Meet Thirty-Four Contemporary Artists Pushing the Boundaries of Box Making

They are woodturners, furniture artists, and elite craftsmen from around the world who share a common vehicle for self-expression: the wooden box. With a lineage as ancient as civilization, the wooden box has evolved over centuries from containers that serve a purpose to a soulful summation of creative exploration. In this groundbreaking book, thirty-four innovative artists-the New Masters of the Wooden Box-share their amazing techniques, their inventive talents, and the inspiration that fuels their distinctive designs.

You'll see each artist at work-in their studios and workshops-and discover why their stunning work has been selected for a highly-anticipated exhibit sponsored by the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship. To clearly capture the talents of each artist, a gallery of beautiful photographs displaying the spectacular boxes-many of which have never been published-accompanies each profile.

New Masters of the Wooden Box looks beyond the surface of the finished work and into artistic language of material, technique, and form spoken by each artist.

Oscar P. Fitzgerald, Ph.D., earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in history from Georgetown University and served as director of the Navy Museum in Washington, D.C., until he decided to pursue full time his passion as a furniture historian and decorative arts consultant.
He is a member of the faculty of the Smithsonian Institution/Corcoran School Master's Program in the Decorative Arts, where he developed and teaches a core course on the studio furniture movement. His book Four Centuries of American Furniture is the standard reference work in the field. Fitzgerald's 2008 book, Studio Furniture of the Renwick Gallery, chronicles the development and expansion studio furniture movement in the United States through the Renwick Gallery's collection. In 2004, he was awarded a prestigious James Renwick Research Fellowship, which funded research for an essay published in the 2005 issue of Furniture Studio.

Tom McKenna's post last week about the box exhibit at the Messler gallery in Maine made me wish I could dart up the coast for a visit. I won't get that chance anytime soon and, truth be told, Rockport is a little bit out of the way for most folks.

If, like me, you found yourself wanting to see more of the boxes, but with no chance to visit Maine anytime soon, don't worry. As one commenter to Tom's post pointed out, there's a new book based on the pieces in the exhibition and the artists who created them.

New Masters of the Wooden Box is very thoughtfully done. Author and furniture historian Oscar P. Fitzgerald devotes a half dozen pages or so to each artist, offering a thorough and lively discussion of their backgrounds, inspirations and techniques. Each is illustrated with beautifully lit and detailed photos of the artist's work.

It's not just the next best thing to the exhibit - it's a great find all on its own.

Pandora couldn't resist opening a box, and readers won't be able to fight the temptation to turn the pages of New Masters of the Wooden Box (Fox Chapel Publishing, available October 2009). Inside they'll find 34 innovative artists who are crafting remarkable boxes that throw function to the wind, and beg to be admired, touched, marvelled upon and ultimately, opened. The box has an age-old past, as ancient as civilization itself, when containers did just that – contain things – like spices, bibles, candles, sewing needles and snuff.

Contemporary boxes are fundamentally different. They are no longer defined by their use, but made as a form of self expression and creative exploration. The whimsical, sculptural and conceptual boxes featured in New Masters of the Wooden Box have been selected for a touring museum exhibit sponsored by the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport, Maine. This book is a must-have for woodworkers and art lovers alike.

Beautifully illustrated, this volume serves as a catalogue and companion to the Boxes and Their Makers exhibition, which opened in the fall of 2009 at the Messler Gallery of the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport, Maine. American historian Fitzgerald has gradually focused his career on furniture. He describes the pieces shown in the color photographs, and places them in the context of the artist's intention and other work. Three of the 30 artists represented are teams.

Now, don't get hung up on the traditional image of a box: you know, five sides and a lid. The 34 craftsmen and women featured in New Masters of the Wooden Box sure aren't limited to a 'boxy” box. Take Saskatchewan native Michael Hosaluk's shrimp-like boxes made from Australian jara and Canadian maple (above, left). They are more works of art than containers.

In fact, most of the boxes in this book are on the fanciful/artistic side of things, as opposed to the practical/craftsman side. But these artsy boxes are introductions to other stunning works, such as Hosaluk's Yellow Cactus Chair and Scribble, a maple bowl decorated with acrylic paint. These both show a level of creativity and construction beyond usual project plans.

And why not travel to the outer reaches of woodworking? There's probably some inspiration out there that you can bring back.