American Craft April/May 2020

CRAFT AND DESIGN ARE OFTEN considered separate disciplines, the first defined by handwork and the latter by aesthetic and technical innovation. But those definitions are blurring, and with good reason: Both craft and design provide different yet equally vital sets of tools for solving problems. In conversation with American Craft Council executive director Sarah Schultz, builder-designer Yvonne Mouser suggests that design addresses the “what” of an object, pushing one to think conceptually and expansively, while craft addresses the “how” of an object, helping one to understand the nature of its form and materials [“There’s Design Thinking. What About Craft Thinking?” page 22]. She finds that each way of thinking helps her to improve her work through iteration. And she’s not alone. Case in point: Despite technological innovations, automobile manufacturers continue to build…

LET’S FACE IT, EXERCISE equipment may help us look and feel great, but it tends to be an eyesore in the living room. No wonder it often ends up stashed in the closet or basement, gathering dust. Work in Use, a design studio in Providence, Rhode Island, offers an alternative: high-end movement tools hand-some enough to double as minimalist furniture or sculpture. “I approach making each object so that it’s something you can have in your home and be proud of, instead of wanting to put it away when you’re not using it,” says designer-woodworker Wu Hanyen, 30, who launched the collection in 2019. Wu, as she’s known professionally, took up gymnastics and movement classes when she was in her early 20s to help ease the back strain she experienced making furniture.…

The Iron Gate rug is part of the Arts & Crafts collection offered by Custom Woven Interiors, Ltd. Made in Minneapolis from cotton and linen yarns using a traditional Scandinavian rep weave, the periwinkle, dusty pink, soft green, and dark blue rug is reversible and washable. $500 – 625 kellymarshall.com Crafted from hand-pleated Nappa leather, the Cordelia headband comes in electric orange and royal blue. Other colors are available from Minneapolis’ Karen Morris Millinery. Morris’ hats have been worn by actress Rebel Wilson and rapper Nicki Minaj. $315 kmhats.com Incorporating rescued textiles whenever possible, the Los Angeles studio of 3rd Seasons Designs creates patterns, cuts, and sews in house. Its one-of-a-kind Valentina Wrap Tops, in 100% silk, are hand-painted and can be worn tucked in or loose. $356 3rdseasondesigns.com These four-cup Ramen bowls from Eshelman Pottery in Elizabeth, Illinois,…

“A CRAFT-CENTERED BUSINESS, supported by design” is how Joe Limpert, 32, describes Hennepin Made, the glass lighting-fixture company he and Jackson Schwartz, 34, launched in Minne-apolis in 2011. “Modern, refined craft” is the aesthetic at play in their artful pendants, canopies, sconces, and chandeliers, which illuminate restaurants, offices, and residences in cities all over the United States. At Hennepin Made, the in-house team includes designers from diverse backgrounds – furniture, industry, theater – along with skilled glassblowers, who together create what Limpert thinks of as “small-scale artworks made on a small-manufacturing scale.” Non-glass parts, such as metal hardware and wood components, are done by other local craft businesses. That emphasis on the maker’s touch stems from Limpert and Schwartz’s roots as craftspeople. The Minnesotans met in 2009 at the University of Wisconsin–River…

A pairing that works Hennepin Made’s founders play complementary roles – Schwartz focuses on growth plans and creative direction, while Limpert oversees production and processes – an arrangement they say has been integral to success, along with their dedicated team. Popular products The curved shapes of Parallel, their first collection, still sell best, but Schwartz and Limpert are excited about the strong response to two new offerings: vertical and horizontal lines of light called Celeste, and the Neena pendant, designed in collaboration with Atlason Studio in New York. Bright possibilities Looking ahead, the company is exploring new possibilities in glass casting and surface treatments. “Evolution is extremely important to us,” says Limpert. “Something we want to start focusing on is limited-run artist series, small releases of pieces that have a little more handwork in them.”…

TX/Houston The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston to Apr. 26 mfah.org “RADICAL: ITALIAN DESIGN 1965 – 1985, the Dennis Freedman Collection” is a survey of Italy’s postwar explosion of disruptive design. It’s the first US museum exhibition in nearly 50 years to look at the moment young Italians brought the ferment and utopianism of the ’60s into designs for everyday living. The furniture, lighting, architectural models, paintings, and other objects on display are drawn from the landmark collection of Dennis Freedman. American Craft talked with curator Cindi Strauss about the show. What is Italian Radical Design? The term was coined by art historian and curator Germano Celant to describe a specific strain of practice featuring conceptual, often handmade, art and design objects that abandoned practicality and defied consumerism. Influenced by Arte Povera, pop…