Aspen Golann Reimagines 17Th-Century Embroidery In Wood At Superhouse

(MENAFN- USA Art News) Artist and furniture-maker Aspen Golann, known for her sculptural interpretations of early American furniture, is exploring 17th-century needlework through a new series of hand-carved wooden vessels and furniture. Her work, which reinterprets traditional craft, draws inspiration from historical embroidery created by women.

Golann's research into early needlework, a craft almost exclusively practiced by women, led to an ongoing series of wooden vessels. These works are part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Vacheron Constantin Artisan Residency, an 18-month program focused on preserving and reinterpreting traditional craft techniques. Golann was joined in the residency by ceramicist Ibrahim Said and jeweler Joy Harvey.

Her pieces, such as“Pouring Vessel” and“Strap-Carved Vessel,” translate needlework motifs onto solid wood using a strapworking technique. These vessels challenge the boundary between functionality and aesthetic appeal, often featuring ornate designs that draw attention to their artistic rather than utilitarian nature. Golann notes that historically, sewn compositions made by young girls have been“under-researched and under-displayed.” She further explained:“It's fragile, rare, and stowable. I wanted to make some version of this thing that couldn't be put away.”

One notable piece,“Crewel Cabinet,” stands five feet, four inches tall, approximately the average height of an American woman. Golann constructed the cabinet from 37 staves, or thin strips of wood, each meticulously built from 14 colored layers. From these layers, she carved plants, rabbits, and dogs, with the shifting colors evoking the vibrant threads of colonial-era crewel embroidery. Golann described these historical embroideries:“These embroideries were often dowry objects, made within restrictive expectations for women's lives. Their compositions and themes could be quite consistent, but they are also material evidence of the girls' internal lives and creative expression. They're full of sensitivity, affection, and interest in the natural world, but they're also bizarre, strange, and imaginative. I've been trying to tune my sensitivity to the frequency of their imaginations and lived experience, then splash that over a much larger, more expressive canvas.”

Golann's contemporary furniture iterations, like“Meeting Bench,” created in collaboration with chairmaker Peter Galbert, and“Union Settee,” pay tribute to early American styles while highlighting furniture's role in convening people. Her work also includes a series of imaginative brushes and brooms.

Her next project involves a commission for the U.S. Treasury, which commissions a piece of furniture for its collection every 50 years. Golann stated:“I'm using different tones of precious metals, applied in a paint-by-numbers way, to create an abstracted, bizarre landscape inspired by early American embroidery.” This work will incorporate reflective surfaces, allowing viewers to see themselves mirrored in the scene. Additionally, a solo exhibition is planned for next November at the Fuller Craft Museum.

“Crewel Cabinet” will be on view in New York City as part of the group exhibition Pattern Recognition: Superhouse at Five, opening on November 6 and continuing through December 19 at Superhouse.

Source: This Is Colossal

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