ARTISTS TALKING

# 23 [12 November 2007]

Max Hymes

I have discovered a really interesting visual artist who uses marquetry within his work. Max Hymes is a sculptor whose works incorporate various elements of traditional craft alongside modern materials, concepts and techniques. I like his approach and what he is producing which makes reference to significant periods within the history of craft whilst amalgamating historical and contemporary aesthetic tastes.

The Arts and Crafts movement is so important to the study of craft that taking this into account in some way seems inevitable. Pointing to ideas regarding local materials, the exotic and heterogeneous societies- there seems to be a lot going on within Hymes' work; this is reflected in an eclectic style which seems to incorporate amongst other things elements of folk art alongside the more lavish notion of the objet d'art.

I have been thinking about ranges of materials too from the available and inexpensive to the natural and manmade, what we consider luxurious and those taken entirely for granted. Within marquetry there is a huge array of materials to consider. Some of the manmade veneers I have encountered are themselves quite bizarre, fabricated grains that mimic those to be found naturally. Some I find look like retro prints or designs you might find on an out of date jumper. I think within marquetry circles these are more often than not dismissed for being inauthentic and are used more for backing pictures rather than playing a significant part in the actual design.

I think these manmade veneers have their own qualities though that are worth considering and in reality we are surrounded by them everyday, from laminate floors to those plastic walnut finishes that appear to look so great on car doors.

Some of Max Hymes work and other links can be found at the bearspace gallery website below

http://www.bearspace.co.uk/home.html

# 22 [6 November 2007]

Silas Kopf

Silas Kopf is an American artist with a high profile for his marquetry he is an example of someone that seems very engaged with the practice it's tradition and history. With a degree in architecture his wood working came later, discovering marquetry whilst working in various workshop situations for other people.

Kopf's work is essentially commercial applying his marquetry to all sorts of furniture, cabinet making in general being an important theme underlying what he does and that specific tradition. I like fact that this can be related to a background in an architecture where the construction of a utilitarian object was the main objective, underpinned by drawing. Thinking about this in relation to kopf's furniture production connections are definitely apparent. Kopf has a market for his work and makes things to sell. Despite this he does sit on the fence a little in terms of his art although he doesn't seem to care too much, essentially calling himself a craftsmen and making his own admission that his work will never be acknowledged as avant garde.

I ‘think I'm a good craftsman and that what I do is interesting because of the level of skill that goes into it, and that if somebody finds some art content in it, either that it's an interesting furniture design or there is an interesting pictographic concept, so much the better' Kopf

(Actually reading interviews with various people involved with the Marquetry society in the UK they generally seem indifferent to whether they are called artists or craftsmen or if what they do is Art or craft which is probably a good thing.)

Working in the ‘trompe l‘oiel' tradition Kopfs pieces ranges from the satisfying trickery of table tops to some things that are downright weird (Betty Boo having sex with a peanut??) From what I have seen I note a struggle with the aesthetic and the subject, particularly the portraiture which some of the more bizarre works play on, but not to undermine a certain originality. I like the way he talks about his work though and his discipline and respect for his craft of which he is clearly amongst the elite in terms of skill.

http://www.silaskopf.com/index.html

The website seems to illustrate commercial stuff and I think there are more interesting images of his work elsewhere. Various things I have read lead to interesting questions and considerations however.......

‘can you really get emotional content out of it that surpasses just the awesomeness of the fact that it is done in wood? I'm always fighting-not fighting that, but that is a thing that I think about. Seduction of the material and technique' Kopf

This relates to how I can't seem to detach myself from having to relate the content of marquetry to wood as a material, the fundamental struggle of subject matter. It is interesting that someone in Kopfs position mentions this and also how the skill and material tends to takes priority over the content.

Kopf also seems actively engaged with issues of sustainability and ecology surrounding working with tropical timbers. Something I haven't really written about but that is a question that seems to be raised within the practice and is increasingly relevant.

Having studied in Europe and practicing marquetry professionally for many years Kopf is a central figure in the continuation of the precision of the craft of marquetry. Work for Steinway Pianos illustrates this and he seems to be out on his own in a way in terms of his market and profession. He also provides some interesting reference points in the way of Art nouveau artists whose work he has been influenced by.

# 21 [2 November 2007]

Revision

As I progress I find I look back at things I've written and want to change them. I feel a bit like a naughty school girl making changes to previous entries so I think it is better to reflect within the blog rather than becoming my own editor. Infact I seem to have become a little bit preoccupied with thinking about what a blog actually is that I am getting distracted from the main point of it all.

One thing I thought about earlier was the technical skill of perfecting a craft. I felt as if this were secondary to my ideas in some way but now I'm not sure this sounded right. The whole point of adopting Marquetry was to use it as it should be and to produce work properly and with skill, be it in my own way. Finding a way to unite the precision of craft with my own practice and general attitiudes toward making is crucial.

It is the skill with working veneer that gives it such potential not just the material itself. It isn't just having the ideas to try and come up with something original but acknowledging the tradition and history of craft itself which is rooted in great skill.

I can see I have the potential to improve technically, ( and have done already to some extent) this seems natural and essential to the development of my work.

# 20 [31 October 2007]

Commercial crafts

A few days ago I listened to a basket maker talk about her craft and was inspired by her enthusiasm. Another archetypal rural craft the relationship to maker and material is fascinating and incredibly linked to the environment and nature.

In relation to the last entry I made about straw one of the objects discussed incorporated this into it. A dainty chair of rushed seating from France incorporated straw within the weave to give a gold finish. I have always taken for granted this type of furniture but it has an incredible amount of effort invested in it and I will be bearing this in mind from now on when parking myself.

As twigs are becoming a bit of a reoccurring theme for me the thought of raiding hedgerows and bushes for material is very appealing. Like veneer the qualities of the branches are diverse and hearing this talked about seemed to have a lot in common with the way I have been thinking about wood. Basket making seems to be in an ambiguous place commercially and artistically, woven baskets that we would think nothing about buying for very little are all handmade. Extremes of woven materials exist between the luxury of a traditionally made object and those imported and undervalued. The evolution of such a craft into an art form feels like an important consideration, not just in a sense of form over function but historically and culturally too.

To think about Marquetry commercially is also interesting. Laser cutting means that designs that would have traditionally have taken many many hours to cut by hand can now be produced quickly and with impeccable accuracy. A company in Wales produces Marquetry in this way commercially which is intriguing.

What is the demand for Marquetry commercially and who is buying it?..........well looking at the link Stella McCartney seems to be a happy customer and it is certainly interesting to see what is on offer and what people appear to be buying, not to mention a question of taste. There are some interesting commissions on the site from interior designers and architects. If one were to undertake a large scale project this approach could enable marquetry to be used with much less restriction for the artist. Marquetry could be produced on a huge scale as public works or with architecture in mind?

Panelling, billboards, the sides of buildings or expanses of wall........lots to get carried away with

www.aryma.co.uk

# 19 [24 October 2007]

Straw Marquetry

Marquetry isn't exclusive of wood, which I may have appeared to have overlooked so far. Shell, mother of pearl and straw are among other materials that are able to be inlaid in some form to be known as Marquetry.

Straw is of interest to me as being on a farm and handling it as part of my daily routine the material feels familiar. Straw Marquetry really does feel like a rural craft and somehow more feminine?? I think because it's gold and shiney. The guild of straw craftsmen has a section dedicated to this branch of working with straw alongside many other techniques and practices. The corn dolly is an iconic symbol of traditional rural folk art and it appears that straw as a material in general is steeped in tradition and at times great eccentricity.

Straw itself can be sub divided into types and doesn't exclusively apply to wheat, although generally it is wheat that is used (apparently oats are very good for Marquetry) Connecting to farming and the countryside craftsmen working with these crops have an important role to play in the history of farming and the land. Like thatching, the creativity that belongs to this material is enormous.

The technique of using straw for marquetry is pretty simple, carefully slit and flattened the straw can be opened out then arranged to form a picture or cover a surface. My initial foray into this area has been to expose the pure goldeness of the material. Talking about the familiarity of bales of straw it is quite different to be concentrating on individual stems. The variation of colour, texture and size is broad ranging; it feels strange to be using this particular agricultural material in this way when I'm more used to spreading it about as bedding for cows.

The lightness of both colour and weight can be played upon and it is the natural shine and range of golden tones which seems to be the main value of the material in marquetry. It's certainly a lot different from working with veneer but in a way just as intriguing.

Link to the guild of Straw craftsmen - recommend Elda Heidemanns dyed straw marquetry- wonderfully folky and lots of other interesting straw related things.

http://www.strawcraftsmen.co.uk/links.html

# 18 [19 October 2007]

Injections

I was shown this piece of veneer by Quentin who founded and belongs to the Staffordshire group. It is thoroughly garish, acid orange and electric blue with flashes of purple and yellow. I think it had been acquired from someone in the U.S or Canada and is an example of a timber injected with dye. Anyway he thought it worth showing me and I am glad he did.

I am aware of the use of dyed veneers and even manmade ones but this was something I hadn't heard of. Effectively injecting a tree with a colour whilst it is still living the dye is carried through the wood to create a unique effect once the tree is felled. Like the xylem tests in high school science, charting dye sucked through a celery stalk this is same thing on a grand scale.

I'm not sure what the veneer is but the effect is certainly distinct. I like the idea of it, not knowing how the colour will carry on the inside of the tree and the result being unpredictable. Like an experiment in process painting the end product is a surprise result in itself. Thinking about painting again here this is an example of the material quite literally being painted into before even being used in any form of marquetry.

The readymade nature of this piece also is worth mentioning. With a distinctive grain and the blue of water or sky it almost feels inevitable that it should be used as part of a landscape of some sort. Perhaps there is such demand that veneer is produced with an endpoint like this in mind. Whatever its use I would hate for the grotesqueness of the piece to be lost as it is so striking an example of a human intervention in to nature. In fact the whole idea of how the veneer is coloured makes it a highly challenging material to begin thinking about using.

# 17 [17 October 2007]

Painting

I am attempting to use veneer in an intuitive way with one of my pieces of work. Creating an image from the existing patterns within the veneer the process feels closer to the way I am more used to making art. Also I am feeling the parallels between painting a lot more working in this way, letting the picture emerge from the veneer. I think this reflects a distinct division between picture making and painting, and maybe artist and craftsman?

I saw something within this particular veneer immediately and translating the information of the grain seemed to be a very natural process. It is like a series of sums and in a way exactly like painting. Removing areas, retaining others the choices with the veneer are the same as with paint itself. Working in an abstract way I feel more emphasises the quality of the wood and seems to get to the heart of it.

Most pictorial marquetry seems to attempt to expose the natural beauty of wood but it is precisely these complex parings with other veneers that cause the aesthetic value of a lot of work to be questioned. Although you can identify sections of veneer in pictures the pieces are often sitting alongside many other pieces, almost lost and out of context. Veneers are incredibly distinct and complicated in their appearance, in a way so perfect individually that I feel this should be exploited more within their use in art.

The piece I am using as the starting point is threaded with lines and veins. It looks like a dense forest, a throbbing mass of arteries which are disordered, out of control, almost flowing. Retaining this was my motivation and I hope it will work out.........

# 16 [14 October 2007]

Crafting

Central to the project is the consideration of Marquetry as a craft. No one can have avoided the renaissance of knitting over the last few years and concurrent interest in ‘crafting'. Not only as an art form but the activity itself, crafting is hip? A number of cultural and social factors can be seen to be responsible for driving this trend in ‘making' that not only affects artists but all sorts of people in many different ways.

I have a lot of research to do work on in regard to this side of the project. Earlier in the year a conference held at the University of Dundee addressed craft research in its varying guises. Socially engaged craft, craftivism, the ethnographic slant and industrial processes; all important and relevant stuff.  

Does Marquetry relate to a particular gender? I'd say it is a practice dominated more by males and traditionally furniture and cabinet making would have been a male dominated profession. In the resurgence of craft we experience now is this influenced by gender? I'm not sure this is important or that I am that interested in the issue but I do generally associate woodworking with men I think.

Unlike knitting Marquetry can't be done at the bus stop and neither can many other crafts. I think there is too large a gap between how craft is being redefined. From the activist, make do and mend attitude to the design approach- meticulous detail of the highest quality.  Discovering what ‘craft' can actually mean today is essential.

I think it is easy for craftsmen to get hung up on the definitions of Art and Craft as they as terms have come to be viewed in opposition. Looking at how the two overlap and even if they are distinct from one another could prove positive, even put an end to a debate that has really run out of steam.

# 15 [12 October 2007]

A Picture

I am continuing to find new ways to work with veneer, usually by accident, so find myself beginning new work before finishing other things. A slip of the scalpel yesterday produced some lovely strands which coiled and twisted with the run of the grain.

A wooden drawing of a see-saw.

# 14 [16 November 2007]

With Pictures in mind, a visit to the tip

I went to the local tip yesterday. There were at least four skips designated for timber, mdf, chipboard and all things wooden. I was reminded of my piles of timber and will be making efforts to produce some work based around this. I have been working away from the conventional use of marquetry in terms of picture making but not purposely avoiding it. Obviously subject is important and balancing this with the material is delicate.  I have specifically mentioned drawing in the project title so this remains essential. As I progress, the material itself is undoubtedly the subject; outside of this too it is wood in its different forms which will feature in any representational work.

On my journey home I also took note of the long line of wooden fencing separating various suburban gardens. Each a little different in shade and size and slotted into concrete supports, these flimsy panels reminded me of the veneers I have been handling.