Artist in Residence Report 2016 by Furniture Design and Woodworking

February, 2016

SDSUAIR REPORT

Yvonne Mouser (Spring 2015) demonstrating bent laminations for the Intermediate and Advanced Furniture Design and Woodworking students.

SDSU Furniture Design and Woodworking Six Years of the Artist-in-Residence Program By Matthew Hebert

Thanks to the generous funding of the Windgate Charitable Foundation, San Diego State Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Furniture Design and Woodworking Artistin-Residence Program (AIRP) is now in its fourth year. The AIRP has allowed for an amazing interchange between the community of SDSU and emerging and established artists working within the field of Studio Furniture. Over the six years (twelve semesters) we have welcomed 12 amazing artists working in diverse modes within the studios at SDSU. This document serves as a look at the successes of the first three years.

Program Overview: The AIRP is a great opportunity for an artist to shake themselves free of their day-today routine and reenergize their creative process. An artist who is selected to participate in the AIRP is invited to work within the fully equipped woodworking, metalworking, and digital fabrication studios at SDSU for sixteen weeks. They are given their own bench space in a studio space shared with the graduate students and faculty of the Furniture Design and Woodworking Program (Furniture). The Artist-inResidence (AIR) interacts with the

students formally through teaching an undergraduate or graduate level course in Furniture, participating in critiques, and delivering in-class demonstrations. Less formal interaction with the students is always possible given the shared access to the studio. Outreach to the larger community of SDSU and the arts community of San Diego is accomplished through a public lecture and an exhibition of the artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work at the end of their residency. We have worked hard to find the best venues for each artist to exhibit their work. As a result we have been able to host exhibitions both on and off campus.

SDSUAIR REPORT February, 2016

Program Overview Continued: In order to provide the AIR with the freedom needed to create a new body of work, we provide them with a fully furnished apartment near campus and a monthly stipend to cover living expenses. With this package we have attracted artists from all over the country. For most the experience is their first extended encounter with the region. The dislocation from their familiar patterns at home to the sunny Southwest has been a great inspiration for many of our AIRs. This sense of new possibilities is furthered by access to the machines and techniques that might not be a part of their typical process. The AIRâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interaction with students and faculty is another possible avenue for creative inspiration. Sharing new ideas within the community at SDSU has proven to be beneficial to all involved.

Artist-in-Residence, Vivian Beer, explored the desert landscape of Anza Borrego State Park during her stay. Latex castings of surfaces in the desert became an integral part of her work during her residency.

Artist-in-Residence, Ashley Eriksmoen (Fall 2015) created a vibrant body of sculptural work using disused furniture objects for raw materials.

SDSUAIR REPORT February, 2016

Artist Overviews: Ashley Eriksmoen

Ashley Eriksmoen Fall 2016 Ashley come all the way from the southern hemisphere to work with cast off furniture.

Ashley Eriksmoen is a highly accomplished furniture maker and academic. Currently, she is the head of the Furniture Workshop at Australia National University in Canberra. She was able to come back to the States as our resident artist during her sabbatical. During her stay she worked specifically with cast off furniture she found in San Diego, to create an installation of sculptural objects based in furniture making techniques. She calls this work “feral furniture” as she imagines the materials in the furniture finding their way back to nature and more natural forms. Ashley brought a wealth of technical knowledge and conceptual rigor to the furniture studio at SDSU. She studied at woodworking and furniture making first at the College of the Redwoods. This storied program serves as a sort of craft bootcamp for those interested in pursuing the art of furniture making. Subsequently, she earned an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design, where she pushed her technical skills further in the pursuit of more idea driven work. This background made her a perfect addition to the studio at SDSU, where we strive to push form and concept forward in equal measures. Being a teacher and a maker, Ashley was right at home weather it was demonstrating her own working techniques to the students, or helping

An images of one of the pieces installed at Helmuth Projects gallery in San Diego.

them troubleshoot their own projects. Ashley is very personable and was able to work with students of all skill levels from beginning undergraduate to third-year graduate students. Ashley was a dynamic presence in the studio and hit the ground running with a well researched project when she arrived. This allowed for the planning and execution of an impressive solo show

of the work at the end of the semester. We were able to arrange for the exhibition to be hosted by Helmuth Projects, a vibrant alternative space in San Diego’s Banker’s Hill neighborhood. This venue allowed the work to be seen by a larger audience and helped to gain some more exposure for the program within the community.

Another of the works in Ashley’s culminating show which clearly shows her reuse of cast off furniture as raw materials.

SDSUAIR REPORT February, 2016

Artist Overviews: Yvonne Mouser

Yvonne Mouser Spring 2015 Yvonne came to focus on coopering, bending, and broom making.

During her stay Yvonne utilized methods of making such as coopering, bending wood, and broom making focusing on creating everyday objects that tell a story through their function. In addition to these pieces, Yvonne explored new conceptual ideas and through research, drawings and a sampling of material studies developed the foundation for an entirely new body of future work. An exhibition of the work coming out of the research and development of these ideas was exhibited alongside the SDSU Furniture Design and Woodworking alumni show, “A Long Engagement: Wendy Maruyama and Her Students.” This made sense as the residency program was begun under Wendy’s guidance and Yvonne was the last resident that Wendy worked with before retiring in the Spring 2015 semester. While Yvonne was here she became very interested in light and the capturing of it in objects. This inquiry was triggered in part due to the change in change in environment essential to the residency. Coming from San Francisco to San Diego, may not sound like a big move, but the environment is completely different. Weather, vegetation, and cultural variations were very important motivators for Yvonne’s work. Her technical interests included bending, coopering, and other

An image taken during the broom making demonstration that Yvonne did during her stay. This demonstration incorporated many of the techniques and concepts important to Yvonne’s research.

approaches to complex form making (origami). She incorporated these technique into her own work and also demonstrated them for the students in the undergraduate courses. Her demonstration on broom making was so successful because it put a complex technical process into a bite-size package which the students could grasp and imagine applying to other projects.

Yvonne was an invaluable member of the graduate seminar. Her interests move outside of furniture into the built environment and the cultural events and practices that these spaces and objects may accommodate. Her socially engaged practice is not the typical mode of operating for furniture makers, and the students really gained a lot from a fuller understanding of her working process.

Some of the bent lamination experiments are seen here in the form of a series of solid wood stools.

Yvonne Mouser Spring 2015

SDSUAIR REPORT February, 2016

Artist Overviews: Tom Shields

One of the pieces that Tom created from furniture found at local junk shops during his stay at SDSU.

Tom Shields Fall 2014 Tom Shields challenged himself to a change of context within his work.

Tom Shields makes sculptural furniture out of cast-offs found in the alleys and junk shops of North Carolina. This means that his work has a certain flavor, based on the most style of furniture in a given region. Tom wanted to challenge himself to work within a very different habitat. Suburban Souther California has very different specimens of furniture and Tom wanted to see what influence these objects would have on his work. He also wanted to integrate more varied furniture forms, in addition to the chairs that he had been working with so extensively. The amazing thing about seeing Tom work is the improvisational spirit of his work becomes crystal clear. When you see the finished work it looks so effortless. The perfection of the work makes it appear as a sort of surrealist slight of hand, but to see the work that goes into making the finished piece seem so effortless really changes one’s perception of the work. For the students at SDSU to witness the effort and technical mastery that Tom pours into the work was quite a treat. The intro students got to see just what is possible within the field of Studio Furniture while the advanced undergraduate and graduate students got to geek out over the details.

Tom was a great asset to the program through his continual presence in the studio. He puts long hours in the studio. He was very generous with his knowledge of technical woodworking, decorative art history, and contemporary art. In addition to working with the graduate student directly in the seminar, he also did demonstrations for the

undergraduate courses. He did an “extreme joinery” demonstration for the intermediate and advanced students and a “50 shades of black” surface design demonstration for the introductory class. The students were drawn to his punk rock ethos and disarming personality. Tom was a truly a great presence in the studio during his stay.

A detail of the piece above, showing the level of detail typical of Tom’s work.

Tom Shields Fall 2014

SDSUAIR REPORT February, 2016

Artist Overviews: Brian Newell

Brian Newell Spring 2014 Brian Newell, an accomplished woodworker, challenged himself to explore new techniques in the foundry.

One of the great things about an artist residency is the freedom to do things that your normal studio workload doesn’t allow. Brian Newell took this approach during his stay at SDSU. Brian is an incredibly skilled furniture maker, who can do pretty much whatever he imagines with wood. He challenged himself to take on another material during his stay; opting to create a body of bronze casting work. Brian brought his extensive experience as a woodworker and pattern maker to the project. He created a series of bowl forms in wood that he then sand cast. In order to achieve this he worked with students in the program and volunteers who run “foundry days” throughout the semester. Like only someone with so much experience making could, Brian created an entire body of work in a new medium during his stay. But, like a true typical furniture maker, he didn’t see any of the work as complete and only a step in the learning process towards future projects. It is the residency that allowed him to enter into this period of intense experimentation. I am confident that this experience will end up feeding into Brian’s work in the future. The resident artists are always expected to interact with the students in the graduate and undergraduate program. Some enjoy this more than others, but none have enjoyed it as much as Brian. He was a true team player during his stay. He couldn’t walk through

A pair of solid wood, marquetry topped tables that Brian made during the early part of his stay at SDSU. These pieces demonstrate the incredible shaping Brian is capable of.

the woodworking studio without stopping to help a student or just to chat with them about whatever was on their mind. He was truly a great asset to the community of the studio. I know that many of the undergraduate projects benefited immensely from his help, both technically and aesthetically.

Brian also helped augment the courses in other ways. He did demos for the intermediate and advanced students on marquetry and shaping. His deep knowledge of the subject matter came through and the students who attended were impressed and energized by his demonstrations.

Another view of one of the tables. This view shows the quality of the marquetry that covers the entire tabletop. The shaping of the legs blends perfectly into the shape of the top, as well.

Brian Newell Spring 2014

SDSUAIR REPORT February, 2016

Artist Overviews: Jennifer Anderson

Jennifer Anderson Fall 2013 Jennifer was the first alumni of SDSU to serve as an Artist-in-Residence. She came to the studio to further her digital fabrication abilities.

Jennifer Anderson is no stranger to the Furniture Design and Woodworking program at SDSU. She did her graduate studies here, earning her MFA in 2006. Before studying at SDSU she studied at the storied Fine Woodworking program at the College of the Redwoods. Her extensive experience working with wood shows through in her painstaking attention to detail. The fusion of the traditional training at the College of the Redwoods, combined with more experimental processes she developed during her studies at SDSU have allowed her to create a dynamic studio practice that cuts across boundaries, integrating craft, art, and design sensibilities. Jenniferâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plan for her residency was to work on a series of projects that put her more traditional woodworking skills alongside computer modeling and digital fabrication experiments. The resulting work has lead to exhibitions and served as an inspiration for Jenniferâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s workshops at Anderson Ranch and Haystack. While Jennifer was at SDSU she participated in the Digital Fabrication for Art and Design class. Her presence allowed her to build her computer modeling and fabrication skills while also serving as another resource for Reuben Foat who was teaching the course. It is incredibly helpful to have someone like Jennifer in a class like this, as she has real world experience she can share with the students and they get to see someone besides the instructor working at a

An overall shot of a set of tables created during her residency. The flowing digitally fabricated terrains created an effective contrast with the minimalist designs of these occasional tables.

higher level of sophistication with the techniques of the course. Additionally, Jennifer worked with the graduate students during her stay. In addition to helping run the graduate seminar she also put together an offcampus show of student work. This show took place at local artist studio space, Glashaus, and helped to connect

the program to the larger arts community of San Diego. Jennifer brought a wealth of knowledge to the program and helped many students develop their ideas into fully formed furniture objects. She also gained a valuable toolset that she continues to use in her own work to this day. This is exactly what we hope for with the residency program.

This detail shows the flowing forms created in the computer and cut using the Furniture Design and Woodworking CNC router.

Jennifer Anderson Fall 2013

SDSUAIR REPORT February, 2016

Artist Overviews: Jenna Goldberg

Jenna Goldberg Spring 2013 Jenna joined SDSU for a semester to explore design ideas she had for wallpaper patterns and cabinets incorporating silkscreening and glass.

Jenna Goldberg is a very accomplished Studio Furniture maker, whose work has rigorously explored carved and painted ornamentation. She had recently been introduced to the silkscreening technique and designed a body of work for her residency at SDSU that took advantage of our new silkscreening studio. The project centered on the creation of patterns for use both in furniture pieces and wallpaper prototypes. With the introduction of silkscreening and transparency into her process, Jenna created an innovative body of work during her residency. Her presence in the silkscreening studio was a great inspiration to many of the students working there. The studio is interdisciplinary, so students from all the areas of the School of Art and Design were able to benefit from Jenna’s knowledge and feedback. Students in the Furniture program were also the benefactors of Jenna’s residency. Jenna conducted a two-day workshop in the Art 323: Introduction to Furniture Design and Woodworking class. During this workshop she extensively covered flat carving, shaping, and surface design. This was a great inspiration for the students in the class. Jenna’s expertise in this area served a great supplement to the course. While surface design is always covered in the course, rarely does the instructor possess this level of knowledge on the subject.

One of the wall hung cabinets Jenna created during her stay at SDSU. The glazed door with silkscreen details is a new innovation in her work that she developed in SDSU’s silkscreening studio.

Jenna’s extensive professional experience was also an incredible asset. The students in the graduate seminar benefitted from her wealth of knowledge of the ins and outs of working as a practicing furniture maker. Jenna’s was able to speak eloquently about her own creative process and about the realities of making a living while satisfying her

own curiosity and interests as an artist. As a result of her background Jenna’s input during critiques was always on point and well stated. It was clear that Jenna enjoyed her time at SDSU and returned to her studio in Providence, Rhode Island, ready to integrate her newly refined silkscreening techniques into her work.

Above: Jenna’s invitation to her exhibition in the Flor y Canto gallery here at SDSU. Following page: Images of the tables and cabinets made during Jenna’s residency.

Jenna Goldberg Spring 2013

SDSUAIR REPORT February, 2016

Artist Overviews: Vivian Beer

Vivian Beer Fall 2012 Vivian brought a wealth of metalworking skills to our department which has historically been focussed on woodworking.

Vivian Beer roared into the SDSU Furniture Design and Woodworking program for the Fall 2012 semester. Vivian came to SDSU hoping to further develop her work incorporating concrete and steel and to push herself to create work using modeling software and CNC technologies. In order to do this she audited Art 524: Digital Fabrication for Art and Design. She quickly found ways to incorporate the techniques covered in this course into the design and fabrication phase of her furniture forms. For Vivian’s entry, I have included a second page of images documenting her incorporation of her newly gained digital design and fabrication skills. In addition to gaining technical skills, Vivian was very engaged with drawing design inspiration from the San Diego region. She drew this inspiration from custom car culture, California modern architecture, and the desert landscape of the Southwest. Her research took her to Anza Borrego State Park, where she gathered formal inspiration through a study of the landscape and creating latex molds from surfaces found in the desert. The images and molds served as inspiration for her cast concrete and steel tuffet completed during her residency. Vivian was incredibly generous with her knowledge. She worked primarily in the metal working facility, a space that is part of the sculpture area in the School of Art and Design. To give back to the community, she ran a multi-day

Vivian exploring the desert expanses of Anza Borrego State Park. Looking for inspiration for her new landscape based seating pieces.

workshop open to all students in the School of Art and Design. During this workshop she covered a tremendous amount of technical material. Including cold-forming with many hand tools and machines (including the English Wheel), MIG, and TIG welding. Her expertise with this techniques was a great supplement to the faculty teaching in the Sculpture and Furniture programs. Vivian’s approach had appeal within the larger design and craft community of

San Diego. As a result, her exhibition was hosted by The Bakery Design Collective, a shared studio and gallery space in the Barrio Logan neighborhood of San Diego. This allowed members of the greater community to easily access her work and gave her exposure beyond the walls of the School of Art and Design. Vivian returned to her home in Manchester, New Hampshire, refreshed and suntanned and ready to continue

Above: The front image from Vivian’s exhibition announcement. Following page: Images of Vivian’s Low Ride Lounge, Desert Tuffet, and Ruffle Chaise. Following page: Process images of computer models and CNC cut jigs.

Vivian Beer Fall 2012

SDSUAIR REPORT February, 2016

Vivian Beer Fall 2012

SDSUAIR REPORT February, 2016

Artist Overviews: Michael Hurwitz

Michael Hurwitz Spring 2012 Michael is an incredible craftsman and a major figure in the Studio Furniture field. He brought a wealth of knowledge and energy to SDSU.

Michael Hurwitz is a Studio Furniture maker of incredible skill, with an eye for design like few others. SDSU had the good fortune of being able to host Michael in the Spring of 2012. Michael came to SDSU with a plan for a new table which furthered his previous explorations in combining cast resin and bent laminations. His Twelve Leaf Resin Table provided students in our Furniture program with the opportunity to see a furniture project of incredible complexity develop over the course of the semester. Michael was as generous as could be with his technical information. Each and every step of his process was documented and compiled into a video which can be seen here (http:// vimeo.com/42861945). The wealth of technical knowledge embodied in this single piece of furniture is amazing, and Michael was willing and able to share this information with the intermediate and advanced woodworking students through a series of in-class demonstrations. He covered the complexities of his project in a manner both highly instructive and accessible. Michael was also invaluable as a member of the graduate seminar. His wealth of experience as a professional artist was incredibly helpful for students as they prepared their Advancement and Thesis bodies of work. During their critiques, Michael consistently offered them feedback on their projects and presentations.

Above: Michael knows how to have an opening. Pictured are the Palaminos, a local band that Michael discovered during his stay, playing the opening party for his ehibition in the Everett Gee Jackson Gallery.

Michael also served as an inspiration in his seemingly limitless energy. His work is so laborious, yet he never seemed to let it get the better of him. His positive attitude and the evident joy derived from his work served as a great motivation for all the students who shared the studio with him. Michael got a lot out of his time in Southern California as well. Upon arrival he immediately sized up the salsa dancing scene in San Diego and began a hunt for a classic car. He succeeded on both fronts. In short order he had developed a weekly dance schedule and procured an incredible Ford Falcon.

Michaelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exhibition took place in the Everett Gee Jackson Gallery on SDSU campus. Being that the centerpiece was a single exquisite piece of furniture, he decided to expand the show to cover his process through the inclusion of many test parts and jigs used in the process. He also displayed the time-lapse video documentation linked above. A direct result of his exhibition was his inclusion in an upcoming show on seating at the Mingei International Musuem. Director Rob Sidner was present at the exhibition and commissioned Michael to make a new piece for their collection.

Above: Not only did Michael make an incredible piece of furniture while he was at San Diego State University, he also realized a dream of buying a clean California classic car. Michael returned home to Philadelphia with his Twelve Leaf Resin Table in the back of this Ford Falcon wagon. Following Page: Process and studio shot of Twelve Leaf Resin Table.

Michael Hurwitz Spring 2012

SDSUAIR REPORT February, 2016

Artist Overviews: Susan Working

Susan Working Fall 2011 Susan came to San Diego after serving as Academic Director of the Pont-Aven School of Contemporary Art in France.

SDSU was very fortunate to have Susan Working come as an AIR in the Fall 2011 semester. Susan’s status as a mid-career artist and experienced art administrator made her an incredible addition to the SDSU community. In addition to having served as Academic Director at Pont-Aven School of Contemporary Art in France, Susan was previously Program Director for Sculpture and Furniture Design and Woodworking at Anderson Ranch Arts Center. Most importantly, Susan is an accomplished furniture maker. Her work is often provocative in its integration of craft and technology. Susan’s project at SDSU was a collaboration with Barbara McBane. The two artists drew inspiration from San Diego’s location on the US/Mexico border. Their process involved site visits to many locations along the border near San Diego. After documenting various locations that served as inspiration for the project, Susan and Barbara began the creation of an immersive installation for the Everett Gee Jackson gallery on SDSU campus. This installation featured photographs, sculptural objects, and video installations examining their time spent exploring and researching the border. This exhibition was a great opportunity to exhibit work that engaged with the greater community of San Diego and Tijuana. The work was highly developed technically and aesthetically. Susan and Barbara have been exploring

A still from one of the video pieces in Divisions. The video was taken at the turnstile where pedestrians cross from the United States into Mexico- from San Ysidro, California to Tijuana, Baja California.

options for exhibiting this installation at a gallery in Tijuana, which would be a perfect way for them to continue to develop the ideas that they set out in their SDSU installation. The students in the School of Art and Design gained a lot from Susan’s engagement with the community. Susan was happy to share her wealth of knowledge of contemporary craft and

art. Her experiences both as an artist and art administrator give her a broad insight into the professional practice of artists. Our Furniture undergraduate and graduate students were able to interact with Susan on a regular basis as she worked in the studio. While the broad appeal of the Divisions project encouraged dialogue with students from other disciplines in the School.

Above: An installation view of the photographic elements of Divisions. Following Page: Installation views of the sculptural and video components of Divisions.

Susan Working Fall 2011

SDSUAIR REPORT February, 2016

Artist Overviews: BA Harrington

BA Harrington Spring 2011 BA brought her rigorous Art Historical approach to researching and reinterpreting traditional furniture forms.

BA Harrington earned both her MFA in Wood/Furniture and her MA in Art History/Material Culture from the University of Wisconsin Madison. During her studies she honed her research skills and generated a large body of work exploring issues of identity and gender. Her work is the result of rigorous study into the history of furniture and into her personal history as a woman working in a field traditionally dominated by men. BA came to SDSU for the Spring 2011 semester and proposed to further develop her recent body of work focussed on the “Hadley Chest”. These early American chests, produced in Massachusetts, are formally rather simple, but feature flat carved patterns (usually tulips) on all surfaces. A Hadley Chest typically functioned as a dowry or hope chest. In the past, BA had explored the object through a reconsideration of its exterior design, means of construction, and contents. The contrast between the hard exterior (made by the hands of men) and the soft linens (made by those of a woman) that would typically be stored within, has been a source of inspiration for BA. Her project ended up moving into another direction during her residency at SDSU. She took the Hadley Chest and stripped it down to its major structural elements. This skeletal structure was stretched to visually accommodate a reclining adult. The addition of slender rockers between the legs of the chest

Image of the larger of the two rocking Hadley Chest forms that were created as part of BA’s installation at The Dock at SDSU’s Downtown Gallery.

further its reading as simultaneously crib and coffin. BA’s exhibition took place at SDSU’s new Downtown Gallery. The gallery is located in the heart of downtown San Diego, adjacent to the Musuem of Contemporary Art San Diego. Within the downtown gallery is a space called The Dock. This alternative installation space served as the perfect location for BA’s work to be installed. Her artist talk was attended by many

students in the School of Art and Design. Her rigorous research and design process served as an inspiration to many students who are challenged through their studies to find a way to speak both to the personal and the universal. BA’s presence was especially valuable to the graduate students in the Furniture program. Her contribution to the graduate seminar was substantial, in demonstrating research, writing, fabrication, and productive critique

Overall view of the installation of two skeletal rocking Hadley Chests.

SDSUAIR REPORT February, 2016

Artist Overviews: Sylvie Rosenthal

Sylvie Rosenthal Fall 2010 Sylvie was the inaugural AIR. Her energy and creativity was a sign of great things to come!

Sylvie Rosenthal was our inaugural AIR. She joined our studio for the Fall 2010 semester. Sylvie earned her BFA in Woodworking and Furniture Design at Rochester Institute of Technology in 2003. She came to SDSU following a

residency at University of Wisconsin Madison. It was clear that this previous residency had pushed Sylvie’s work in a great new direction. She had just started to scratch the surface of a new body of work when she arrived at SDSU. During her stay, she created two new pieces which incorporated her extensive knowledge of shaping with her interest in improvisational building systems. The results were animal/architecture hybrids that had to be seen to be believed. Sylvie quickly became an integral part of the studio culture at SDSU. Her young age and amiability made her incredibly approachable to both the graduate and undergraduate students. Her fresh sculptural approach to woodworking was an inspiration and her generosity during demonstrations and her public lecture were notable. Her exhibition took place at Art Produce, a well known art gallery in San Diego’s North Park neighborhood. The scale and content of the work was well suited to the store front display allowed by this venue.

Above: A view of Sylvie Rosenthal’s installation at Art Produce Gallery in San Diego. Following Page: Studio shots of the two main pieces completed during her residency.

Sylvie was able to add the body of work she created during her stay at SDSU to her portfolio. This work was useful in her successful application to graduate programs across the country.

Sylvie Rosenthal Fall 2010

SDSUAIR REPORT February, 2016