New
Masters of the Wooden Box
Expanding the Boundaries of Box
Making
by
Oscar P. Fitzgerald
Softcover
215 x 280mm
215pp
Published by Fox Chapel Publishing Co. Inc., East Petersburg PA USA
R.R.P.$53.90
ISBN 978-1-56523-392-8
Extract from back cover of book:
Some of the 30 box-makers whose work is featured in this book are already well known to woodworkers all over the world; others are less famous. But all are prolific artists whose unique designs, innovation and meticulous craftsmanship place them at the very forefront of their field.
The author, Oscar P Fitzgerald, is an academic - a furniture historian and decorative arts consultant who lectures in the Master’s Program at the Smithsonian Institution/Corcoran School. One of his books, Four Centuries of American Furniture is regarded as the standard reference on the subject.
In this book, Fitzgerald uses box making as the common element to link his subjects together, but he does not restrict himself to discussing only the boxes that they make. He explores their other work, just as he explores the origins of their interest in woodworking, the way in which their work has evolved, and the directions in which they appear to be heading.
The extraordinary variety of designs and the exquisite craftsmanship demonstrated in the work shown in this book's superb photographs makes it difficult to select examples for this Review. There are so many stunning pieces that only a random selection can be justified.
The complex Treasure Chest by Robert Ingham, Principal of John Makepeace's School for Craftsmen in Wood (UK), is outstanding. Made from Macassar Ebony, Swiss Pear, American Black Walnut, Ripple Sycamore and Abalone Shell, it is an example of the ordered design that Ingham calls 'wood engineering'.
A different kind of order affects the work of English artist, Louise Hibbert. The strange insect shapes within which she creates her sculpted boxes derive from an intense interest in biology.
Born in Japan and now resident in the US, Emi Ozawa makes boxes which she says are really toys for grown-ups. Painstakingly crafted, they embody an element of whimsy.
Hans Weissflog's visits to Australia have left an indelible impression on the local woodturning community. The examples of his work shown in this book include, of course, his famous ball boxes and aptly demonstrate his oft quoted theme: Small and Fine.
There seems to be nothing in the background of Po Shun Leong that might explain the origins of his extraordinary boxes. Born in Northampton, England in 1941, he graduated from a Quaker high school before studying architecture. He worked in this profession in Mexico for 16 years then moved to the US in 1981, having also become an accomplished furniture maker. It was only when he settled in California that he began to make boxes.
Sometimes constructed from a dozen or more species of wood cut into perhaps hundreds of shapes and sizes, they often have multiple compartments. The overall result is spectacular, the oddly discordant components always adding up to a visually and emotionally satisfying whole.
These are some of the other artists whose work is displayed and discussed: Bonnie Bishoff & JM Syron, Andy Buck, Kip Christensen, Michael Cullen, Jenna Goldberg, Michael Hosaluk, Kim Kelzer. Yuji Kubo, Steven Kennard, Michael Mode, Andrew Potocnik, Richard Raffan, Jeff & Katrina Seaton, Bonnie Klein & Jacques Vesaery and Philip Weber.
This is an inspiring book that is sure to appeal, not only to those who either make or wish to make boxes, but also to anyone who enjoys seeing and learning about the very finest work of the world’s great wood artists.
Photos: Colour
Units of Measurement: Imperial
Contents
INTRODUCTION: Boxes through the Ages
BONNIE
BISHOFF & J.M. SYRON: Bringing Two Mediums Together
ANDY
BUCK: Listening to Nature
KIP CHRISTENSEN: To Get Good Ideas, Start with Many
Ideas
JIM CHRISTIANSEN: Art Is Visual Therapy
JEAN-CHRISTOPHE COURADIN:
Visual Emotions, Tactile Pleasures
ANDREW CRAWFORD: Almost Anything Is Possible
MICHAEL
CULLEN: Unquenchable Need To Make
JENNA GOLDBERG: Creating Boxes with Surprises
LOUISE HIBBERT: From Microbiology, High Art
MICHAEL HOSALUK: Work Expresses
Inner Spirit
ROBERT INGHAM: Restrained Designs, Impeccable Craftsmanship
RAY
JONES: Boxes Engineered for Beauty
KIM KELZER: Pop Culture Becomes Fine Art
STEVEN KENNARD: Boxes with Eternal Appeal
YUJI KUBO: Experiments with Nontraditional
Colors
PO SHUN LEONG: Viewers Reference, Interpret, Experience
PETER LLOYD:
'What If?' Brings Innovations
TOM LOESER: Pioneer Pushes Boundaries
MICHAEL
MODE: Taking Techniques to New Levels
CRAIG NUTT: Seeing the Mundane in Different
Light
JAY AND JANET O'ROURKE: Sharing a Beautiful Collaboration
EMI OZAWA:
Mystery Evokes Viewer's Curiosity
ANDREW POTOCNIK: Humbled by Nature's Beauty
RICHARD
RAFFAN: Producing Refined, Simple Shapes
ULRIKE SCRIBA: Modern Designs, Traditional
Techniques
JEFF AND KATRINA SEATON: Teamwork Creates Boxes That Are Right
TOMMY
SIMPSON: Reaching Viewers through Universal Symbols
BONNIE KLEIN & JACQUES
VESERY: Creating Containers of Stories
PHILIP WEBER: Crafting Heirlooms from
Raw Wood
HANS WEISSFLOG: Meticulous Planning of Complex Designs
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX