Surface Attraction: Folk Art RevealedThe Paint on Painted Furniture
The museum's collection is particularly rich in painted expressions that appear on furniture and small decorative boxes. Senior curator Stacy C. Hollander has highlighted approximately 30 examples from the colonial period through the mid-nineteenth century. Essentially functional in nature, these forms are elevated beyond utility through the application of colorful paints and pigmented glazes in dynamic patterns.
"The canvas upon which the artists in this exhibition worked was furniture and their efforts enlivened homes throughout the American countryside. Today their names are largely lost to history, but their fingerprints remain in the expressive 'paintings' they have left behind," comments Ms. Hollander. Most vernacular American furniture was made from local woods and was stained, glazed, or painted, and then varnished. Performing the dual purpose of protection and decoration, the paint also unified the appearance by disguising the use of several different woods. Various techniques were employed to achieve stunning —and sometimes startling— effects using an array of tools to manipulate the paint: brushes, putty, vinegar, smoke, feathers, sponges, combs, leather, and even fingers. The 19th century saw the transition from realistic, imitative graining to wildly imaginative patterning. An unusual Maine Blanket Chest-on-Chest of Drawers presents a spectacular wood grain that is barely distinguishable as paint rather than as the actual wood.
A full day Symposium concentrating on paint decorated furniture will be held on Saturday, November 12, 2005. It provides an opportunity to hear scholars, collectors, and dealers reflect on issues of techniques, regional style, conservation, and building a collection. Speakers will present the latest research in this richly expressive American form. In addition, the education department has planned a panel discussion with three museum curators about regional characteristics of painted furniture on Wednesday evening, September 28 as well as several hands-on workshops on decorative finishes. The exhibition Folk Art Revealed is on continuous view on two floors of the museum and Obsessive Drawing is on view from September 14, 2005 through March 19, 2006. Obsessive DrawingExploring the medium of drawing through the lines and markings made by emerging self-taught contemporary artists, this is the first museum exhibition in New York to showcase these particular artists. Included are the conceptual works by Japanese artist Hiroyuki Doi, the compulsive dots and symbols by Pittsburgh artist Charles Benefiel, visionary graphic landscapes by British artist Chris Hipkiss, and the modular creations of Martin Thompson from New Zealand. Selected by curator Brooke Davis Anderson, the exhibition of 30-40 works on paper will highlight the infatuation with line by living artists working outside of the academy. Also on view is a selection of historical drawings by well-established artists in the canon of Art Brut such as Adolf Wolfli, Martin Ramirez, Madge Gill and Edmond Monseil. Their compulsion to "fill the page"—known as "horror vacuii"— sets the stage for artists of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. White on White (and a little grey) Nek Chand Organized by curator Brooke Davis Anderson, the exhibition also examines how Nek Chand has adjusted his private vision into a public one and how the mission of Rock Garden has adapted to reflect the needs of its community. A Deaf Artist in Early America: The Worlds of John Brewster Jr. Current ExhibitionsFolk Art Revealed Ancestry and Innovation: African American Art from the Collection Self and Subject EventsThe American Antiques Show, at the Metropolitan Pavilion Gala Opening Night About the MuseumSince its founding in 1961, the American Folk Art Museum has been one of the nation’s foremost resources for the exhibition, study, and preservation of folk art. It is home to one of the world’s preeminent collections of folk art dating from the 18th century to the present, including paintings, sculpture, textiles, and other decorative arts, as well as the work of contemporary self-taught artists from the U.S. and abroad. In December 2001, the Museum opened its new building—and first permanent home—at 45 West 53rd Street. Designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, it has been hailed as "one of the most influential examples of modern architecture of the century," as well as a vital cultural addition to New York City. VISITOR INFORMATION There is a Museum Shop and Café For further information: www.folkartmuseum.org or call 212/265-1040 Edited by Erika Wright |
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Saturated colors and exciting patterns achieved through manipulations of surface paint have embellished furniture for centuries. The exhibition Surface Attraction: Painted Furniture from the American Folk Art Museum in New York, on view from September 20, 1005 through March 26, 2006, explores the transforming power of paint and its unique potential to act as a vehicle of culture, fashion, regional identity and imagination. 
This is the first New York City museum exhibition to shift attention from form and construction to the painted surface by hanging the works on the wall to be experienced as paintings.
After 1815 imagination became a primary goal of paint decoration on furniture. Paint not only reflects widespread trends, it can also be specifically expressive of cultural heritage.