PRESS
My Work Chosen for Inclusion in
The Early American Life Directory of Traditional Craftsmen
Inclusion in the Directory of Traditional American Crafts is an honor bestowed on a handful of artisans who work in traditional media, styles, and crafts, an award that singles out their work as the best now produced in America today. Each year a jury of museum curators, collectors, and other authorities selects the work of the top traditional crafters working in America to be honored and listed in the Directory, which appears in Early American Life magazine.
In addition to being an honor for the artists, the Directory is also a buying guide. It presents to you a selection of the best historically informed handwork in America today. The Directory will help you select the best furniture, pottery, ironwork, decorative objects, and more for period-correct decorating, collecting, or movie-making.
An artist who has been selected for the Directory has had his or her work thoroughly evaluated by a panel of experts. They have graded the artist's work as showing a mastery of the chosen craft, a mastery that represents the top of its individual field and may even be suitable for museum display. This jurying assures you not only of the top-notch skill involved in making the work but also its historic integrity. The work included in the Directory is either an accurate reproduction of historic work or an original interpretation of a historic style that is entirely consistent with its historic roots. But to assure this high-quality work is not mistaken for an actual antique, the Directory requires all work to be hallmarked.
http://ealonline.com/directory/directory.php?date=2009
Toshiko Takaezu Visits City Folk Handwork Studio
Toshiko Takaezu is without a doubt one of the most important ceramicists in America. Her work is on public view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Renwick Gallery Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art among others. Her teaching credits include her post as head of the ceramics department at Princeton University for 25 years. In addition to being a celebrated artist she is also a great teacher, mentor, cook, gardener and family friend.
When Toshiko visited my studio in November of 2007 our conversation quickly jumped from my new kiln to gardening as we strolled past my blueberry bushes. She asks me "how do you keep the birds away from your fruit?" A long discussion about the usefulness of cats followed. The conversation then strayed to talk about the joy of eating summer tomatoes and Toshiko's recipe for sushi rice. She speaks about cooking & gardening with the same great enthusiasm as she does about clay.
At Toshiko's studio, the kitchen, & the gardens are in such close proximity that they function as one. Her garden is lush with thriving fruits, vegetables & flowers. In amongst her plantings are several of her larger sculptural pieces as well as one of her brass bells. When planning a quilt for Toshiko I decided that I needed to include it all in order to capture the essence of this serene, elegant woman.
I started with the title for this quilt "Toshiko in Her Garden" as my inspiration. This is unusual as the title usually comes to me when I have finished a piece. The quilt depicts Toshiko in her garden wearing one of her trademark wide-brimmed hats. In the quilt she is barefoot, this is a nod to the custom of removing your shoes & donning a pair of hand knit slippers when you visit her home (these days Toshiko almost always wears a pair of tennis shoes). A riot of plants are displayed in the quilt along with representations of several of Toshiko's sculptures. There are 3 crows pestering the artist/gardener to grow more blueberries. Toshiko is seen in conversation with the birds, perhaps pleading with them to take mercy on this year's crop.
What an honor it is to call Toshiko a friend & to share my love of art, clay, gardening, cooking and eating with her. It is also an honor to have her admire my work. She is engaging, kind, & encouraging. "I have friends who own a gallery, you should contact them". "Why haven't you applied to the Philadelphia Craft Show"? "You should say folk art in your description". "You can't be afraid to do it"!
Maybe she's right. Maybe I will.
Toshiko with her quilt "Toshiko in Her garden"
Chester County Magazine Winter 2006/2007