Tag: mad museum

Patti Warashina in ‘Funk You, Too’ at the Museum of Art and Design

University of Washington art professor emerita Patti Warashina created this comical collision in 1971 as a commentary on the way in which male ceramic students were challenged to build kilns while the female students were encouraged to practice decorative techniques.  Now a standout in the Museum of Art and Design’s excellent ‘Funk You, Too,’ exhibition, Warashina’s ‘car kiln’ (in which a ‘car’ or ‘deck’ can be directed into a kiln) pioneers a new variety of kiln, one capable of being magically reshaped by the artwork put into it.   As her red car drives into the kiln (complete with an interior full of flames), the kiln itself morphs into Warashina’s vision.  (On view through Aug 27th).

Patti Warashina, Metamorphosis of a Car Kiln, earthenware, glaze and luster, 1971.

David Gilhooly in ‘Craft Front and Center’ at the Museum of Art and Design

Whether they crown an ice cream Sunday or nestle between burger buns, late sculptor David Gilhooly’s recurring ceramic frogs humorously disrupt classic dishes.  A member of the California-based Funk Ceramic Movement, Gilhooly embraced the grotesque while picturing foods that should be tempting.  Here, a tower of bagels and donuts along with an about-to-topple coffee cup are delivered by a frog with skin resembling bread covered with poppy seeds. (On view in ‘Craft Front and Center’ at the Museum of Art and Design through Feb 13th.)


David Gilhooly, Bread Frog as a Coffee Break, glazed earthenware; hand wrought, 23 ½ x 15 ½ x 6 ½ inches, 1981-82.

Caroline Woolard and Lika Volkova in ‘NYC Makers’ at the Museum of Art & Design

One hundred artists on two museum floors make the Museum of Art and Design’s ‘NYC Makers’ one of the busiest in town with lots to discover and explore. For these garments, conceptual artist Caroline Woolard and designer Lika Volkova recycled unwanted paintings by various artists into chic, mobile canvases. (Through October 12th).

The T/Shirt Issue in ‘Out of Hand’ at the Museum of Art and Design

Part of the Museum of Art and Design’s exhibition ‘Out of Hand,’ which showcases art and design made using digital fabrication, this extraordinary sweatshirt was created by scanning a model’s body, digitally modeling a garment that relates personally in some way to the model (in this case, a man fascinated by a story of a boy raised by a wolf), CNC laser cutting the fabric and hand assembling. (Through June 1st).

The T/Shirt Issue, No 419 from Digital Portraits Series, jersey, iron-on interface, 2008.

Kcho in ‘Against the Grain’ at the Museum of Art & Design

Cuban artist Kcho grew up traveling between his home on an island off the coast of Cuba and the mainland, and boats – ‘keys’ to unlocking the ‘door’ of the sea – are a frequently recurring subject.  This one is a standout in the Museum of Art & Design’s ‘Against the Grain’ group exhibition of cutting edge art & design made from wood.  (Through Sept 15th).

Kcho (Alexis Leyva Machado), R.E.C. (Rectifying the Course), wood, 2006.