Kicking it in the Ashe!

In 1930 the guild started coming together durring the depresion. The guild would make and teach different types of crafts to try and make money durring this time. The guild started in the Appalachian are and started to spread all over the south east region around the mountains. Today the guild is made up of over 1000 members within 9 states. From The Fold Art Center, Joe Frank Mckee was one of the artist that intregued me the most. He was a pottery maker from Sylva North Carolina who was one of the co-founders of Tree House Pottery in NC. In his work he makes Raku and Horse hair pottery. Raku pottery is a type of of burn technique done to the pot and Horse hair is a technique of burning hair in the pottery. I had already known a lot about the two techniques so i caught my eye when i saw his work.

In Handmade In America we were shown how crafts made from human, not machine, can also be used in interior design, for instince rugs, dressers, lamps, ect. Within the Handmade In America, Bill Brown made this lamp, and others, as an interior decor piece.

At the Oriole Mill we learned the technique to create one of a kind rugs, blankets, and others. It starts out with putting all the string on a giant spindle and thn a giant computer operated sewing machine creates the pattern that is desired into the rug or blanket or whatever is being made.

The last place we visited was The River Arts District. Here one of the craftsmen was M. H. Libman, he was a woodturner and had many great pieces of work. He makes all kind of wood products like bowls, salt holders, cups, vases, chairs, ect. It was a process where he would actually sometimes go down to Florida and get his own wood and then he would design a piece out of the trees he obtained. Depending on how thick the bowls were some would actually take up to an entire year to dry.

Asheville Craft Immersion Day

The Folk Art Center in Asheville, NC was established as Allanstand Craft Shop in 1902.  Francis Goodrich spent many years helping local women develop their craft and helped sell the results of their hard work.  The area became non-self sufficient so she helped create an industry whereby the local women could earn enough to make a modest living.  It appears she started with a looming business inspired by a 40 year-old coverlet she received as a gift from a neighbor in 1895.

The Guild, originally made up of members of the Southern Mountain Workers, established itself as The Southern Mountain Handicraft Guild in 1928, changing its name in 1933 to Southern Highland Handicraft Guild.  Its “mission stressed conservation, development and education of handicrafts, and standards of quality.” (From Mountain Hands – The Story of Allanstand Craft Shop’s First 100 Years, pgs. 7,8)

I have indicated my interest in this class as Jewelry and Metal, but I was struck by a basket displayed in the Black and White showcase.  The designers name is Billy Ruth Sudduth and come to find out, she is world renowned.  I fell in love with a basket call "Shakes Cat's Head", so I drew a pretty good rendering of it.  When I typed her name into google to see if there was any information on her, there was my basket!  

Billy Ruth Sudduth lives in North Carolina and is a member of the Guild.  "In 1997, she was named a North Carolina Treasure, the state's highest honor for creative excellence in the field of crafts." (http://www.brbasket.com/)  

The black and white basket (Oak, iron oxide dye, acrylic paint, plaited) is the basket that inspired me to look her up and veer from my original topic.  I added a few others so one could truly appretiate what she can do.

Handmade in America was kind of a tough one.  Personally, I took offense to the orator’s attitude, which put me off a little.  I didn’t feel she was that knowledgeable of the pieces and the designers of those pieces.  I did not come away with a good understanding of the pieces I was interested in.

With that said, I did really like 2 of the metal pieces displayed in the gallery.  I have attached pictures of the 2, but have no information on Linda Azar.  William Rogers is a little better at self promotion.  He is a member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild and teaches at the John C. Campbell Folk School.  

 William Rogers - Candle Holder, Steel Copper and Brass

Linda Azar 

At the Center for Craft Creativity and Design, we were supposed to receive an assignment.  I did not.  I'm hoping we just ran out of time and weren't given one.  I did take some pictures, because the tapestries looked really possessed and creepy through my lense.  I thought they should be shared.  The designer is Lia Cook.

I most enjoyed the Jacquard Loom tour given at the Oriole Mill.  I thought this was worth the entire days trip.  The women were welcoming, informative and so enthusiastic and with good reason.  Their product is absolutely beautiful.  I was so intrigued by the entire process, especially the actually weave demonstartion.  I still don't understand how it all comes together, but the result is gorgeous.  

They use all natural imported fabrics of wool, linen and cotton.  They demonstated the warping process which blew my mind.  I still don't understand if they hand tie all of those strands and if they do, how in the world...?  They showed us the huge computer operated jacquard looms and the beautiful fabric that it creates.  I just thought the whole proces and product was fascinating.  

The key idea behind Joseph Marie Jacquard's loom was to control the action of the weaving process by interfacing the behavior of the loom to an encoding of the pattern to be reproduced.  The amount of time that was put into weaving fabric almost eliminated the profit of the fabric, so Jacquard invented a loom that would design intricate patterns automatically, thereby reducing the cost of production. (http://www.suspenders.com/jacquard-history.htm)

The Warping Process:

The Loom:

The Loom in action:

Samples of product:

Lastly, I visited the Village Potters.  I found the 3 artists work particularly interesting.  It was more about the glazing than the shapes of the pieces.  I've traveled a lot and have visited many art exhibits, whether it's craft shows or galleries and I haven't seen glazes that look like these anywhere.  We only had a quick tour, so the process wasn't that clear to me, plus I was so interested, I wanted to buy more than understand.  Both Sarah Rolland and Cat Jarosz had a similar glazing result and held my interest equally.  I was interested in Melonie Robertson's work, because of the glaze too, but her work has a completely different feel.  The crackeled effect in her glazes is a process called Raku.

The top picture is an example of Sarah Rolland's work.  The middle is Cat Jarosz.  The final picture is an example Melonie Robertson's work.  

American Craft Week in Asheville

Our class traveled to Asheville, North Carolina to experience different craftsmen. The first stop was at the Folk Art Center. The Southern Highland Craft Guild was established in 1930. One of the founders,  Frances Goodrich moved to North Carolina to do missionary work. While living there, she found women who were still weaving. She started the Allanstand Cottage Industries in 1897, a craft shop that sold quilts and other hand-made objects. Several people met at the Penland School of Crafts and decided to start the guild. Over 900 craftspeople are represented by the Guild and is now one of the  most prominent craft organizations in the United States.

One artist that I found interesting while walking around the Black and White Southern Highland Craft Guild exhibition was Ed Byers. He creates figural sculptures with red earthenware clay that is hand built. Byers is from Huntsville, Alabama, graduated from Auburn University and studied ceramic sculpture in Asheville, NC at a graduate level. He wants his sculptures to capture the essence of the human experience through color, form and texture. The sculpture was of a woman with a pot on her head. It was called "Graceful Life." It was made out of terracotta clay, fired multiple times, had some custom marble in it and then finished with a black glaze. He uses coils, slabs and natural texture tools to achieve the affect.

One of Ed Byer's other works

Interior designers can successfully use craft in interiors by using local resources. An interior designer should see what craftsmen are in their area and see what products they have that could be used in the space that they are designing. For example, if a kitchen is being designed then one would look for a local cabinet maker. 

The textile piece that I found most interesting at Handmade in America was the Long Sweater made by Patte Vanden Berg. It is made out of recycled wool and cotton. Vanden Berg loves nature and is inspired by the outdoors. There is something that she finds enticing about bold colors and textures. She learned from her mother who was a seamstress. Sewing was always a part of her life. She was originally a glass-artist and then decided to become a fashion designer. She has no website or any online advertisement. Vanden Berg relies strictly on pieces to speak for themselves and get the word out. 

"Long Sweater" Patte Vanden Berg

At the Center for Craft Creativity, I was surprised when I first entered. It was hard to distinguish whether the pieces of art were photographs or paintings. They were actually rugs designed by Lia Cook. I never thought that there could be so much detail on a rug. They are very dramatic but there is still softness because of the texture of the rug. I think that the rugs with the faces on them tell more of a story than the original photograph. 

Lia Cook's Design

We went to the Oriole Mill, a textile design company where they make the different products such as coverlets, throws and pillows with natural fibers. The mill was founded by Bethanne Knudson and Stephan Michelson in 2006. There are only seven looms in total. The two Dobby looms are better for producing high quality products using delicate and expensive thread.The five Jacquard looms create the complex patterns that Knudson designs. This loom is controlled by punched cards that punch holes in each row to achieve the design. It was created in 1801 by Joseph Marie Jacquard. They do warping, winding, finishing and sewing on the grounds which help with the weaving process, Making it easier to produce high-end fabrics. 

Our last stop was at the Asheville Glass Center. It opened in 2009 in Asheville's River Arts District. They have cold working and flameworking in soft glass and borosilicate. One of the artist's was Logan MacSporran who was born in Toronto and then emigrated to the United States with his family. He was self taught who works in numerous mediums. One has to inflate the molten glass into a bubble with a blowpipe.

Overall, I really enjoyed going to Asheville and experiencing the different craftsmen and creations.

Locality & Crafting: A Journey Through Local Artists.

An up-close look of a quilt pattern that she has been working on.The Folk Art Center started as a cottage industry by Frances Goodrich in the 1890s. A haven for trade among the local woman and artisian crafters in the area around Asheville. As time went on, it expanded and the first Artist's Guild was created in Downtown Asheville in 1908.

Sandra Rowland is a local Ashevillian that is apart of the Southern Highland Guild. Her medium is fiber, and she expresses her exuberant personality in each piece that she creates. Her kooky attitude and kind eyes only reflect a mere tidbit of what emenates from within her creativity. Here, in the photo above, she is explaining her book making for infants and young children who can't read. They are images to bring presedence to visual understanding early on. They are made from old fabrics and fibers found all around the city, that she stitches together to make fun images for the kids. She has been with guild for many years and is apart of the Chair Board. She loves kids and is just full of so much energy. Her work is adorable and educational. She is eager for life and loves her art. It shows in everything that she does. So inspirational.

Handmade in America uses handmade crafts for interiors to give a personal and more expensive look. It is one of the only interior companies that does this solely. It benefits the local economy and gives local artists a chance to let their work shine through. Asheville is all about supporting local!
This tea pot is sold at Handmade and was created by Maud and Austin Boleman. It is a typically made pot from clay adorned and glazed with different oxides. However, this is a one of a kind piece that is a perfect fit for a space that someone in the local area would love to have! It is so artfully put together with such detail that the textural facade actually looks and kind of feels like wood! It is very organic. Maud and Austin are known for these types of designs and are apart of the Black Mountain Studios in Asheville. They mimic nature so beautifully and have really found their niche in recreating it so realistically. This married duo have been creating together for years. Austin was educated at Columbia University, and Maud learned her skills from Nova Southern University.
http://www.blackmountainstudios.com/index.html

Center for Craft Creativity and Design is a center in Asheville that houses many local crafters' works. This exhibit was done by Lia Cook called her Bridge 11 Exhibit. She explemlified what it means to extend emotionalism into fabric form. She wanted to understand at what extent does a photo convey what is needed from it as far as the emotional presence is concerned. She took pictures she took of people and blew them up and had them woven into large scale on jacquard fabric. These monumental images evoke so much from the viewer. Such a strong exhibit, it resonates so brightly in the open space at the gallery.
Close up of woven fabric. 

Oriole Mill is unlike any other mill in America. Sure, the staff is small and the location is unlikely, however what makes is so much more unique than the other mills are the large windows on the building. They value their resource of natural light. It allows them to view the color so vividly and realistically, creating a trueness to their work. The create fabrics, covers, blankets and other woven products that are to transcend time and be so different from what else is offered by other mills. The machines are computer run and have a very complex way of working. They weave so intricately and rapidly that the human eye has trouble understanding it in natural motion.

Natural light from windows.Thread being fed onto a giant spool.Weaving Process.

In Asheville's River Art's District one finds so many fascinating artists and materials! Glass art is very popular. Robert Gardener has a glass blowing studio and shop in the area where so many pieces were created. They were edgy, different and so delicately gorgeous. Many of his pieces incorporated other materials and had such a elegannce to them.

Glass Ornament.Mixed Media Piece of Glass and Stone.Interior of the studio space.Exterior of Glass Blowing Studio.

Founded by Frances Goodrich in 1890, the Folk Art Center was created so that women could gather together and weave. Goodrich encouraged other women to keep traditions. From the group that met, the Southern Highland Guild was formed.

Libby and Jim Mijanovich, artists of Mija, work together, creating intricate pieces with fiber. Libby is the color queen and Jim has the skills for design. Their textile pieces are usually displayed as wall decorations. Below is an image of their Rhythm piece.

photo property of Mija

I personally like this piece because it is filled with crazy patterns, but it still flows. I think the black and white adds simplicity yet is still quite beautiful.

At Handmade in America, they encourage people to buy handmade crafts. Not only does it help the economy for artists, but it is also much more valuable and much more intricate than manufactured art. Handmade in America is a very neat non-profit organization that encourages local businesses and artists.

At the Center for Craft, Creativity, and Design, the exhibit was Lia Cook's. Cook uses pixelated photos on cloth. When viewed from up close, they appear blurry. However, when viewing from further away, the pictures stand out beautifully. Cook takes something that is considered imperfect, twistes it, and creates something new and beautiful. She took a risk creating these projects, a risk well worth taking. 

This piece stands out to me because not only is it pixelated but it also has a maze pattern hince the name In the Maze. Interestingly, this image appears clearer through a camera rather than in person.

The Oriole Mill is a rather fascinating place. Within ten minutes of arriving there, we had been told no less than four times that it was a privilege that we got to visit the mill and watch the machines work. It was so neat to watch the pieces of the large machines work together to create yarn, fabric, and string. I never knew creating fabric was such a intricate and complex process. I was impressed by all of the workers who put hard work into the custom made fabric.

Photo by Peak Definition

The River Arts District is a strip of different craft shops. Of the pottery, wood turning, and basket weaving, the pottery was my favorite. We had the opportunity to watch one of the ladies work on the wheel. I was impressed by her speed and skill and creating such beautiful pieces of pottery. The glaze shop was fascinating and the klin was, well, hot.

I am so glad I had the opportunity to go on this trip. I cannot wait to use what I have learned about handmade crafts for my interior design career.