Conversation XII: Crafting Continuities

So-called craft media have played an integral role in the trajectory of 20th-century art. These materials, such as glass, metal, fiber, and ceramic, are steeped in histories of labor, class, and gender, as well as regional and familial identity. Craft media therefore can convey both the meaning of the specific piece and the deeper implications of the material. Crafting Continuities, which inhabits three distinct spaces within the 20/21 Gallery, aims to inspire conversations about the implications of material and process.

The installation juxtaposes contemporary objects from the collection with their historic counterparts and with remnants of the process, such as preparatory drawings. In this way, Crafting Continuities engages deeper content found in the Spencer’s contemporary craft media artworks, while highlighting the depth of the Museum’s collection of historic artworks in these media.