any earthly army since 1945'. again, Now plunged back into historical time. But then, the face of great events, the dreaded confrontation with history involved in the ground war turned out to be a mirage. The US-UN troops rushed up into a phantom world (filled a vacuum), had a turkeyshoot victory, and refugees from every side fled on foot across deserts, reduced onc,e again to a state of destitution which lent itself to antique "Lawrence of Arabia" existentialism. A Kurd-Shiite Revolt also turned out to be a mirage. The Kurds fled to a mountaintop up in the womb of a shadowy land, Kurdistan, which has not existed in the modern era. A "Second Gulf War" commenced, as the US military went north to help out. Readers of the news got an occult geography lesson in the unspellable names of very remote places. Once again, a power politics strategy ended in a murky fight with fundamentals. "Salon de War" In War-Ravaged Baghdad-On-Hudson After Eastern Europe, and now, after the War - the events in Ethiopia remind us that Iraqi aggression too was enabled by the collapse of Soviet sponsorship - a new world, expressed as a work of art, an "art world," I I I I I I I I I I I I I I ought to have developed, both in response to recent change and in anticipation of more. None has. In my imagination, two parallel art worlds (parallel universes) have grown up in the imaginary space lying beyond the shadowy and fundamentalist end of the cycle of recent world events. These two parallel art worlds begin to supersede a domestic art world that has failed to respond. If I were to imaginatively curate a "Salon de War," not so much an antiwar salon, but a salon of art that is awake to the changes that the revolution and the war have brought to the world, one of the first artists that I would include would be Bill Albertini. Albertini's sculptural practice has been keenly awake to the shifting discourse - the birth of parallel art worlds - seeking to redeem art from its worry-warted postmodern cul de sac and return it to an examination of, among other modern issues, the pervasion of military value in our times. First, by resurrecting constructivist motifs and forms in what I called (in a review of his work) a "Zweitemoderne" style, second, rolling the domino as history does, purifying the discourse by pushing it into an imaginary space where the sheer facts of the operation of quasi-militaristic symbolism in art can be interrogated and deconstructed. Record Executive's Nazi Past Revealed Materially, this passage from light to shadow in history - this rotation of the domino of history in a cycle in time - left abandoned hardware and destroyed infrastructure in its wake. The magnified dust of heels, this debris was the material signifier of the speed of events. We have seen it before. Constructivism derived its forms for art in the wake of a history conceived of in a revolutionary way - with a heavy underpinning of military hardware. The constructivist aesthetic pulled "field-ground" compositional devices out of the beds of complacent art, in effect broke art past ground, so that it could, inspired by the architectural hardware supporting it, confront the groundlessness created by a revolutionary time. To activate the domino effect under his particular practice, Albertini had to construct a revolutionary history and a physical infrastructure. The agent of the imaginary history - a history of shadows and gaps that ends up questioning history - is a quasi-cruciform symbol that has had everything from religious to fascistic meaning twisted out of it. In its revolutions, semiotic skirmishes break out in any number of worlds. When Albertini was still tied to the constructivist regime, his deformations warped the official agenda of the oblique resource, and subverted history. It also charged ahistorical domesticness with false innocence with regard to its symbolic allegiances. In Plug (1989) the color and code of a Malevichan revery is bound up as a "2001"-style secretary, its ornate legs mocked by the ball and chain of still another emblem, fluctuating in reference from a ship's anchor to a show poodle. Home Entertainment Center (1989) also compacts all the slings and arrows of life into a stereo-become-black-box (entertainment compressed to critical testimony). The rococo legs sinuously insinuate a dark force into the slippery world of commodities. In Doppelte Erscheinung (1989) Albertini offers up a bent, hyperextended cruciform as a mirror-mirror-on-the-wall hot rod of macho pride. The bound up anger and violence of the disgruntled civilian is coded into the context of its encasement in a prisonlike screen. In Shelved Prop two black panels with rococo mounts are called in as Simons to carry a lazy cruciform leaning and loitering in the corner. 3 The passion of a sacrificial death is set like the ashes of a pet, on a too small shelf. No Escape (1989) piles up so much of a black monolith in front of a mousy attempt to see through domestic screen to the truth of the regime (represented by cord and rococo legs) that a sense of suffocation develops. In all of this work, I I constructivist color and form is bounced off an indigenous formula in such a way as to disdain the fall from public awareness to domestic myopia which postmodernism has presumably involved. Albertini 's work at this point was fighting from room to room, through the trenches of the commodity debate, to find good faith. I Republican Guards Nabbed On Space Coast! Attack on Disneyworld Thwarted! Soon after, taking a breather between exhibits, Albertini inhibited the discourse, as he had done before, in drawings, and in photography. In these works he began to feed his signs through imaginary (unconstructable) realms. The photographs were "old photos," reputedly excavating old bunker sites, decaled with the symbol of some regime and aircraft, also marked with the signs of a mystery service. Albertini retrofit his constructivist derivation into a backwards parallel history. He went back into the aura of the gap space which begins to lower about Newsreel memory of the period of the World Wars, and segued into another force field, finding some strange and unidentified ally that one is surprised one fought with, and cannot name. One looks at these old photos as one utters an oh! of surprise to hear that x was fighting y at z for who knows what reasons, at some point in history. What were they doing there? Why 4 were THEY (presumably now friendly) fighting? Again, the patency of history is purified as the basis for permanent paranoia (if they could fight, anyone could). By pushing his exegesis to the point of paranoia, Albertini greatly expanded the range of his abstraction . The complexity of the pathways led to more convoluted variations of cross and mitre (religious elements pulsated for some months) motifs: in drawings like Separation # r the fantasy element of an attached cord suggests that the two wrestle like the negative and positive charges of a battery. Albertini has again energized his form (as in Home Entertainment Center) but there is a new lightness: solid state has been replaced by magnified chip. The flexibility of staged paranoia also involved Albertini expanding his practice past photography and drawings, into rubber stamps. Albertini developed the stamps as prototypes for tattoos. The marks on the wings of planes in Decal I-4 (1990) thus come down in the world of Albertini's regime of signs to end up as tattoos; no doubt to be remarked on the arm of a biker at some beach jn Florida, with the cross-fingered handshake of a mum comrade in hiding. The tattoo on the arm of an outcast is the last stop in the long life of a social sign: it is the terminus of meaning, the final degradation, proof of its exhaustion due to too many prior reifications. A biker is the literalized dialectical image, a sandwichboardman opposite of the original trooper or pilot, who says: it's over now, but a once explicit and powerful force has become a secret cancer of persistent underground discontent in society. Civilizations mature, perhaps degenerate, by these absorptions. Demon Earth Art-One Person Exhibit-Saddam Hussein/E. Kennedy Gallery-842 Broadway(555)970-SCUD By devising a high and a low for his signs Albertini not only colonizes new imaginary space for his sculpture and he dropped his last exhibit at the Althea Viafara gallery in New York right into that gap I I I I I I I ■ I I : space - bur also gives his practice a multimedia circulatory movement that parallels and incorporates a model of the up-down trade of signs from military to civilian life and back again in the real world. Albertini may have his own reasons for making Untitled (1991) in the shape of a bin, holding a stock of terra cotta shards, quasi-religious artifacts, or currency, 'of a regime. It certainly has its own self-sufficient formal and material basis. I however - in the post-war weeks I saw it - thought less of what it was, and more on how it got there. Its faintly militaristic tone reminded me of photos in the papers during the war, "Hotel patrons in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia fondle the remains of a Patriot missile daubed with patriotic message "We Love You All(!!)" that has been set up in the lobby": a vertiginous clash of on and off duty in life. Thinking of larger ramifications, I recalled a description of a patriot missile launcher (by Tom Brokaw I believe) as a "semi-trailer truck tilted up into the sky." The low-tech canister of this hi-tech missile made me wonder. Visually, it reminded me of the earthwork sculpture Cadillac Ranch, old Cadillacs with fins, all in a row, tilted up into the Texas sky. That work of earth art in turn derived from the Cadillac fin itself, symbol of 5o's prosperity, which was itself first inspired by the Lockheed P-38, a World War II airplane with a twin tail. That is, to follow the circulation, military air craft, ten years later, inspired a fantasy luxury car; its garishness inspired the ranch critique; another twenty years after, ten years more down the path of vehicular evolution, it retrofits to warfare hi-tech in the context of a war that at times looked more like a demonic earth art made into life, than a war. The forms finally fused again in the Welcome Home parade in New York on June 10: the Generals rode in 194o's cars, to evoke memories of tickertape troop parades past, in front of carted Patriot missiles and their canisters, both, now, mere floats in a parade. Firestorm in Artist's Studio: All Sculpture Feared Lost {an interlude) Speaking of aircraft, which can be said to be the archetypal motherlode of at least the material world and semantic aura of Albertini's newest sculpture - carrying its cargo of regime art - the Gulf War was very Albertinian. All those spotter pictures of planes, for example. I never got over my dread . When an early skirmish was waged over Khafgi, a ghost town, things got weird. And when I woke up one morning to a headline, "More than 80 Iraqi warplanes have been flown to Iran," this odd defection from the war made me fear some occult, field-breaking stratagem. As each plane passed over into the airspace of its former enemy, it became phantom - the air space was rendered imaginary. Something would remain "up in the air," unresolved , for however long after this implicitly conceded war they sat there, in the body of that hardware. This removed energy has a way of turning up again. The mythology of phantom aircraft seems a natural outcome of a failure of the mind to keep up with aeronautic technology. Things drop off a radar, they become phantom and repressed. Was it a surprise then that soon after the War, the tabloids found a redemptive salve? No. In the Bermuda Triangle the famed "Lost Squadron" of World War II is found (""4ndersea Probes To Eye Famed 'Lost Squadron,"' May 18, 1991) - it did not "vanish" into the Triangle, then, but crashed into the ocean . Why was it found now? Because the imagination that cannot grasp airwar unreality (the war did not get real, the press complained, its images not human, not war photos, until the ground war began: this fatuous argument seems to think that the war would only have been 5 worthwhile if it had been long-term and high-casualty, it was repeated in the Sunday New York Times, June 16, 1991) must find a new basis for misunderstanding in a flight from reality, epitomized in the recent War by the moment of confusion when the Iraqi aircraft defection to Iran occurred. Opening this phantom I I space, allows another one, holding from prior war, to close, to come back into the world of fact. This sort of economy of departure from and reentry imo history also models the installational aura of Bill Albertini's sculpture. Activist Group Adopts "Friendly Fire" Symbol The retired serenity of the apparently "used" (but for what?) terracotta shards in Albertini's Untitled (1991) also answers a constructivist explanation by inscribing a model of military signage as well. Again, in the war, I think I will not be accused of semiotic miraging if I say that the fear of and occurrence of incidents of "friendly fire" early on was evidence of a subconscious dread of a long war, and of a repressed critique, full of doubt, of the long-term plan. Support for the war was always provisional of a surgical short-term conclusion (we forget this now). In order to safeguard our armored divisions from friendly fire an inverted V was painted on all our vehicles. From the sky, it was a V for victory, but now and then the V was reproduced upside-down to ground level in the news, and then it acted graphically to turn victory upside down. In the subconscious of the pictures the inverted V (for inverted Victory) could be said to have made a 6 policy right into a second wrong. Doubt of mission, the provisionalness of the war, was institutionalized, marked on ALL vehicles, as they swept up through a non-enemy to a quickly cease-fired nonvictory. In the same way, it ought to be apparent, Albertini's twists and turns of cruciform or swastikalike icons represent, as in a language where fraktur factors in on meaning, reassessments, insinuations, and distortions of mind and time. One looks back on this inverted V, with its internecine symbolism , as one looks on Albertini's signs: what army is it? is it an army? what are they doing? why, as in the case of every sign that drifts out past unambiguous instrumentation, does it so quickly break up into a variation of a keyboard tantrum of $@*#(@*, as used to express cursing and frustration in the comics? And on past that, toward a condition of proofreader's marks, and a critique? As in history, so in Albertini's mock-veteran art: the domino effect is touched off until it rolls on and on, and, like a revolutionary chasing his shadow, finally passes over into a condition of philosophical quandary epitomized by ,the question (to paraphrase philosophic forestry): if a government falls in the "forest of signs" and no one hears about it, does it really make a sound? - Robert Mahoney, j une 1991 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 7 Untitled I988 mixed media and light 87 X 78 X 43 11 8 Shelved Prop I988 steel, wood, paint 85 X 70 X 46 ¾ 11 I I I 9 ~ ~ h3I Fl' t:ll HI ti ~ OIi t:I ~ Snakes and Ladders I988 mixed media 72 X 48 X 36 11 I I I I I I I I I I I IO Toaster I989 wood, hardware, paint 50 X 93 X 22 11 I I I I I] Plug I989 wood, paint, hardware SIX 54 X 29½" I I I 12 I I I Cut I989 mixed media IJ 8 ¾ X 62 X 52 ¼11 I I I I I I I 13 Installation View Althea Viafara Gallery I990 (from left) Out of Order, I989 Pump, I989 Untitled, I989 14 Doppelte Erscheinung (Double Vision) I989 wood, steel, paint, hardware, mirror 48 X 32 X 8 11 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 15 Home Entertainment Center I989 mixed media 72x 68x 26 11 I I I I I I I I 16 I I I I Target Blockhouse I989 mixed media SI ½ X 40 X 29 11 I I I I I rI Separation #1 I990 enamel paint, epoxy 48 X 78 11 I I I I I I I I 18 I Ii I I I E Untitled I99I site-specific installation Althea Viafara Gallery architectural column, plaster paint 228X 24 X 24 11 I 15 Display I99I aluminum, plaster, lights I92 ½ X 36 ¾ X 44 11 I I I I I I I I 20 Untitled I99I aluminum, plaster SI ¾ X SI ¾ X 32 ¼ 11 I I I I I I I I I Bill A lbertini Born in Dublin, Ireland, 1955. Education: Yale School of Art, M.F.A. 1980-1982 Crawford School of Art, Cork, Ireland 1975-1978 Ravensbourne College of Art and Design, Bromley, Kent, England 1974-1975 One Person Exhibitions: r988 r990 I99I 199I "White Room Program," White Columns, New York, New York Althea Viafora Gallery, New York, New York Althea Viafora Gallery, New York, New York Jacob Karpio Gallery, San Jose, Costa Rica Group Exhibitions: r979 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . r983 r984 r986 r987 r988 "Malou '79," Brussels, Belgium (representing Ireland) "Group Exhibition," Oliver Dowling Gallery, Dublin "Student/Staff," National College of Art and Design, Dublin "Four Sculptors, Four Architects, 4+4 The Norfolk Projects," Norfolk, Connecticut "Staff Exhibition," Art and Architecture Gallery Yale School of Art, New Haven, Connecticut "South Beach Ill," Organization of Independent Artists, Staten Island, New York "Tenth Anniversary Exhibition," Organization of Independent Artists, Staten Island, New York "Group Exhibition," John Davis Gallery, New York, New York "Directors Invitational," Snug Harbor, Staten Island, New York "Visiting Faculty Show," Kent State Blossom Program, Kent, Ohio r989 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "Directors Invitational," Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art, Staten Island, New York "Positive Show," Jack Tilton Gallery, New York, New York "Erotofobia," Simon Watson Gallery, New York, New York "Sculpture," The Gallery, New York, New York "Gallery Artists," Althea Viafora Gallery, New York, New York "Frames of Reference," The Gallery, New York, New York "Update," White Columns, New York, New York "Act Up's Auction for Action," Simon Watson Gallery, New York, New York r990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Althea Viafora Gallery, New York, New York "Work on Paper," Paula Allen Gallery, New York, New York Althea Viafora Gallery, New York, New York "Exquisite and Sublime," New Jersey Center for Visual Arts, Summit, New Jersey "Inherent Vice," The Centre for Photography, Woodstock, New York "July Fourth," Muranushi Lederman, New York, New York r99r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 General Works: Francoise Knops-Mortier, Malou '79, exhibition cat., Brussels, Belgium, 1979 (illus., Untitled, 1978), p.160. William Diaz-Albertini, Perspecta 21, The Yale Architectural Journal, 1984 (illus., Redan Ill, 1983), p. 72. I I John Perreault, The Staten Island Invitational, exhibition cat., Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art, New York, 1989 (illus., Shelved Prop, 1988). I Bill Arning, Update 1988 - 1989, exhibition cat., White Columns, New York, 1989 (illus., Untitled, 1988, cover and interior). I I Margaret R. Lunn, Exquisite and Sublime, exhibition cat., New Jersey Center for the Arts, 1991 (illus., Hang Up, 1990). Bibliography: Michael Brenson, review, "A Bountiful Season In Outdoor Sculpture Reveals Glimmers Of a New Sensibility," The New York Times, July 18, 1986, p. Cl. Michael Brenson, review, "Di Suvero's Dream of a Sculpture Park Grows in Queens," The New York Times, Oct. 12, 1986. Michael Brenson, review, "City as Sculpture Garden: Seeing the New and Daring," The New York Times, July 17, 1987, p. Cl. 22 Michael J. Fressola, review, "Newhouse: Bulletins from the front lines," Staten Island Advance, Feb. 12, 1988, p. C2. Michael Brenson, review, The New York Times, Feb. 24, 1989. Michael J. Fressola, review, "A 'very adventurous' exhibit Sunday," Staten Island Advance, April 21, 1989, p. B3. Vivien Raynor, review, "Sculpture Dominates a Show on 5.1.," The New York Times, May 7, 1989, (New Jersey section) p. 26. Michael Fressola, review, "Invitational shows diversity of Island art," Staten .Island Sunday Advance, May 14, 1989, p. El. Michael Brenson, "Bill Albertini," The New York Times, January 5, 1989 (Weekend Section), p.29c. Judd Tully, "B;uoque-0-Vision: Bill Albertini," Cover Magazine, February 1990, (illus., Home Entertainment Center, 1989.) p. 10. Robert Mahoney, "New York in Review," Arts, April 1990, (illus., Out of Order, 1989) p. 108. Lawrence Chua, "High Prices Or Not, Today's Art Market Attracts New Collectors," Manhattan Trends, September 9, 1990, (illus., Toaster, 1989) p. 54. I I I
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Robert Smithson's Partially Buried Woodshed Essay by Dorothy Shinn Foreword T his catalogue and exhibition on Robert Smithson's Partially Buried Woodshed reflect 2 the Gallery's long-term commitment to exhibiting and documenting the work of innovative twentieth century artists. The Gallery is especially interested in those artists and works that have a special connection to northeastern Ohio. On January 22, 1970, Robert Smithson donated the Partially Buried Woodshed to the School of Art at Kent State University. The work had just been created by Smithson who , along with a handful of students from the School of Art, rented a backhoe and piled 20 cartloads of dirt on an abandoned woodshed until the center beam cracked . After an eventful history, the physical remains of the Woodshed were removed in January 1984. ■ The exhibition represents the support and collaboration of many individuals and organizations . First of all , I gratefully acknowledge the support of the Ohio Arts Council. Additional support was provided by the Art History Club and the Friends of the Gallery. Dorothy Shinn served as guest curator, and I am deeply indebted to her for her expertise, enthusiasm, and hard work. It has, in fact, been a great pleasure working with her. The ideas and knowledge of the material that Ms. Shinn contributed made the planning and organization of this very important project an enjoyable and exciting experience . The advice of Alex Gildzen, Brinsley Tyrrell, Mel Someroski , and Nancy Hot is greatly appreciated. I would also like to thank the Gallery staff - especially project designers Bruce Morrill and Steve Timbrook - for their hard work and creative input. ■ Without the lenders there would be no exhibition . Therefore I am grateful to : The Akron Art Museum; The Cleveland Museum of Art ; The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University ; The Hirshorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution; The John Weber Gallery, New York; the Wexner Center for the Visual Arts, The Ohio State University; and Stanford Apseloff, Kent. Fred T. Smith , Director School of Art Galleries Kent State University 1 S 2 ometime in the winter of 1984, the wood and stucco remains of Partially Buried Woodshed disappeared. The earth sculpture had been created in 1970 by Robert Irving Smithson (1938-1973), who along with a handful of students from the Kent State University School of Art, rented a backhoe and piled twenty cartloads of dirt on an abandoned woodshed until the center beam cracked. Smithson then named the work and gave it to the University along with the admonition to allow it to decay naturally.(1) ■ Smithson's main purpose in making this work was to demonstrate the idea of entropy. But he was also interested in the accumulation of history, envisioning a work that would increase in meaning as it decreased in physical reality, a work that would gain in legend as it ciations, so that by the time it vanished from the earth, it had become synonymous with an artist, a movement, and an era. ■ Smithson was born in Passaic, New Jersey, and died thirty-five years later in a plane crash in Amarillo, Texas, while surveying his earth sculpture, Amarillo Ramp, a last work that is in many respects a continuation of the ideas presented in Partially Buried Woodshed. In 1969-70 he had done Asphalt Rundown in Rome, Italy, Concrete Pour for the Chicago "Art by Telephone" exhibit, and Glue Pour in Vancouver. Smithson, who had agreed to come to Kent in January 1970 for a week for $1000, was to be artist-in-residence, give lectures and critiques, and culminate his week-long activities with a mud pour, which would have been an extenuation of his most recent activities. But in the frigid cold of that Northeast Ohio winter, mud would not pour; Smithson got the flu and retreated to the house of sculpture professor Brinsley Tyrrell, where he made plans to return to New York.(2) But, Tyrrell said, the students would not let him: "They came out to the house and sat about on the living room floor and talked about what else they could do. Well, I remember standing by a fire while Smithson, sketchbook in hand, explained with gestures ... how to bury the Woodshed. Alex G1ldzen diminished in existence. And Partially Buried Woodshed did precisely that. From the moment it was conceived, The Woodshed collected attitudes, events, actions and asso- said Smithson, he had always liked the idea of burying a building."(3) ■ How the Woodshed was chosen was partly a matter of chance, partly of convenience. The shed, a wood lath and stucco structure filled with dirt, gravel and firewood, was part of an old farm acquired by the University and at the time was located on an unused back lot of the (Smithson) envisioned a work that would increase in meaning as it decreased in physical reality. campus, far away from the main buildings. As Tyrrell recalled, "One of the students got permission for that building. Smithson didn't like all of the wood in there, so we carted most of it out. We spent all day carting wood out. .It was a miserable job. He sat around and did drawings of how the earth was going to go." (4) ■ Alex Gildzen, professor of library administration, was among the witnesses, freezing, but fascinated with what was happening. "I remember standing by a fire while Smithson, sketchbook in hand, explained with gestures to local contractor Rich Helm ling how to bury the Woodshed. The earth had been trucked there from a construction site on another part of campus. Smithson took pictures of the process with an lnstamatic and instructed University photographer Doug Moore, who also documented the site's construction, to try to avoid photographing people, just the shed and earth and backhoe." (5) ■ The earth was piled on the Woodshed until the center beam cracked. For Smithson the cracking of the beam was crucial to the concept of the piece, for it symbolized the beginning of the process of entropy, which he compared to Humpty Dumpty: "A closed system which eventually deteriorates and starts to break apart and there's no way that you really piece it back together again." ■ Entropy is a concept that has manifested itself in many of Smithson's works. He believed that not only were the processes of creation important, but also the processes the piece experienced after the creating was complete. These processes he called entropy, the gradual dissolution and decay of organic matter. Smithson saw entropy as part of an ongoing dialectic between accepted, but for him intolerable, notions about the permanence, fixity and preciousness of art as object. (6) ■ At that time not only these notions but the concept of the gallery system itself were under intense debate in the art world. The building of art works in remote locations or the initiation of unique, temporary art works were some of the new approaches to art making sparked by these discussions. Michael Heizer was one of the first artists to bring the gallery, as it were, to the landscape. In 1968 he created a series of excavations in Massacre Dry Lake, Nevada, called Nine Nevada Depressions. This work, now deteriorated, can be seen most easily in photographic documentation. Smithson and his wife, artist and filmmaker Nancy Holt, joined Heizer in Nevada that summer and Holt took pictures of Smithson digging a trench for Isolated Mass/Circumflex, the ninth of the depressions. ■ Smithson had been experimenting with serial sculpture of progressively increasing size, such as the illusionistic Plunge (1966) and the Alogon series, when he began to make the shift to working with large outdoor sites. The first of these was Proposals for the Dallas-Fort Worth Regional Airport (1966), never realized. The most significant of them was Partially Buried Woodshed, for it marked the beginning of outdoor works on a grand scale. (7) ■ Smithson had been working in the actual landscape for two years when he began making excursions to "urban, industrial and quarry sites in New Jersey, many of which he documents in a photojournal." The year Heizer made his - 4 Nevada work, Smithson made three works which he called Nonsites. These involved traveling to a particular location, mapping the location with aerial maps, collecting material from the site and placing it in painted metal bins. He exhibited the bins along with maps of the area, so that the non-site (the bins) actually and conceptually would reflect the site (maps). ■ Later, Smithson played further on the concept of site displacement and reflection--the actual and the conceptual-through the use of mirrors. He wrote: "I'm using a mirror because the mirror in a sense is both the physical mirror and the reflection: The mirror as a concept and abstraction; then the mirror as a fact within the mirror of the concept...Here the site/non-site becomes encompassed by mirror as a concept--mirroring, the mirror being a dialectic ... The mirror is a displacement, as an abstraction absorbing, reflecting the site in a very physical way ... lt's another level of process that I'm exploring. A different method of containment." (8) ■ Smithson also used mirrors in the landscape to effect an onsite displacement as it were. The most notable of these mirror displacements occurred in Incidents of Mirror Travel in the Yucatan, published in Artforum in September 1969. Smithson took a trip to the Yucatan Peninsula and documented a series of nine mirror displacements through photographs and an essay. The published article is considered a work of art. Seen as one of Smithson's most complex pieces, it combines imagery, narration, art history, and criticism. ■ While in the Yucatan, Smithson stayed at the Hotel Palenque, a run-down establishment in simultaneous states of ruin and renewal. The hotel was being rebuilt, but instead of being leveled at once, as we would do it in the U,S., it was being torn down in some places.newly built in others. The notion of slow destruction and an architecture that defies functionalism fascinated Smithson, and he used his photographs as the basis of a lecture delivered to architecture students at the University of Utah in 1972. (9) ■ These, then , were some of the ideas that had been fulminating in Smithson's head when he arrived at Kent State University during one Smithson saw entropy as part of an ongoing dialectic between accepted notions about the permanence, fixity, and preciousness of art as object. , of the coldest winters on record and found that mud would not pour. The alternative of burying a small, makeshift outbuilding on an abandoned farm seemed at first not nearly as significant as pouring mud down a hillside. ■ Tyrrell, for one, had no idea that the Woodshed would become a major work of art. "It was like this," said Tyrrell. "You bring a visiting artist in and have him do his thing. When he did it, we said to ourselves, 'let's try to keep this going for a while,' But I don't believe we thought it was going to get terribly important. It shocks me when I see a whole wall of photographs in some museum devoted to Smithson; some of them were original photographs of Woodshed and some were later." (10) ■ Even though no one thought the burying of the Woodshed would grow into anything greater, Smithson did one more thing before he left Kent. He gave the work a name and a value of $10,000. On January 22, the date the work was completed, he signed a statement, giving the work to the University. (11) By doing that he made it necessary for Kent to deal with something that would both baffle and frustrate the University at almost every turn. ■ For Tyrrell, assigning a dollar value to the Woodshed was merely a tactic to keep the University from bulldozing over the piece after the spring thaw: "It was given a $10,000 value because if we were going to try to preserve this thing, then we could argue money," said Tyrrell. "I didn't want to argue aesthetics with the University. So Smithson called Dwan (his gallery at the time) and asked Dwan to give him a value. And that was the number they came up with. The money thing was always a gameat least I think it was--to convey its importance to people to whom you couldn't talk about aesthetics." (12) ■ On January 23 Smithson returned to New York. In April that same year he built perhaps his most famous work, Spiral Jetty, at Rozel Point in the Great Salt Lake, near Ogden, Utah. At that same site, Smithson made use of another woodshed by spreading mica over the floor of the building and on the adjoining concrete slab outside. Holt remembers the use of that woodshed; she also recalled the Spiral Jetty Museum, a project never Earth was piled on the woodshed until the center beam cracked realized: "He was going to build a little museum near the Spiral Jetty, and that museum was going to be covered with earth." (13) ■ Smithson did make the classic film "The Spiral Jetty', however, and he made several proposals that year for projects that were never realized: Texas Overflow; Barge of Sulphur, Floating Island: To Travel Around Manhattan Island; and Boston Project: Juggernaut. (14) ■ While Smithson was otherwise engaged, Kent State University became the focus of national attention, when on May 4, 1970, four students were killed and nine others wounded by Ohio National Guardsmen during a protest on the campus against the American invasion of Cambodia. The campus was shut down, and the tragedy dominated the headlines here and abroad for weeks and months to come. (15) ■ Holt recalled the shootings vividly: "I think one of the most shocking things, when I look back, were the Kent shootings. It shocked me more than the president getting assassinated. I think it changed everyone's mind, even those who were conservative. So many people just switched their beliefs overnight after that. Everything just became very, very clear." (16) ■ Sometime during the period when the University was closed (Gildzen believes it was in July, six months after Smithson left), someone painted in bold white letters on the Woodshed "May 4 Kent 70." Thus, the piece which had already undergone some controversy became irrevocably linked with the shootings at Kent State University. (17) ■ Said Holt: "Obviously, the students, or whoever did that grafitti-it's an example of grafitti that enhances--the students obviously recognized the parallel. Piling the earth until the central beam cracked, as though the whole government, the whole counfry were cracking. Really, we had a revolution then. It was the end of one society and the beginning of the next." This view of the work reflects the same sentiments voiced in a 1975 letter from Holt to Gildzen in which she said she believed the Woodshed to be "intrinsically political" and that Smithson himself had seen the work as "prophetic". (18) ■ Had it not been for those few strokes of white paint, one wonders if the Woodshed might not have been left to rot in relative quiet. Even Gildzen, who normally takes a laissez-faire view of bureaucratic machinations, wondered if the May 4 link did not eventually alienate, as he put it, "certain University administrators who were to stand against the piece's preservation." (19) ■ For about two years while the University was otherwise occupied in rebuilding its shattered reputation, the Woodshed enjoyed a brief peace. Then, in 1973 Smithson died in an airplane crash while on an aerial observation flight for the final planning stages of a site on a private ranch in Texas owned by Stanley Marsh, fifteen miles northwest of Amarillo Township--a site that would eventually become Amarillo Ramp. (20) ■ Seven months after Smithson's death, gallery owner John W. Weber, representing Nancy Holt, wrote Gildzen, asking about the state of the Woodshed and wondering if "the 5 ~; :. · ·. :·· 6 .. " The money thing was always a game to convey its importance to people to whom you couldn't talk about aesthetics." Tyrrell school is informed of the considerable intrinsic value of the work." Weber also told Gildzen that when "Bob made the piece, the original idea. was that it be allowed to 'go back to the land', however, Mrs. Smithson feels that because the piece is an important work, it should be preserved and taken care of." Gildzen forwarded a copy of Weber's letter to then University president Glen A. Olds. (21) ■ Four months later. Olds, anticipating the deadline for some landscaping to begin in that area and not knowing the University's commitment to the sculpture, had asked University architect Gae Russo to prepare plans for landscaping the area. This plan called for the elimination of the Smithson earthwork and raised an uproar among the art school faculty. The problem was resolved by the 15-member University Arts Commission (UAC), which, to the relief of the Woodshed supporters , voted to save it. It would be a shortlived relief however, and from this point onward the Woodsheds accumulation of history literally caught fire. ■ On March 28, 1975, during the University's spring break, someone burned the structure, actually destroying most of the left half of the shed, where the logs had been stored, but sparing the significant right half where the earth had been piled. (22) Between the burned half of the shed and the undamaged half, police found an empty, bent Pepsi can with a small amount of kerosene in it. Although arson was suspected, no charges were ever filed . (23) ■ University officials wanted to demolish the whole structure--both the burned left half and the undamaged right half--because, they said , not only was it no longer the original work, it had become unsafe and was a eyesore. Holt, however, wrote a letter to Olds asking that the sculpture be saved. She had visited the site shortly after the fire and had decided that even though (Smithson) signed a statement giving the work to the ,~.." University. He made it necessary for Kent to deal with .~ something that would both baffle and frustrate the Univer- (•" sity at almost every turn t , . the work was partially destroyed, it should be allowed to remain in its damaged condition. She made several suggestion as to how the damaged portions of the shed might be reinforced and asked that she be kept informed about the preservation of "this significant art work." (24) Holt recalled that Olds wrote back "telling me the University was going to keep the woodshed." But her suggestions were never acted upon. Instead, UAC recommended that the burned section and remaining roof be torn down and removed. (25) ■ Meanwhile, debate as to the merits of the Woodshed were being broadcast in the campus newspaper. (26) It was during this debate that a new theme was developed that would eventually lead to the we.k's disappearance. This was the increasingly voiced concern for the safety of those who might make the trek to the spot and injure themselves on the debris. Thus the policy of labeling whatever fell to the ground "debris" was established. About the same time that UAC voted to save the sculpture, the campus began to hear from a previously dormant committee called the Commission on Campus Physical and Natural Environment (CCPNE), which eventually urged that the Smithson work be destroyed. (27) ■ So Olds had two proposals: To save the Woodshed and to tear it down. And the groundskeepers also had their jobs to do. While Olds was pon- - dering which recommendation to follow, groundskeepers did what they are paid to do-cart away debris, including the charred remains of the left half of the Woodshed. ■ The day the grounds crew arrived with its backhoe, Tyrrell, Gildzen, and acting director of the School of Art, Robert Morrow, went to the site and spent the day arguing which portions of the Woodshed could be removed and which should remain. (28) While 7 Sometime during the period when the University was closed, someone painted in bold white letters on the Woodshed "May 4 Kent 70." 8 they were at the site defining what was and was not debris, Gallery Director Mel Someroski was on the phone to University administrators defining their legal obligations to the work. Their efforts saved the unburned half from the bulldozer's bucket and provided a few onlookers with mementos. Gildzen managed to collect a relic from the burned left half, a charred piece of siding which he gave to the University's Special Collections. ■ That was 1975. After that the commotion surrounding the Woodshed seemed to subside, and it was left for a while to seek its own destiny. But the University still wasn't pleased with the work. There it was, a charred and crumbling shed partially engulfed by a weed-infested mound of dirt, sitting out in the middle of an open field facing Summit Street, which because it led to the new stadium had become a new gateway to the campus. From Summit it was easy to see that on the broken lintel of the Woodshed, standing out bold and white , was the "May 4 Kent 70" graffiti. It was one of the first things visiting alumni saw, and it disturbed them. So the University came up with a solution : They landscaped the site. In reality the landscape was a barricade--a dense cluster of fast growing conifers, strategically placed so as to block a clear view of the work from either Rhodes Road or Summit Street. One actually had to walk out to the site to see it. ■ And walk out to the site they did. The place had become a kind of shrine--one of the first places visiting artists asked to be taken. (29) Ironically, however, among many of the Art School faculty the work was either resented or nearly forgotten . Indeed, one of the ironies of the work is that it usually has been better known and appreciated elsewhere. In 1980 a Kent State University professor told a class that the work had (thankfully) long ago been demolished. (30) This startling, if erroneous, revelation prompted some students to investigate and that same winter make a pilgrimage to the spot to toast the still standing, though much diminished, work on its tenth anniversary. (31) ■ Two more years were to pass with scant notice given to the Woodshed, except for the occasional art class visit or lone student fulfilling an as- signment. In the summer of 1982 artist and former Kent graduate student John Parcher took several photographs of the Woodshed. Robert Beckman's photos were taken in the fall of 1982, and the following winter Patrick Wilbraham used the Woodshed to meet the requirements of a photography class. As these pictures show, the cracked center beam had already fallen down , and the sides were beginning to cave in. The process of entropy was accumulating. ■ We don't know precisely when the Woodshed was finally taken away, but we do know whatever debris fell to the ground was carted away by University groundskeepers doing routine maintenance. The fact of its disappearance was not noticed until February 1984. But by reconstructing the events, we can surmise that in January 1984, fourteen years to the month after Smithson piled dirt on the shed and cracked the center beam, the physical remains of the Woodshed were removed . (32) ■ The work, which had become part of the James A. Michener Collection at the Kent State University School of Art, had been given various values. In 1970 Smithson's gallery came up with the figure $10,000. When the University Art School had the piece reevaluated for insurance purposes in 1981 , it was said to be worth $40,000. But John Weber of Weber Gallery, which had represented the Smithson estate since the Sculptor's death, said, when told of the shed's disappearance, that the work had a value of $250,000. (33) Some have wondered if the work is worth anything now, because all that's left of the sculpture is the mound of earth, the foundation of the shed , the memory of the work, and these photographs. ■ For some, that puts Smithson and several of his works in the conceptual art category, but that not only misrepresents the history of the work but disregards the artist's point of view. For Smithson was very much against conceptual art as several of his published writings attest. Indeed, all of Smithson's works, even the unrealized proposals, were meant to be actual, not conceptual. ■ During the last five years of his life Smithson had been at the vanguard of an art movement known as Had it not been for those few strokes of white paint, one wonders if the Woodshed might not 1o On March 28, 1975, someone burned the structure, actually destroying most of the left half of the shed, but sparing the significant right half where the earth had been piled Earth Art, a form that grew out of the Minimalist movement of the late 1960s. The Minimalists changed the basic nature of three-dimensional art, according to sculptor Robert Morris, "from particular forms to ways of ordering , to methods of production, and finally to perceptual relevance." Or from object-oriented art to systems-oriented art; from things to the way things are done. (43) ■ The growth of Earth Art from Minimalism was progressive rather than radical. Smithson and others, notably Morris, Heizer, and Walter de Maria, gradually shifted their focus from the art making-systems to a more literal use of material and the processes themselves. (35) ■ In many of his works, and certainly in his last ones--Partially Buried Woodshed, Spiral Jetty, Broken Circle/Spiral Hillin Emmen, Holland, and Amarillo Ram,cr-both the use of spirals and the process of entropy were of prime importance, and in Smithson's mind, the two ideas fed one upon the other. ■ The idea of the spiral had been used in his work almost from the beginning. (36) The mound of earth that Smithson used for Partially Buried Woodshed was not casually placed ; it formed a climbing, curved ramp shape, hinting at a spiral. According to Robert Swick, a friend of Smithson's and the student responsible for bringing him to Kent: "he (Smithson) made drawings beforehand of exactly how it was going to be, and the earth was put on scoop by scoop, like applying paint with a brush." (37) ■ Entropy and the spiral are but two aspects of time, and time in all its aspects was extremely important to Smithson throughout his life as a artist. As early as 1964, in an unpublished proposal for a work, titled The Eliminator, Smithson revealed this interest. He described the work as "a clock that doesn't keep time, but loses it. The intervals between the flashes of neon are 'void intervals' or what George Kubler calls 'the rupture between past and future.' The Eliminator orders negative time as it avoids historical space." (38) ■ But the kind of time Smithson most wanted to represent was not our contemporary sense of time , but a primordial time--time that flows in buried streams, that It was one of the first things visiting alumni saw, and it disturbed them. shifts in geologic measures and wears in glacial cycles--not measured incrementally nor kept by clocks. (39) ■ Smithson was keenly aware of the many vissitudes of time, and his ruminations on the subject eventually led him to the development of a theoretical base for his art that he called entropy. (40) It was, to put it mildly, a philosophy opposed to the mechanistic, time-conquering view of the world and antithetical to notions of preciousness and immutability automatically given to anything called art. (41) This view of art would put Smithson at odds with traditional notions not only of art making, but art buying and preservation. It is a view that flies in the face of the concepts of museums, galleries, and artas-commodity. (42) ■ In view of Smithson's strong involvement with entropy and his ironical view of technology, Partially Buried Woodshedbecomes increasingly important as a manifestation of his philosophy. Its creation and decay serve not only to recognize in_the most concrete way time's succesive conditions, but to make clear Smithson's ongoing sculptural concern with the problematic nature of form-- not its mystique, but its m1,.1tability. For Smithson "allowed for seasonal variations in the state of his sculptures. He assumed multiple states, not just one." (43) ■ And in a very real sense, those states continue to multiply, the organization of this exhibit and writing of this catalog being among them. Thus, in many ways the work continues to exist. For just as Partially Buried Woodshed was a "seminal work which has influenced much other art," it is also a work of many parts, the disintegration of the wood-and stucco structure being one. ■ As Tyrrell noted: "All that he (Smithson) was concerned with was that it picked history up--that it didn't get built and bulldozed over. And it's picked up a pretty good history. While it stood, anyone who knew anything about art wanted to see it. Every time we had Blossom, we took visiting artists over there and showed it to them , like a pilgrimage. It's one of the most influential things in contemporary art." (45) ■ The special feature of Partially Buried Woodshed was the notion of a breaking point, and somehow this feature permeated its surroundings. It became not only a sculpture (and for some a shrine), but an important symbol of a period during which the morals and ethics of a University, a state and even a nation were pushed beyond what they could bear. Olds had asked University architect Gae Russo to prepare plans for landscaping the area ■ For some, the processes initiated in 1970 by the breaking of the center beam came to a conclusion almost exactly fourteen years later when the final fallen remains of Partially Buried Woodshed were carted away. But for many others, myself included , even though the mortal remains of the Woodshed have disappeared because of time , the work of art lives on in spite of it. 12 by reconstructing the events, we can surmise that in January 1984, fourteen years to the month after Smithson piled dirt on the shed and cracked the center beam, the physical remains of the Woodshed were removed 13 1. Notes 14 Gildzen,Alex. "PartiallyBuriedWoodshed: A Robert Smithson Log." Arts Magazine Special Issue: Robert Smithson , May 1978, p. 118. 2. Tyrrell , Brinsley. Interview on March 22, 1984. 3. Tyrrell interview. 4. Tyrrell interview. 5. Gildzen , "Partially Buried Woodshed'. 6. Alloway, Lawrence. "Robert Smithson's Development." Artforum, November 1972. Pages 53-61 . Alloway notes that "entropy is a loaded term in Smithson's vocabulary. It customarily means decreasing organization and, along with that, loss of distinctiveness." But "Smithson's applies the idea to time ... Basically, Smithson's idea of entropy concerns not only the deterioration of order, though he observes it avidly, 'but rather the clash of uncoordinated orders,' to quote a formulation of Rudolph Arnheim's." See also The Writings of Robert Smithson, ed. Nancy Holt, pp. 189-196. New York: New York University Press, 1979. Robert Hobbs. Robert Smithson: Sculpture Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 1981 , p. 191, and OnSite #4. (Fall 1973, pp 26-30, interview with Alison Sky. 7. Ibid. "there is a shift in Smithson's work to outdoor sites solely, large in scale, and freed of significative bonds, which is marked by his Partially Buried Woodshed, 1970, at Kent State University, Ohio .. .. He had already used a truck in Asphalt Rundown the year before, and now he used a backhoe on a tractor to pile dirt onto the shed until the central beam cracked. The man-made (the structure) and the inchoate (disordered masses of soil) were brought together to create a stress situation. The work was finished when the beam broke, so that the timing of collapse is, in a sense, the subject...landscape and its systems or ordering have been familiar to Smithson most of his life, and their presence can be felt on every level of his art and thinking. He is not building barriers around fragments of personality or stylistic innovation , as happened with a good deal of art in the '60s. He does not attempt to fix reality in a permanent form by means of art, but demonstrates a sustained and interlocked view of a permanent reality 8. "Robert Hobbs. Robert Smithson: Sculpture. Pages 132-5. 9. Ibid. Pages 164-5. 12. Tyrrell interview. 13. Nancy Holt. Interview on April 23, 1984. 14. Hobbs, pp. 241-43. 15. Akron Beacon Journal. May 5, 1970. 16. .Holt interview. 17. Gildzen , Alex. Interview on April 17, 1984. 18. Holt interview. See also Hobbs, page 191. 19. Gildzen interview. Holt agreed with Gildzen's assessment, but for other reasons. "The history of the woodshed really reflects on a lot of the politics and social behavior and the theories of maintenance and danger," she said. "Works of art tend to be focal points and centers of energy that other people spin off of, and that's because works of art have no other reason for existence; they are not there for any functional reason, so they get right to the heart of things." 20. Hobbs, p. 243. 21 . Gildzen, "Partially Buried Woodshed' . 10. Tyrrell interview. 11. Smithson's Deed, in his own handwriting , giving Partially Buried Woodshed to Kent State University Department of Art. 22. Bierman, William . "Burn the Wooqshed! Spare the Woodshed!" Beacon Magazine, Akron Beacon Journal, July 7, 1975, p. 6. See also Gildzen, "Partially Buried Woodshed," p. 119. 23. Kent State University Police Crime Report, Case Report No. 5-2300. "Arson Fire at Vacant Field and Shed at Summit St. and Rhodes Rd ." 28 March , 1975 (2048 hrs.). 24. Holt, Nancy. Letter to Olds, 4 May 1975. 25. Holt interview. See also Bierman , p. 6, and Gildzen, "Partially Buried Woodshed." p. 119-120. 26. "Letters to the Editor." The Daily Kent Stater, 20 May 1975. See facsimile, p. 3, Appendix I. 27. Bierman , p. 6-7. 28. Tyrrell interview. See also Gildzen, "Partially Buried Woodshed," p. 120. 29. Tyrrell interview. 30. This is the recollection of the author. The event occurred in a painting class. 31. Nighswander, Marcy. Photograph, Akron Beacon Journal, January 23, 1980, Sec. B, p. 1. 32. Shinn, Dorothy. "KSU Woodshed Disappears: Only Foundation , Pile of Dirt Remain." Akron Beacon Journal , February 25, 1984, Sec. C. P. 1, co. 1-6. "Richard E. Dunn, KSU vice-president of business affairs and treasurer, said the university groundskeepers had instructions not to remove any standing structure at the site. "The only thing we have done with it is to take away the loose debris that was around the outside,' he said. This "loose debris' was removed, according to his records, on April 22, July 20, and October 25, 1983, andagainonJanuary3, 1984." 33. Shinn. See also Keuhner, John C. "Artful Vanishing Act? 'Shed Gone, Valued at $25,000." Record Courier, Kent-Ravenna, Ohio, February 27, 1984, pp. 1 and 11. 34. Anderson , Wayne . American Sculpture In Progress: 1930/1970 (Boston : New York Graphic Society, 1975), pp. 239-259. 35. One of the earliest pieces to engage in the objectification of systems are the Alogonsculptures. In 1966 using contradictory mathematical systems, Smithson designed three groups of stepped sculptures that he named Alogon. Combining a linear equation that ordered each individual unit and a quadratic equation that ordered the units as a group, Smithson set up a contradiction that resulted in a subtle tension between the static consecutive grouping of repeated forms land the dynamic ordering of space. They appear to recede to a vanishing point, warping real space and making it seem illusionistic. Smithson said of this work: "the title Alogon... comes from the Greek word which refers to the unnameable, and irrational number. There was always a sense of ordering, but I couldn't really call it mathematical notation. There was a consciousness of geometry that I worked from in a kind of intuitive way. But it wasn't in any way notational." In ancient Greek philosophy, Logos referred to the logic behind the controll ing principle in the universe as well as the genius manifest in creation. But Smithson saw many of man's efforts to order and explain the universe through systems of logic as absurdities--analogous to the medeival scholastic argument about the number of angels that could dance on the head of a pin--systems confine and limit, rather that explain-conceal more than they reveal. Thus through their inert and static qualities, the Alogons manifest an absurdity as well as a conceptual entropy because,, in Smithson's view, "they absorb the viewer's active vision and yield nothing in return except their own emptiness." They "empty vision of meaning; they dully appear to be logical but in fact conflate logic, rendering it illogical and meaningless." Hobbs, pp. 66-70. 36. When he first exhibited at the Jewish Museum in New York in 1966 in a show called "Primary Structure," his work, shown with those .of other Minimalists, seemed, as one critic puts it, "eccentric, compared to the prevalent notion of the Minimalist style. Smithson's adoption of the spiral motif contrasted strongly with the inert and self-contained icons of Minimalism--the circle, triangle, rectangle or square. His spiraled Mirror Prototype for Aerial Art Project, 1967, for example, and even bulkier Gyrostasis of 1968 apparently relate to 19th-century systems of logarithmic expansion, or to organic and crystalline growth , or perhaps even to the spiral as a biophysical symbol of life itself. Not until the building of Spiral Jetty in 1970 did Smithson's usage become clearer; the spiral is related to his notions of entropy and irreversibilty. A spiral vectors outward and simultaneously shrink inward--a shape that circuitously defines itself by entwining space without sealing it off. One enters the Spiral Jetty backward in time , bearing to the left, counterclockwise, and comes out forward in time, bearing to the right, clockwise." Coplans, John. "The Amarillo Ramp," Artforum, April 1974, pp. 37. 37. Bierman. 38. Smithson, Robert. "The Eliminator," 1964. The Writings of Robert Smithson, Ed. by Nancy Holt, (New York: New York University Press, 1979), p. 207. 39. Smithson. "Entropy and the . New Monuments." The Writings of Robert Smithson. Also see Artforum, June, 1966. He wrote that "Instead of 15 16 causing us to remember the past like the old monuments, the new monuments seem to cause us to forget the future. Instead of being made of natural materials, such as marble, granite, or other kinds of rock, the new monuments are made of artificial materials, plastic, chrome, and electric light. They are not built for the ages, but rather against the ages. They are involved in a systematic reduction of time down to fractions of seconds, rather than in representing the long spaces of centuries. Both past and future are placed into objective present. This kind of time has little or no space; it is stationary and without movement, it is going nowhere, it is anti-Newtonian, as well as being instant, and is against the wheels of the time-clock." 40. Smithson. "Quasi-Infinities and the Waning of Space." The Writings of Robert Smithson. "At the turn of the century a group of colorful French artists banded together in order to get the jump on the bourgeois notion of progress. This bohemian brand of progress gradually developed into what is sometimes called the avantgarde. Both these notions of duration are no longer absolute modes of 'time' for artists. The avant-garde, like progress, is based on an ideological consciousness of time. Time as ideology has produced many uncertain 'art histories' with the help of the mass media. Art histories may be measured in time by books (years), by magazines (months), by newspapers (weeks and days) , by radio and TV (days and hours) . And at the gallery proper--instants! Time is brought to a condition that breaks down into "abstract objects.' The isolated time of the avant-garde has produced its own unavailable history or entropy," See also ARTS Magazine, November, 1966. Later, in "Ultramoderne," (see Writings and also ARTS Magazine, September/October, 1967), he explores his growing awareness of time further. "There are two types of time," he wrote , "organic (Modernist) and crystaline (Ultraist) . Within the boundaries of the thirties, that multifaceted segment of time, we discover premonitions, labyrinths , cycles, and repetitions that lead us to a concrete area of the infinite ... The 'shape of time,' when it comes to the Ultramoderne, is circular and unending--a circle of circles that is made of "linear incalculables' and "interior distances' .. .The Ultramoderne puts one in contact with vast distances, with the ever-receding square spirals, it projects one into mirrored surfaces or into ascending and descending states of lucidity. Walls, rooms and windows take on a vertiginous immobility --Time engulfs space." 41. Smithson. "A Sedimentation of the Mind: Earth Projects." The Writings of Robert Smithson . " ... Steel is a hard, tough metal, suggesting the permanence of technological values .. .Yet, the more I think about steel itself, devoid of the technological refinements, the more rust bee comes the fundamental property of steel .. . ln the technological mind rust evokes a fear of disuse, inactivity, entropy and ruin . Why steel is valued over rust is a technological value , not an artistic one." See also Artforum , September, 1968. Smithson writes that by "excluding technological processes from the making of art (sculpture) , we begin to discover other . processes of a more fundamental order. The breakup or fragmentation of matter makes one aware of the sub-strata of the Earth before it is overly refined by the industry .. .! have often thought about non-resistant processes that would involve the actual sedimentation of matter or what I called 'Pulverizations' back in 1966. Oxidation , hydration, carbonization, and solution (the major processes of rock and mineral disintegration) are four methods that could be turned toward the making of art .. .Burnt-out ore or slag-like rust is as basic and primary as the material smelted from it. Technological ideology has no sense of time other than its immediate 'supply and demand,' and its laboratories function as blinders to the rest of the world." 42. In an important interview shortly before his death in 1973 with Alison Sky for On Site, a short-lived publication dealing with Earth Art and art- ists, Smithson laid out further his views on entropy and how it related his art: "On the whole I would say entropy contradicts the usual notion of a mechanistic world view. In other words it's a condition that's irreversible, it's a condition that's moving towards· ~ gradual equilibrium and it's suggested in many ways . Perhaps a nice succinct definition of entropy would be Humpty Dumpty ... One might even say the current Watergate situation is an example of entropy. You have a closed system which eventually deteriorates and starts to break apart and there's no way that you can really piece it back together again ... if we consider earth in terms of geologic time we end up with what we call fluvial entropy. Geology has its entropy too, where everything is gradually wearing down ... lt may be that human beings are just different from dinosaurs rather than better ... ! propose a dialectic of entropic change .. .. At Vestmann Islands an entire community was submerged in black ashes. It created a kind of buried house system. It was quite interesting for awhile. You mightsay that provided a temporary kind of buried architecture which reminds me of my own Partially Buried Woodshed out in Kent State, Ohio .... " Smithsonwentontosay: " .. .There is an association with architecture and economics, and it seems that architects build in (an) isolated, self- contained, a-historical way. They never seem to allow for any kind of relationships outside of their grand plan. And this seems to be true in economics too. Economics seems to be isolated and self-contained and conceived of as cycles , so as to exclude the whole entropic process ... I don't think things go in cycles. I think things just change from one situation to the next. There's really no return. 43. Alloway, Lawrence. "Site Inspection ," Artforum, February 1976, pp. 49-55. 44. Holt, letter to Olds. 45. Tyrrell interview. 17 ■ Student/Senior Citizen Mc Kay Bricker Gallery Gustav and Kathleen Medicus Al Moss and Janice Lessman-Moss Dr. and Mrs. Yale Palchick Mr. and Mrs. Allen Pavlovich Deanna and James Robb and Family Carol Salus Elizabeth Brainard Sandwick Charles and Diane Scillia and Family Jack and Kathleen Totter Smith Barbara E. Billings Catherine E. Dumm Janet M. Hoover Geraldine Wojno Kiefer Marie-Therese Pecquet Marion J. Watson-Hardy Dr. Herbert L. Zobel Friends of the Gallery 1990 ■ Individual Dorothy Caldwell John Cooperrider Barbara Krupp Nancy Siebert Arlene Sekely Gerald L. Schweigert Lois H. Strassburg Frank D. Susi Katherine Syracopoulos Kay Taber Cheri Ure Joseph A. Valencic Margaret Widmer 18 ■ Family Lee Bale Mr. and Mrs. Robert Crawford Marlene Mancini-Frost and George Frost Gerald Graham Henry Halem and Sandra Perlman Halem Ralph and Joanna L. Harley Thompson and Fran Lehnert Luke and Rolland Lietzke ■ Sponsor Earl and Margaret Baxtresser Stephen J. Bucchieri Raymond and Catherine DeMattia Helen Dix DuBois Bookstore, Inc. Mrs. Rae R. Grotenrath Jones, Koppes, and Leporis Typesetting Co. Florence M. Lewis Barbara Meeker-Kent Travel Virginia and E.L. Novotny Signcom Fred T. and Nancy W. Smith James M. Someroski University Inn Ted and Betty Weiser ■ Benefactor Dr. and Mrs. J. A. Campbell ■ Patron Virginia B. Wojno Funded through Ohio Arts Council 727 East Main Street Columbus, Ohio 43205-1796 (614) 466-2612 ,,
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A New Generation of Ohio Artists re- flects the School of Art Gallery's commitment to encouraging the talent of Ohio artists. In fact, the exhibition demonstrates the variety and high quality of work which is now being done by new artists. The competition was open to all "emerging" artists residing in Ohio. The emphasis was on new talent. The following guidelines defined eligibility: works in any media except video and film; no more than two works could be submitted; works must have been completed in the last two years; work produced in the classroom under instruction was not The exhibit includes twenty-eight eligible. work~ by twenty-six artists residing Nearly two hundred slides repre- ties. in sixteen different Ohio communisenting the work of 101 artists were received. Susan Channing, Director Many people have made the exhi- of SPACES, Cleveland, Judith Per- bition possible, especially the art- ani, Associate Professor of Art His- ists, jurors and Gallery staff. I would tory at Ohio University, and Barbara like to acknowledge the contribu- Tannenbaum, Curator at the Akron tion Art Museum, served as jurors. The liams, who managed the first stage works selected from the slides were submitted and the jurors then determined the final selection and cash prizes. James Representatives A. Michener of the Committee awarded the purchase prizes. Perhaps the most immediate and significant reward for many new artists as a result of their participation in the competition will be the financial remuneration they receive. In addition, their works will be documented in this catalogue. The artists represented in the exhibition will have the opportunity for wide public exposure of their work. of my assistant, James Wil- of judging while I was in West Africa. In addition, the Ohio Arts Council provided a grant to support this important project. And finally, I would like to thank the Gallery's designers, Scott Sample and Dan Karp for the prospectus, announcement, and catalogue Fred T. Smith ■ Director ■ Susan Sh1e ■ Wooster ./ 22. Elvira Nile ■ dia, 8-112X9 Show on the 1986, Mixed ■I ■ me- Best in Vincent Leon Olmsted ■ 21. Journey Through the Past ■ 1986, Glass, 12X5- 1 /2 X 5-1 /2 Mention ■ Honorable ■ St. Cloud State University, B.F.A., 1983; Kent State University, M.F.A., program ■ 1987 ety ■ Attquest '87; Artist Soci• International, Search Young for San New Glass Francisco; Talent, '87, Japan; International Competition, Ebeltoft, Denmark. 1986 ■ Capital Glass Invitational, the Glass Gallery, Bethesda, Maryland; The 14th Annual Habitat, Gallery Invitational, Detroit; Kent State University Student Annual; Jewish Community Center Group-show, Margate, New Jersey ■ Kent -- Paul S. Emo,ry ■ - White Cottage - - Columbus CoEtie•ge of Art and D 1esigr11 (attendedJ1, 1977-78; 0 1hio Universiity (attended), 19·80; Riin1gOing1 School of Art and Design, B ..F . A., 1981; O·hio Universi1ty, M.F.A., 1987 ■ ■ AH Ohio Show, Canton Art Institute, Canton; O•hio State Fair,, , 1986 Columbus; ••ExhibiiUon 280, Wo,rks on WaUs,u Huntington Galliery, Hluintington, West Virgirnia ■ 19. Let Me Speak for My• self While tance ■ Ill ■ m am, Here: DES· 1986, 24X3.0 Honorable Mention ■ Robert F. Farber ■ Columbus Ronald Augutis ■ II Columbus Ronald Augutis ■ ■ 1. The Outback Series 113 Oil pastel/graphite 48X60 ■ Honorable on 2. ■ The Outback 5. 1986 , Strobile 111 ■ Cleveland Heights ■ 1986, Wire, wood, cotton and horse hair 14X5X5 paper Mention ■ ■ My Head 1986 ■ Above 1 986, Acrylic and mixed ■ ■ "10X10, Again," Joyce Porcelli Gal1986 "Holiday Show," Fiori Gallery, Cleve- land; "Hearts & Flowers/Cats & Beasts, " Murray Hill Market 1986 Keep Kent ■ lery, Cleveland ■ ■ Kent State University, B.F.A., 1983 1987 ■ Can't Water media, 87X36 Kent State University, B.F . A., 1985 Rockford College, B.F.A., 1980; University of Cincinnati, M . F . A ., 1982 9 . ■ 1986, Oil pastel/ graphite on paper 48X60 ■ and ■ K.S.U. Purchase Award B . J. Clayton Karin Bartimole Columbus ■ One-person show, Brady's, Kent; One- person exhibition, Kent Student Center; G . Black ■ and B . J . Clayton, Caruso and Company ■ Ohio State Fair, Fine Arts Exhibition , James M . Cox Fine Arts Center, Columbus; Na- Jeffrey D. Basting tional Small Works Exhibition. Schuharie County ■ Rossford Arts Council, Cobleskill, New York; Two-person show, The Ohio State University Newark Branch, Newark 1985, Watercolor, ■ Paul S. Emory ■ White Cottage Cornell University, B.F.A., 1980; Ohio State University , M.F . A . , 1980 ■ 1986, Oil on linen . Barbara Bachtell ■ 3 . Lover's Play ■ pencil/paper 30X22 Cleveland 1985, Colored ■ 32-5/8X26-5/8 1985 ■ Bradford Art Museum, Bradford , Eng- tion Honorable Men • ■ lahd, 9th British International Print Biennial; Em- 11. Green House Effect bragel, Caho Frio, R.J., Brazil, Cabo International on linen, 50-3/8X45-1/2 ■ 1986, Oi l ■ Print Biennial. 1984 ■ Miami International Print Biennial, Met- Columbus College of Art and Design (attended), Wesleyan University, B.A., 1975; Art Institute of ropolitan Museum of Art Center, Coral Gables, FL; 1977-78; Ohio University (attended), 1980; Ring- Boston (attended), 1976; Cleveland Institute of 5th Alabama Works on Paper & International In- ling School of Art and Design, B.F . A., 1981; Ohio vitational Exhibition (1984 Traveling Exhibition), University, M.F.A., 1987 Art, B.F.A . , 1981 ■ ■ Auburn Art Assoc. & World Print Council, Auburn , ■ Worlds," Alabama ; All Ohio Print File , Art Academy of Cin- 1986 group show, Henderson Gallery, Yellow Springs cinnati , Cincinnati, Ohio ; Chattahoochee Valley Canton; Ohio State Fair, Columbus ; "Exhibition 1987 "Women's Images of Their and Lazarus Gallery, Dayton; Two - person show, Art Association, LaGrange, Georgia , Lagrange Na- Ohio University -Chillicothe . tional IX 1986 ■ ■ ■ All Ohio Show, Canton Art Institute, 280, Works on Walls," Huntington Gallery, Hun• tington, West Virginia ■ SPACES Members Exhibit and Sale, The Hat Factory, Cleveland; ••Open Studio,'' NOVA's Artists Open Studio Day, Cleveland ■ James Bruss ■ Lee Bale ■ 1986, Charcoal Kent and raw pigment, 50X38 8. 4 . Taxi Dance ■ 1986, Mixed me • dia on canvas and dresses 60X60 Columbus Smoke Site I ■ ■ 1986, Charcoal and raw pigment, 58X22 Robert F. Farber ■ ■ University of Wisconsin, B.S., 1967; M.A., 1970; University of Alberta, B.S., 1976; B . F.A., 1979; Cranbrook Academy of Art, M.F.A., 1984 M.F . A., 1972 ■ Body ■ Violin ■ ■ 1986 1987 Columbus ■ 50th Anniversary-Contemporary Fiber ■ One-person exhibit, The Columbus Cul- ■ 1985, Honorable Mention ■ chase Award is Like Monotype, a 40X30 K.S.U. Pur- ■ tural Arts Center; Trenton State College National Contemporary Print and Drawing exhibit; "What ' s Happening Western Michigan University, M . F . A., 1985; Ohio Crafts, Portland, Oregon; "Clothing as Image," Here," Columbus Cultural Arts Center; Belmont University, B . F.A., 1981; M.F.A . , 1982 Three-person exhibit , Artspace, Peterborough, Gallery , Gallery group Columbus; Four-person ex- Ontario ; "Hardhats and Dresses," Two-person hibit, Toni Birckhead Gallery, Cincinnati; Summer 1986 exhibition, Centre des Arts Visuels Montreal, Que- group ter Gallery, Ohio University, Chillicothe; Ohio State Exhibition, bec ■ Portland Galle.-y of print, Artquest '86 van ■ Straaten Gallery, Chicago; ■ ■ One-p,rson exhibition, Stevenson Cen- Fair, Columbus ■ Frank C. Frate ■ 13. Hagalaz coal, 51 X40 ■ Kate Kern Cleveland ■ 1986, Pastel, char- 16. ■ Bird Stories ■ 1986, Mixed media , 22X4 (4 pieces) University of Dayton , B.F.A. , 1979; University of Cincinnati, M.F.A .. 1981 1983 ■ 1986 ■ Kent State Universitt, 1ion," " Infinite Diversity in Infinite CombinaMassillon One-person show, Rosewood Art Centre, 1985 ■ Kettering; May Show, Cleveland Museum of Art; lucklf ■ One -person show, Dobama Theatre 1 986, Fabric , ■ ■ ■ Art Museum, ODC Quilt Invitational for Winterfair, Columbus and Cincinnati; ODC Fall exhibition, Massillon, Springfield Art Center, Springfield; Editor's Choice Carnegie Center, Covington, Ken- exhibit , Houston Market , Houston, Texas ; All Ohio Show, Canton Art Institute, Canton; Best of 1986, Gallery, Cultural Art Center, Columbus; Materializations, Cleveland; ''Artquest '86"; 7th Annual Paper in Particular National Exhibition, Columbia College, Missouri Canton Kent State University, B.A ., 1972 ; M . A . , 1974 1986 ■ ■ Boxes ■ ■ M.F.A., 198 7 Magic 48X56 stitute (attended), 1972; Cleveland Institute of Art, 1980; 20 . ■ The Presidio of Monterey Defense Language InB . F.A., Claire M . Murray Cincinnati Beachwood, Ohio; One-person show, Calico CupAlan F. Kinnard ■ ■ 17. Postmodern Miami University, B.S . , 1976 1977-86 ■ ■ Columbus ■ Blues Silkscreen, 21X21 board, Kalamazoo, Michigan 1985, 111ncent Leon Olmsted ■ ■ ■ the Kent Past Schuss Design, Inc.; 1986-present- Alan Kinnard Enterprises ■ St. Cloud State University, B.F.A., 1983; Kent State Dennis Harber ■ University, M . F . A . , program Earnest C. Merritt, Jr. 14 . Cosmos Series ■ ~001 1986 , Computer print, 10-1 /8X 14-1 /8 ■ Highland Heights ■ 1987 ■ Artquest '87; Artist Society Interna- tional, San Francisco; Search for New Talent, Ja pan; Young Glass '8 7, International Competition, Plane Columbus College of Ari ,,,,LI Design (attended) . 1981-present ■ Colun,bu~ media, 22X30 ■ 1986, Mixed ■ Ebeltoft, Denmark . 1 986 ■ ■ Capital Glass Invitational, the Glass Gal- lery, Bethesda, Maryland; The 14th Annual HabCooper School of Art , private study ■ itat, Gallery Invitational, Detroit ; Kent State University Student Annual; Jewish Community Center 1987 ■ Woman's City Club, Cleveland. 1986 ■ Jewish Community Center Exhibition, Group-show. Marqaltt . New Jersey ■ Cleveland; Ohio Collection, Cleveland; A Visual Forum, Trinity Cathedral, Cleveland; Fine Arts Association, Willoughby ■ Susan Shie Sheryl L. Hoffman ■ ■ 22. Robert Metzger 1 5. Hy and Nalf dia, 54X38X72 ■ Wooster Athens 1986, Mixed me- ■ Elvira on the Nile media, 8-1 /2X9 Columbus ■ ■ 1986, Mixed Best in Show ■ ■ The College of Wooster, B . A., 1981 ; Kent State Cleveland State University, B . A., 1985; Ohio Uni versity, M . F.A . , 1987 University, M . F.A., 1986 ■ Here : 24X 30 1986 ■ ■ Distance ■ Honorable Mention ■ Cream of the Crop 86 Exhibition, South- ern Ohio Cultural Center, Portsmouth; Outdoor Ohio State University, B . A., 1985 ■ United Christian Center Gallery, Colum- ■ ter, Columbus; "Contempor;.ry Quilts , " Boston University Art Gallery; "Mostly Midwest," 55 Mer- Northeast Graduate Sculpture Exhibition, Penn 1986 State University; Graduate Sculpture Exhibition, Columbus; ■ 1987 bus; "Beyond Craft, " Leo Vassenoff Jewish Cen- Sculpture Exhibition, Heritage Village, Columbus; Ohio University ■ 1986, bus ■ ■ "Prisms," King Benjamin-Marcus Avenue Coffeehouse, Gallery, Colum- cer Street Gallery, New York; "The Quilt National, ' 87," The Dairy Barn Southeastern Ohio Cultural Arts Center, Athens ■ David Umbenhour Diane Shoemaker ■ ■ Canal Winchester Individual ■ North Canton Earl Baxtresser 23 . Inside Walls ■ Walls, 1986, 58X33X16 26 . Outside Acrylic on 30X42 wood, ■ Untitled 1 986, Mixed media, ■ ■ James A . Birch Ohio University, B . F.A., 1982 ; M . F.A ., 1985 ■ Eastern Kentucky University, B.F.A., 1983; Ohio ■ Universi1y, M.F.A., 1986 1987 ■ Ohio State Fine Arts Exhibition, Colum- bus ; "Contemporary Realism '86," Leslie Levey Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona ■ Adrian Evans Janet M. Hoover ■ Little Art Gallery, one-person show, North Canton. 1986 Lee Bale Sandra Bergston 1986 Dr. Gertrude S. Hornung Mrs. Sidney L. Jackson ■ "Proscenium '86," Lakewood Art Cen- ter , Lakewood ; "May Show , " Little Art Gallery. North Canton ; "All Ohio Show," Canton Art In stitute, Canton ■ Geraldine Wojno Kiefer Barbara Krupp Omar E . Mueller Ill Mrs. Dan Reines Janet K . Scudieri Nancy Seibert John Sokol Lois H . Strassburg Marilyn C. Szalay ■ Katherine Syracopoulos Lakewood Joseph Valencic 24 . ■ Tangled Web We 1985, Charcoal , 44X30 Weave ■ Virginia B . Wojno I Walter T . Wojno K.S . U . Albert Wagner ■ Purchase Award ■ Kent State University, B.F.A., 1972; M .F .A ., 27 . ■ 1975 The Fountain of Life Acrylic, 36X48 ■ 1986 ■ 1986, ■ Mr. & Mrs . Robert C. Dix Alan S. Grotenrath 1984 ■ Folkways Gallery, Cleveland . Gloria Plevin Gallery, Chautauqua, New York; All 1983 ■ Mather Gallery, Case Western Reserve Ohio ' 86, The Canton Art Institute , Canton; "Fig - University, Cleveland . The Valley Ari Center, ■ Dr . and Mrs. John Allen Campbell Self-trained folk artist land State University; Cuyahoga Community College Faculty Show, Cleveland; "La Femme," The Family ■ May Show, Cleveland Museum of Art; Three-person exhibit, "Drawing on Time," Cleve- ure and Configuration, " Dr . Herbert L . Zobel East Cleveland 1977 :II Mrs . Rae R. Grotenrath Eric & Patricia May Janice Lessman-Moss/Al Moss Karamu House, Cleveland ■ Dr . & Mrs . Yale S . Palchich Carol Salus Chagrin Falls; The Jewish Community Center 21st Annual Photography Show, Cleveland : FAVA: Six Scillia Family State Photography 86, Oberlin; "Proseenium '86," Fred & Nancy Smith Beck Center for the Cultural Arts, Bay Village; The Jack & Kathleen Smith Jewish Community 32nd Annual Art Show, Cleve- Ralph & Joanne Harley land ■ Sponsor Donna Webb ■ Carlyn & Ben Bassham 1986, Commercial Press, Inc. City Glass & Mirror Co . Kent 28 . Vase with Yellow Base Clay, 16X5-1/2X5-1/2 25. Untitled 1 dia, 96X96 ■ ■ ■ 1986, Mixed me- ■ Eastern Michigan University, B . F.A . , 1969; Uni■ Kent State University, B.F . A ., 1986 ; M.F.A . pro■ 1986 ■ Holzman Assoc. Inc. Jones, Koppes & Leporis Typesetting Co . versity of Michigan, M.F.A., 1971 gram Mr . and Mrs. Thomas Barber Akron Dave Thornberry ■ ■ Mrs. Dustin C . Lewis McKay Bricker Gallery & Framing Helen Moss 1987 ■ The Best of 198 7, Columbus Cultural Art Elmer L . & Virginia Novotny Center , Columbus; Group Exhibition, Ariel GalAutumn Show , Meadville Council on the lery, New York; Sixth Biennial Paper and Clay Ex- Arts Gallery, Meadville, Pennsylvania ; Blossom hibition, The University Gallery, Memphis State; Festival Painting Exhibition , Kent State Univer- Group show, Gallery West, Cuyahoga Community sity ■ Colleqe, Parma ■ Benefactor ■ Dubois Book Store
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CONTEMPORARY PLATINUM PRINTS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS Kent State University School of Art Gallery April 7- 30, 1993 Foreword Because there is no photography program in the School of Art, the Gallery has been particularly receptive to this important artistic area. Contemporary Platinum Prints and Photographers, our third photography exhibition in ten years, focuses on the dynamic interplay between creativity and technique. In fact, the very nature of the medium, which needs large field cameras to produce a large negative, has led to the production of images that are contemplative. However, as the artists in this exhibit demonstrate, contemporary photographers are producing platinum prints reflecting many ideas and concerns. Dan Rohn, who served as guest curator~ selected the artwork, refined the focus of the exhibit, and wrote the catalogue essay. His dedication, enthusiasm, and hard work deserve special recognition. I would also like to thank the gallery staff, especially Chad Dresbach, our designer. Without the artists, there would be no exhibit. Therefore, I am grateful for the cooperation of Dick Arentz, Lois Conner, jeffrey D. Mathias, Walter Chappell, Gilbert W. Leebrick, Wendy Holmes, and of course Dan Rohn. Finally, I must express my gratitude to the Ohio Arts Council for making this project possible. Fred T. Smith, Director School of Art Galleries 2 The more experience and ability one gets, the more one gives up The process remained dormant until the 1970s, when the quality Platinum printing is one alternative process that not only gives that furious determination to embellish and exaggerate Nature. of commercial photographic paper, which up until that time had beautiful prints, but uses less technology in doing so. The There comes a time when one finds Nature so beautiful, so been "silver-rich," was cheapened with the use of less silver. The number of chemicals used are few. Coating and developing of the unified, so coherent in its defects, that one tends to prefer result of this cut-back reduced the richness of the darks in the final paper can be done in dim light. The sun and its ultraviolet light rendering it just as one sees it. print. George Tice, a contemporary photographer and technician, (written in 1769 by Quentin de la Tour, French Painter) wrote an abbreviated description of how to produce a platinum The platinum print is made by hand-coating a sensitizing solution of platinum, palladium, and an iron salt onto suitable paper. The negative and coated paper are placed in contact within a glass frame and exposed to an ultraviolet light source. The image, when developed, will never fade, since the platinum that composes the image is an inert metal. Platinum printing was patented in 1873 by William Willis, and the platinotype became the preferred way of fine printing until 1937 when the high cost of platinum and the convenience of the silver printing process eliminated platinum paper from the market, although a few photographers continued coating their own paper. can be used for the exposure. But to produce this "physical thing" . platinum printers make sacrifices. They lug around large and print by hand-coating your own paper in Caring for Photographs, a heavy field cameras to produce the negative needed for contact volume of the Life Library of Photography published by Time Life printing. That they hand-coat the light-sensitive solution Books in 1972. Since that time there has been a resurgence of introduces irregularities in the image. Temperature and humidity interest in the platinum print, not the least reason being that the can have an effect as well. Printing is expensive, since platinum platinum print is a much more beautiful object than a silver print. salts cost more per gram than gold. But these restrictions also lead to thoughtful images conceived with much love and care. The The making of a beautiful object is what it is all about. Photographers wanted to "render nature" just as Quentin de Ia Tour did. The first book to be illustrated with photographs was technology of photography is pushed back a little so that the work is more intuitive within a process sympathetic to the making of beautiful objects. made by William Henry Fox Talbot in 1844. It was titled The Pencil of Nature, and the connection between drawing and The photographers in this exhibit are travelers, going from place photography was made. But with the decline of the quality of to place, aiming their lenses (and our attention) toward their photographic paper during the 1970s, it became more and more particular concerns. As our natural areas shrink and our The platinum image has an extremely full tonal scale. Unlike a difficult for modern photographers to make the "beautiful object." manmade world becomes more crowded and less satisfying, there normal photograph composed of silver particles floating on a gelatin Photographers began to explore alternative printing processes is increasing interest in the vistas still left. Despite the coating, the platinum is imbedded within the fibers of the paper. from the past because, as Richard Benson, a photographer who cumbersome equipment, the artists in this exhibition are, with This, along with a matte surface produces an image with an almost has revolutionized the process of reproducing images in their specific points of view, recording with fidelity the beauty of ethereal illusion of depth and clarity. Because of the beauty of the photographic books, said: "Photography has this slippery kind of the world in which we live. medium many great photographers made platinum prints, including nonexistence that makes it a minor art. Something's wrong with Fredrick Evans, Alfred Stieglitz, Alvin Langdon Coburn , Edward photography .. I've got this idea that it's because the physical thing Weston, Paul Strand, and Bernice Abbot. we end up making just isn't good enough."1 Daniel Rohn, Associate Professor of Art Kent State University 1. Quoted by Calvin Tomkins, "Profiles: A Single Person Making A Single Thing," The New Yorker, December 17, 1990 3 I have been a landscape photographer for twenty years. For the past five, I have walked the fine line between the need to create and Dick Arentz is a traveler, and this fact has resulted in limited edition portfolios on Death Valley and the the need for renumeration. Above all, I have maintained my integrity. American Southwest as well as a two-year photographic essay of Kentucky, West Virgin ia, and I have recorded both the natural and, more frequently, the socially altered landscapes. Over this time, I gained a degree of maturity that has allowed me to see distinctly with a vision appropriate for the platinum/palladium medium. I exercise subtlety rather than relying on the "quick fix" provided by simplistic imagery. My compositions are structurally complex. I choose my subject matter other regions of the mid-South which he toured in 1990-1992. In 1986 Four Corners Country was published by the University of Arizona Press. His work is in many important collections including the carefully to convey a meaning which demands, equally, an amount of maturity from the viewer. I am not interested in following trends. Above all, I view the landscape with respect. I have no use for "cuteness" or the adulteration of imagery which Museum of Modern Art, the George Eastman House, the Amon Carter Museum of Western Art, and the Fotografis Landerbank in Vienna, Austria. He is a editorializes single issue political persuasions of the photographer. technician and teacher of platinum printing , and his Outline for Platinum and Palladium Printing is in its My political statements, if any, are a gentle reminder that we are all a part of this earth. I am concerned with the natural landscape second edition . But Arentz is also our conscience. He and our need to preserve it. I do not romanticize the human-altered landscape, but record it, both good and bad, with dignity. writes: "The distinctions between photographs and other media have become blurred in an avalanche of multimedia art. Photography has plunged headlong Dick Arentz (born 1935, Detroit, Michigan) into the art world of trends, gimmick and glitz. The documentary photograph is in danger of being replaced by computer imaging. I can imagine future historians trying to evaluate our society, not knowing if the photographic records are true or falsified." 4 DICK ARENTZ Gondolas, Venice, Italy 1992 (7 x 17 - Platinum-Palladium Print) 5 LOIS CONNER Queens, N. Y, 1991 (7 x 17 Platinum-Palladium Print) 6 Born in New York in 1951 , Lois Conner received a B.F.A. from Pratt Institute in 1975, and an M.F.A. in Photography from Yale University in 1979. She received a National Endowment for the Arts award in 1979 and a New York State Council on the Arts grant in 1983. A Guggenheim Fellowship to photograph in China in 1984 began her long association with this country and has resulted in the publication of a limited edition gravure book: The River Flows into the Heavens in 1988 and a catalogue of this work: In the Shadow of the Wall published by the National Museum of Art in Taichung, Taiwan. Her work has been exhibited nationally as well as in Asia and Europe and is represented in public collections including the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, Washington, D.C.; and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Before her appointment as assistant professor of photography at Yale in 1991, Ms. Conner taught in the New York metropolitan area at Cooper Union, Fordham University, School of Visual Arts, Pratt Institute, Parsons School of Design, and Sarah Lawrence College. 7 Beginning with the Chinese, folding screens have appeared throughout history. Not only are screens functional objects, they have also been used by artists to strengthen their statements. Within a folding screen, space may be manipulated by the concave and Jeffrey Mathias earned a bachelor of science degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology. He spent more than ten years as a physicist res·earch ing convex positioning of the panels. In this way the space may be closed or opened, joined or spanned, fixed or set in motion. The audience becomes aware of and must reevaluate the panels as they are moved into various positions. In 1989 I began to look for a photovoltaics, and in 1986 he began working as a full-time photographer. Studying platinum-palladium printmaking with Sal Lopes in the mid-1980s, he better way to represent the interrelationship between the culture and its environing space, and decided to apply the concept of the chose to work in this medium exclusively "because folding screen to my photographic work. Since my first screens, I have tried combining multiple images taken of the same view these prints convey the textures and substance of the image with more feeling than any other photographic from different positions in order to better relate what I am photographing to its space. technique. " Jeffrey D. Mathias (born 1951, Chicopee, Massachusetts) . Before his screens, Mathias worked on two large projects. The first was in 1986 photographing textile mills in the North Canal area of Lawrence, Massachusetts. Then in 1987 he tried , through his photography, to stimulate awareness of the former inhabitants of CasaGrande Ruins National Monument in Coolidge, Arizona. His work is in many collections, including the Center for Creative Photography in Tuscan , Arizona, and the Addison Gallery of American Art in Andover, Massachusetts. 8 WALTER CHAPPELL Bleeding Heart Leaf, 1976- 1990 (24 x 30 Platinum - Palladium Print) 10 Chappell uses electro-photography to reveal the Although Chappell's early pursuits were music, fluorescent emanations of energy systems integral to painting, and writing, he met and became a close living things. Technically, to do this he places plants or friend of Minor White in 1942. As his creative parts of them on the surface of the photographic plate. interests turned to photography, he wrote and edited When this living organic matter is introduced into a high for Aperature in the late 1950s and assisted White in voltage field , its electrons are changed into photons, and early intensive workshops. Recurring themes in his for a sparkling instant, they produce an image of the work have been the nude and the landscape, Indian plant's life force. Even though achieved in complete ceremonial life and culture, and his experimental work wrought to Something darkness without lens or camera, these are not surface with electro-photography that began in the 1970s. He Emerged images, like an x-ray or photog ram , but rather a record of now lives in the remote village of El Rite, New Mexico, the energy field within the plant's organic structure. from which he continues to exhibit, lecture, and give As a tale told ancientsilent Chappell refers to these images of life's radiance as his workshops. In addition, he is preparing a As the Sun Metaflora Series to suggest a documentary that is both retrospective monograph on his work in photography, objective and spiritual. "Discovery is unrepeatable/Being entitled Collected Light. When Sometimes Entirely pausing rain too hesitates I remember from a time unexisted All or Nothing we linger Like Morning = not perishing here/All we see creates/This presence in a/Living Stream Walter Chappell (born 1925, Portland, Oregon) of Energy." For him these ephemeral experiences Walter Chappell received National Endowment for the captured on film are "equivalents" simultaneously merging Arts Photographer's Fellowships in 1977, 1980, and his own energies with those of the plant to, which again in 1984. His works are in the collections of according to Chappell , "create a new image of both the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan understanding for my senses, and to unify my discovery of Art Museum, New York; the Library of Congress and nature with the growing discovery of my inner being." the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.; and the Museum of Modern Art, Paris, just to name a few. 11 I am interested in the photograph as an expression of transformation--where the subject not only reads as an object, but creates an atmosphere within the frame which invites us to live briefly on light and spirit. The creative process is so private and fragile ... Wendy Holmes received her B.A. degree from Smith College in 1968. The next year she studied as a special student of Minor White at the Massachusetts giving form to the kind of delicacy that often gets crammed out of our lives. I 'm pleased if my prints bring a chance for a quieter contemplation. Still life has always offered me a sanctuary-like work space, the most patient of subjects. The hand-sensitized Institute of Technology. She has worked as a free-lance photographer, an instructor of photography at the International Center of Photography, New York, and palladium print compliments this process through its subtlety of tone and rich expression of atmosphere. most recently as a workshop instructor at the Center for Photography at Woodstock, New York, where she has Wendy Holmes (born 1946, New York, New York) been quite active. Her work is included in the collections of the Addison Gallery of American Art in Andover, Massachusetts; the Bibliotheque Nationale, in Paris, France; and the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Texas. She has received a Polaroid Corporation grant and a Fellowship from the New Jersey Council on the Arts. 12 WENDY HOLMES Wild Roses, 1984 (8 x 10 Palladium Print) 13 GILBERT W. LEEBRICK Cliff Palace, lesa Verde, 1991 (8 x 20 Platinum-Palladium Print) 14 Our land, the planet Earth, Gilbert Leebrick earned his B.F.A. in Photography and Working with major grants from the Southwestern Sculpture (1971) and his M.Ed. in Photography (1975) Center for Contemporary Arts and the North Carolina at the University of Hawaii. He earned his M.F.A. in Arts Council, Leebrick has been photographing native It is a living organism -part of us, Photography from Clemson University (1987) where he American ceremonial sites since 1990 in the as we are part of it. is now on a year's appointment as associate professor Southeast and the Southwest. From his early years in and visiting artist. From 1984 to 1992, he was director Hawaii, Lee brick became aware of the Eastern of the Appalachian Environmental Arts Center in philosophy of man's relation to the earth, and this has Highlands, North Carolina. The center was a unique become an important part of his ideas and his life, photographic center located on the grounds of the and is, in fact, reflected in his work. Is not a commodity, a resource to be depleted. The work speaks about the small recognitions, the value of all, even the most insignificant; about the balance of order/chaos and the illusions of an objective reality. Highlands Biological Station which is a research facility of the University of North Carolina. The center's purpose was (through the photography program that (Gilbert Leebrick's grandfather was a former president of Kent State University, and so the connection between the photographer's name and Leebrick Hall is no accident). Leebrick conducted) to bring scientists and artist photographers together in the course of their daily The challenge, then, is to communicate this routines. Workshops with visiting artists were offered weekly during the summers, along with lectures, through the photographic medium. exhibitions, and evening classes for the residents. The craft of photography was taught, along with vital Gilbert W. Leebrick (born 1946, Brooklyn, New York) lessons about the fragile environment and how photography could play a part in making people more aware of their world. The center closed at the end of 1992, a victim of cuts in state appropriations. 15 I use this beautiful medium to record the light, the texture, and the geometry of nature. My antique camera and lens and the process I use lessens the technological intrusion upon my frame of reference, and is sympathetic to the kind A retiring professor of art at Kent State University, Daniel Rohn has taught in many areas of art, but never in photography. He received his B.F.A. at the Cleveland of images I want to make. Institute of Art and his M.F.A. in painting and printmaking from the Yale University School of Art in Daniel Rohn (born 1932, Wadsworth, Ohio) 1964. Rohn specializes in stone lithography. Early in his career, he was a printer for Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns at Universal Limited Art Editions on Long Island. He also studied music and for a brief time was a tenor with the Robert Shaw Chorale and other select choral groups. Although Rohn exhibited a photograph as early as 1954 in the Cleveland Museum May Show, he did not actively pursue the medium until 1972, and in 1981 he began working exclusively in platinum printing. His work has been shown in national exhibitions on both coasts. More recently his photography has won him many awards in this area. His most recent one-person exhibitions were held at the Akron Art Museum and Otterbein College. His platinum prints are in many collections, including Hiram and Otterbein Colleges, and in 1990 Rohn was commissioned by the Ohio Arts Council to make prints 16 to be given as the Governor's Awards for the Arts. DANIE L ROHN Valley Morning Fog, West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, 1984 (8 x 10 Platinum- Palladium Print) 17 CONTEMPORARY PLATINUM PRINTS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS Participants DICK ARENTZ 1640 N. Spyglass Way Flagstaff, AZ 86004 (602) 526-2404 WALTER CHAPPELL P.O. Box 181 El Rito, NM 87530 (505) 581-4615 LOIS CONNER 36 Gramercy Park East - Apt. 4E New York, NY 10003 (212) 475-1 623 WENDY HOLMES RD 1 Box 183 Chatham, NY 12037 (518) 392-2730 GILBERT W. LEEBRICK P.O. Box 1303 Highlands, NC 28741 (704) 526-4260 JEFFREY D. MATHIAS 12026 Riverhills Dr. Tampa, FL 33617 (813) 988-3515 DANIELROHN 3936 Leewood Rd. Stow, OH 44224 (216) 688-6539 1993 Friends of the Gallery STUDENT/SENIOR CITIZEN SPONSOR Ellen Dieter Catherine Dumm Marion J. Watson-Hardy Janet M. Hoover L. Chrys Humphrey Catherine and Raymond DeMattia Helen Dix Ralph and Joanna L. Harley Florence M. Lewi s Barbara Meeker- Kent Travel Allen W. and Ann L. Pavlovich Fred T. Smith Dr. Herbert Zobel INDIVIDUAL Dorothy Caldwell Peggy Kwong-Gordan Geraldine Wojno-Kiefer Dr. Gary S. Nieman Albert W. Reischuck Lois Strassburg Frank Susi Nicholas and Katherine Syracopoulos Joseph A. Valencic BENEFACTOR Dubuois Bookstore Eve T. Bissler Rae R. Grotenrath Alan S. Grotenrath Virginia B. Wojno FAMILY Marlene Mancini Frost and George Frost Henry and Sandra Halem Thompson and Frances Lehnert Luke and Roland Lietze McKay Bricker Gallery Gustav and Kathleen Medicus Kathleen Davis Pierce and Roy J. Schechter John F. Puskas Jim and Deanna Robb and Family Carol Salus Gerald L. Schweigert Kay Taber Jack D. and Kathleen T. Smith Ohio Arts Council 727 East Main Street Columbus, Ohio 43205-1769 (614) 466-2613 or -4541 TOO