Mid-Century Love at Greenwich House Pottery
Katherine Sharpe
Holy Herman Miller, Batman.
Last night I went to the opening of "Mid-Century Style and Studio Pottery" at Greenwich House Pottery in the West Vilage of NYC. Curated by Greenwich House Pottery director Sarah Archer, the exhibition consists of a beautiful, high-ceilinged room in the 3-story row house that has been home to GHP for 100 years, decked out with extreme authenticity in late '50s/early '60s style.
Entering the room feels like walking onto the set of Mad Men (kind of---it's a domestic setting, but Betty Draper doesn't have this good of an eye).
The furniture, provided by NYC's ReGeneration, is period vintage, including George Nakashima, Harvey Probber, Jens Risom, Milo Baughman, Vladimir Kagan, Eero Saarinen, and William Katavolos. (Most of the goods on display are for sale, but as befits high-design vintage, they're not cheap.)
The room houses ceramics by Peter Voulkos, Brother Thomas, Edwin and Mary Scheier, Henry Varnum Poor, Gertrude and Otto Natzler, Otto Heino, Beatrice Wood, Bruno LaVerdiere, Karen Karnes, Val Cushing, Anna Siok and Bernard Leach.
Two stars of the show for me were the two large wall hangings, a large blue tapestry by the husband and wife tem Jan and Marianne Yoors, and an organic-looking rope and leather hanging by Lenore Tawney.
On January 21st, GHP will host a panel discussion with Pat Kirkham (Professor, Bard Graduate Center), Catherine Whalen (Assistant Professor, Bard Graduate Center) and Sarah Lichtman (Assistant Professor, Parsons), at the Museum of Art and Design. The talk will center on the connections between studio craft and the other design trends of the period.
Greenwich House itself is a hidden gem, offering classes in all kinds of ceramics and, for enrolled students, serious amounts of open studio time in its storied work rooms.
If you're in New York, I highly recommend going down to get a gander at the facilities and the show.
Images by Sonja Shield. More pictures after the jump.
Entering the room feels like walking onto the set of Mad Men (kind of---it's a domestic setting, but Betty Draper doesn't have this good of an eye).
The furniture, provided by NYC's ReGeneration, is period vintage, including George Nakashima, Harvey Probber, Jens Risom, Milo Baughman, Vladimir Kagan, Eero Saarinen, and William Katavolos. (Most of the goods on display are for sale, but as befits high-design vintage, they're not cheap.)
The room houses ceramics by Peter Voulkos, Brother Thomas, Edwin and Mary Scheier, Henry Varnum Poor, Gertrude and Otto Natzler, Otto Heino, Beatrice Wood, Bruno LaVerdiere, Karen Karnes, Val Cushing, Anna Siok and Bernard Leach.
Two stars of the show for me were the two large wall hangings, a large blue tapestry by the husband and wife tem Jan and Marianne Yoors, and an organic-looking rope and leather hanging by Lenore Tawney.
On January 21st, GHP will host a panel discussion with Pat Kirkham (Professor, Bard Graduate Center), Catherine Whalen (Assistant Professor, Bard Graduate Center) and Sarah Lichtman (Assistant Professor, Parsons), at the Museum of Art and Design. The talk will center on the connections between studio craft and the other design trends of the period.
Greenwich House itself is a hidden gem, offering classes in all kinds of ceramics and, for enrolled students, serious amounts of open studio time in its storied work rooms.
If you're in New York, I highly recommend going down to get a gander at the facilities and the show.
Images by Sonja Shield. More pictures after the jump.
