Wednesday, October 24, 2012

40 Under 40


I finally went to see 40 Under 40 at The Renwick Gallery, an exhibit featuring 40 artists under the age of 40 who all work in various craft media. The exhibit explores the future of craft and the changing notions of craft in the art world. I won't go into a large discussion here about craft versus art; I wrote a bit on that topic here. But I do want to write that the main impression I took away from this exhibit was one of scale. Several of the pieces are large, very large installations in fact, and they reinforced something I've been thinking about a lot this past year. I realized I have a tendency to think "small" when working on craft projects, whether because of time constraints or financial constraints or some other self-imposed limits. Restrictions can push us to new discoveries, but they can also force us to be too narrow in our approach. I've been making an effort to think bigger, not just in literal terms of the scale of my projects, but the reach of my work, the intended audience, the potential imprint. These are all very big and potentially scary ideas but necessary if I'm to continue to grow as an artist and maker. After all, isn't that why we're all here?

Photos aren't allowed inside the exhibition, of course, so I borrowed these from the Smithsonian American Art Museum's flickr pool for the show. (Click on images to go directly to source.)

40 under 40: Craft Futures (installation shot) 40 under 40: Craft Futures (installation shot) 40 under 40: Craft Futures (installation shot) 40 under 40: Craft Futures (installation shot)

To find out more about the artists whose work is pictured, please visit the exhibition site; there are links to short videos on each artist that introduce them and show a bit about how they work--fascinating stuff.

11 comments:

  1. Ohh.I heard about this exhibit on NPR. I definitely want to see this. And..I meant to post about my surprise today..but I've been pretty busy so I'll probably delay it a day or two.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Pretty blog! I'm your first GFC follower:)
    xo
    www.domesticsweetheart.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Really amazing exhibition! I love the room that looks to be knitted. Wow!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow. That paper installation is phenomenal! Beautiful and fragile. And the crochet work is fascinating, too. What a cool exhibit to visit! I would love to see something like that.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow...what amazing work! And I love the idea of an under 40 show :)
    That second piece is so cool...is that paper?

    ReplyDelete
  6. It's so amazing to see the different things that come out of people's imaginations. There's a big installation at the Art Institute here that hangs over a spiral staircase. Blows my mind every time I'm there.

    Also: that fabric on Cinderella's carriage in the first picture? I have the same in blue.

    ReplyDelete
  7. There is very little that I love more than leaving an art exhibit (or similar event) and feeling inspired to the point that I make realizations about my own work and career. I love that you're thinking big! I'm especially intrigued by that first shot. Going to check it out now...

    ReplyDelete
  8. I've been having the same thing running through my head lately, about embracing bigger ideas instead of thinking "pshh, like I could make that..." Loved reading this and found the images to be very inspiring!

    ReplyDelete
  9. The works you featured here are beautiful. I've been thinking about scale a lot too, and just the resources and dedication needed to attempt something larger than my comfort zone. I've never had the courage to even make the first move though, and I envy people who do.

    ReplyDelete
  10. It's always nice when a show or exhibit leaves you thinking more clearly...
    I, too, have a tendency to think "small" and have been trying to break from it, in a way.

    ReplyDelete