Beth Cavener Stichter; Olympia; 2006; stoneware, porcelain slip, polyester, and mixed media; Collection of Christine Rémy; Photo: Noel Allum; Courtesy Garth Clark Gallery
After a late March snowfall, spring made its glorious debut, tempting this winter homebody to take a pleasant stroll through northwest D.C. down to the National Mall. One of the shows in bloom is the 2007 Craft Invitational at the Renwick Gallery, a show of artists working in media often associated with craft (paper, glass, and clay). For the most part, the artists—Paula Bartron, Jocelyn Châteauvert, Beth Lipman, and Beth Cavener Stichter—make sculptural objects that lack the everyday "usefulness" that you might otherwise associate with craft. In fact, the common thread between these artists is the fact that they came up doing craft; otherwise, the works they each contribute to this show are not categorically different from the work in any sculpture show. Lipman's Bancketje (Banquet), for example, wouldn't look out of place in a Matthew Barney film.
Having mastered the techniques associated with the genre, the Invitational artists execute pieces that another artist might in part subcontract to a craftsman. The sheer scope of hand-crafted materials is notable.
From the Ground Up: Renwick Craft Invitational 2007 is on display until July 22.
