Skilled Work: American Craft in the Renwick Gallery

by Kenneth R. Trapp, Howard Risatti

Marking its twenty-fifth anniversary in 1997, the Renwick Gallery has become the nation's premier showcase and study center for objects made of metal, fiber, wood, clay, and glass. As a curatorial department of the National Museum of American Art, the Renwick has grown from a kunsthalle for temporary exhibitions to a museum branch dedicated to collecting, research, publications, exhibitions, and education. The Renwick's efforts have played a major role in heightening public appreciation of crafts and providing encouragement to those who create them. This book serves as an introduction to the world of modern crafts, exploring in both words and pictures the vibrant diversity of objects that have entered the Renwick Gallery's collection. In his essay for the book, curator-in-charge Kenneth R. Trapp traces the Renwick's history, highlighting the contributions of his predecessors and the many other people whose commitment to the gallery has ensured its success, notably the James Renwick Alliance. In his essay Howard Risatti explores our intuitive understanding of the way crafts are related to the human body and their consequent deep meaning for us. Also included are brief biographies of sixty-five artists whose work is represented in the book, among them Anni Albers, Wendell Castle, Dale Chihuly, Harvey Littleton, Peter Voulkos, and Beatrice Wood.

Genres: Art

191 pages, Paperback

First published March 17, 1998

Reviews

[Mark Reckase · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because I learned much from reading it. It contains a history of the Renwick Gallery that is now part of the Smithsonian in Washington DC. It also has a nice discussion of the difference between "craft" and "formal art". It is a subtle distinction. Further, examples of some of the collection at the Renwick are described and discussed, along with short biographies of the artists/crafts persons. The photography of the objects is wonderful.