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FUNCTION l FUSION
PETER CHEN and GREG METZ
Comment
Peter Chen says his furniture design his own interpretation of Modern. Technically Modern applies to furniture which emerged in the 1930s after the Bauhaus revolution which hammered out a new relationship between craft, art and industry.
The Bauhaus aesthetic made the 'how' of structure and its materials a design factor - like the surface 'grain' of laminated plywood. The width of each board is formed by glueing sheets of plywood together. Finished pieces are often simply stained, presenting the 'grain' of parallel lines, which is the laminate board standing on its side.
Peter skillfully articulates this design aesthetic in his work. The glass top of his little round table is firmly held in place with big, shiny Robert's screws, each anchored visibly to a shiny aluminum rod. This is fixed on the curve of three supporting 2" laminate strips, and when the three meet at the centre the plywood layers separate to intersect perfectly. How? By computer.
"Nothing is decoration," says Peter, "everything has function." You see this in his bench/coffee table/display stand. Visible aluminum rods unify legs and top into a sound assembly; but also there is a slight, unexpected space at each corner. Just that, a nothing of decoration
Finally enjoy the playfulness and mathematics of Peter's console/storage/display system. It comprises nine painted components (choose your colours) housed on a single frame. "They can," Peter asserts,"be arranged 576 different ways."
Greg Metz works with natural wood as well as plywood. His designs are technically 'Contemporary', which embraces the 'Now' of Modern as well as the past legacy of form.
 The partnership is evident in Greg's two stained 'wiggle' laminate chairs. 'Wiggle' laminate is malleable, which allows the back and seat to be slightly curved, just enough ease a variety of backs and bottoms. Finally each chair is made firmed by vacuum pressure. Greg tells of watching a very large obese man thump down on to this chair - and it held fast.
Greg's wall table is elegant, and surprizing. The supporting leg is hand-carved cherry wood which also borders the undulating edge of the 'exploded' glass shelf. Exploded? Like this: the shelf is made up of there sheets of glass. The central sheet is heated, sandwiched between the other two, and then gently but firmly tapped at centre back. For an instant the surface explodes with motion, stops, and look! the motion is frozen.
Greg uses stained cherry for the top of his glass-fronted buffet, and wenge wood for the in a striking desk/table. The drawer front of soled wenge, and the whole is stained a rich mocha Java.
But take note. This work is a perfect introduction to the April show. Both are lively expressions of how a shared passion for making furniture with wood can produce such singular variety.
Thelma Ruck Keene
Gallery Committee
OF CURVES AND COLOURS
an exhibition of studio furniture
KEN GUENTER
Comment
Ken Guenter has given us a captivating show, a feast of fine craftsmanship and design invention served with teasing titles, hinting at the historical precedents of each piece. It's fun to spot them, but also good to be reminded of what Ken calls "referents to the integrity of form", which is our heritage.
Integrity of form makes this show of varied, one-of-a-kind pieces into a vibrant, distinctive whole. The designs combine function with an aesthetic of simplicity and honesty, a good base from which to explore new ideas and form. For Ken, who sees studio furniture as an integral part of the visual arts, the freedom offered by gallery shows is vital. In this context it is not alarming if the artist claims that the World Trade Centre gave birth to Fraternal  Twins, Minuet and Polka.
The twins are tall, circular cupboards, opening and closing in a silky slide around the base. Circular shelves are slit to hold CDs, plus sound equipment. Minuet (Honduras mahogany and wenge) is soberly splendid. White painted Polka is more companionable, its fluted sides sagging movement, and a trail of little round balls in bright colours marches from shoulder to hem.
 Have a seat, Vasari (American black walnut and red leather) is a chair of great simplicity and honest comfort. It is repeated in miniature on a pedestal, set within the skeletal wood frame of a chair, and on a small panel of glass are finely etched yet more chair referents.
 Louis Credenza (American black cherry with a grain like flowing water) is a sideboard which, having doors front and back, is also a divider. The form is rotund,, a full-bodied Presence - but the handles and neat little feet are painted a delicious red. Furthermore one little foot is firmly, all alone, centre stage.
The others, in two groups of four, support each bulky end. They imply merriment. The Christo influence is missing - there was no room for the chair, wrapped and quite transformed. But the grasses are plentifully evident, holding a ball of light, or a tiny wooden clock face. All in all, Of Curves and Colours is a breath of Spring, winter going, and 'sumer is icumin in.'
Thelma Ruck Keene
Gallery Committee
Brian Hoyano and Ann Uusoja
Comments
This show is a fascinating combination of two artists whose very different cultural origins confound the assumption that cultures are naturally divisive. Brian Hoyano’s family background is Japanese, Ann Uusoja’s is Estonian. Asia and the Baltic, two small countries, one isolated, the other endlessly invaded. So from Brian comes a quiet, exquisite and distinctive jewellery, from Ann pours out exuberant images on wall panels of painted silk, full of movement and colour. Yet at the base is a profound, palpable connection, reflected also in their own words.
Brian Hoyano writes:
Shade from a giant Douglas fir gently defines the world outside my studio door. Pond Series begins with this calmness.
Frog basks
Birds nest and nurture
Bamboo breathes
I watch the Tai Chi of snails.
 In my work the sense of such things is combined in quiet juxtapositions.
It is a matter of course to discover Pond Brooch 2 (14k gold, amethyst, moonstone and opal) a little, irregular, limpid silver pond, with stones. The sculpted surface of Birdhouse (medallion) (sterling, 14k gold, black pearl, chrysoprase) gives presence to a gleaming back pearl, and Birdbath (sterling, 14k gold, black pearl, amethyst, rubber, bamboo) cradles another black pearl. Bamboo is also present, making straight, slender handles for Two Quiet Teaspoons (silver and gold). One spoon is topped by a tiny, curled silver leaf.
The list of influences in Brian’s jewellery are interesting “the candour of ancient folk art, the subtlety of an Asian aesthetic, and the machined pristineness of contemporary industrial design.” Pristiness is unexpected, but fits brooch Fence I (sterling, 14k gold, opal, amethyst) whose geometric simplicity presents the stones without fanfare.
The ‘influences end with a wry “add a slightly off-centred perspective”. But everything combines. The jewellery, in its varied juxtapositions, is displayed on white square, the pieces lightly connected by a slim twig or leaf of bamboo – as if blown there to fall in just the right places.
 Now for Ann Uusoja’s work and my query about connections. Perhaps they lie in what Ann writes about the imagery of symbols in her work: By using ancient symbols in a modern way through the use of vivid colours, bold juxtaposition and strong linear composition, primitive memories are stirred. By touching on these chords attention may be brought to a belief system that revered the Earth as a sacred body, to be treated with respect.
In her bio Ann mentions working with sick children, for whom symbols must have played an evocative and comforting part. And no doubt the leaping triangular forms in her 3-piece Primitive and the gambolling of Darker Figures would surely stir the most sluggish adult blood.
A paramount force in Ann’s work is how colour resonates on silk. She writes of combining “vivid colours and strong linear composition.” This is exemplified in Abstract, such a powerful composition I had to ask how this ‘abstract’ came about. She pointed to a dot in a small circle, saying, “From this”.
In contrast to those bold colours the whole background of Square, and part of Long Geometric is blended to softness. How come? Silk painting technique resembles painting a watercolour, in which colours are blended by adding more water.
Do not confuse ‘silk painting’ and ‘silk screening’. The difference is simple: a silk painting is an original work of art, while silk screening is reproduction. Painting silk is quite a process, beginning with silk stretched on a frame. The background is painted first, then left to dry in readiness to define the strong lines of composition. I won’t go into what follows, which involves a cube of chicken wire, newsprint paper, and towels.
But for Ann silk painting is a powerful medium to explore in depth and never tire of pushing her skill. It also pleases her that by presenting pieces for sensuous adornment and/or to hang on the wall, her art has a wide appeal, making it a friendly, instead of a puzzling, experience.
Calmness and exuberance: a good combination when connected with shared creative sources which lie deep in all of us.
Thelma Ruck Keene
Gallery Committee
GO BIG, GO BLUE
Starfish Glassworks
Gary Bolt, Lisa Samphire, Morna Tudor
I've been writing comments on Circle Craft's shows for sixteen years, and it's high time for a spot of variety. This is why I asked David New-Small to write his thoughts on Go Big, Go Blue to which I will add my comments. In the early days of Granville Island David's glassworks and gallery were an innovation — people could actually watch glass being made. But he did much more, for his encouragement and promotion of young glass artists continues to be significant in developing this craft in BC. So, for a spot of variety and a touch of spice, here are David New-Small's just comments (in italics) on what it means to Go Big.
I don't know how important size is but I do know that when it comes to glassblowing, size is expensive and not just for the consumer. The folks at Starfish make a whimsical reference to the adage about making things big if you can't make them good, but making big glass is anything but whimsical.
When a glassblower decides to make a large piece (anything over about 4 kilos) he or she makes a commitment to spend a lot of time and money. First is the equipment that must be sized to handle the larger pieces, and second there is the team of one or more assistants required to help manipulate the mass of 2000 degree (F) material on the end of a 5 ft. steel pipe. If the work is thick, like Morna's 'All of the Above', it must be cooled over a period of several days in a very controlled way, thus tying up a kiln for the whole time. The frustrating part is that after utilizing all the available resources a single piece of glass is really too big to keep on a coffee table. Lisa's 'Blue Munni Madness' vessels are excellent examples of this irritation.
So if you are a glassblower to whom size matters (and this is most of us) what do you do? There are two solutions in this show. Gary's 'Tall Vase' is an assemblage of two large vessels (see all of the problems above) with a ball in the middle. All of these had to be carefully ground to fit together, so that the piece stands up straight, and then glued together to give the appearance of a single, very large piece. In her series 'Size Matters' Morna has taken the alternative of assembling several more modest pieces using wire to hold them together, much like a string of beads.
Whether or not bigger is better you can be sure that for the glassblower size is a lot more work.
Thelma writes, "When I read the artists' statement I realized that, quite by chance, their show opened almost exactly eight years after Gary, Morna and Lisa took a quantum leap from their Vancouver studio and set up Starfish Glassworks in Victoria. It was a big leap, but they flew on the wings of a vision.
The vision was an expanded version of David New-Small's glassworks with the aim to sell their work as well as educate every casual visitor on the craft of blowing glass. They needed space, and wanted it downtown. What they found was then (but not now) in a rundown area downtown, and the building was ideal. It had been a bank, lofty and spacious, and at one end was a mezzanine. Now the mezzanine houses the gallery and store, and from it visitors can look down to where the kilns blaze and liquid glass is blown into pieces of many sizes, forms and colours.
Lisa tells of a lady who complained about the absurd price of studio glass, but was persuaded to watch it being made. Later, as she paid for the piece whose price had seemed an outrage, she said, "I will never question the price of glass again."
This show delights me. Staring into Lisa's big blue vase the spotlight reveals an inner world of movement formed by the fused pieces of stretched glass, and light through Gary's big blue hanging plate throws its distinctive shadow pattern of inner form on the wall. Morna’s 'Size Matters' (she calls them her 'Blue Blobs') is striking, a bit of a lark, an ironic jab at the fad for Big and Blue (blue pottery is also a sure seller). There's a neat message in her three small bowls (plain glass with a touch of red) titled 'Time is Money'. One is simple, the next more fancy, and the third is hand-carved, using a diamond cutter:the prices are $100, $200, and $500. Gary and Lisa also contribute a group of three lovely pieces which are neither big nor blue.
I salute the Starfishes for their vision, their essential seriousness, and irrepressible gaiety.
Thelma Ruck Keene
Gallery Committee
RARE EARTH AND COMMON GROUND
Gordon Hutchens
The most valuable appraisal of any artist's work is that given by respected peers. Such a one is the ceramic artist, Hero Urikama, who came to Canada from Japan in 1967. After graduating from the Vancouver School of Art in 1971 he opened the House of Ceramics on Hamilton Street and, in this lean time for crafts, resolutely presented a different show of ceramics every two weeks of the year. In the 1980's, Hero was a member of Circle Craft's Selections Committee and recently returned to do same job - and took time to write the following:
I have known Gordon Hutchens professionally for over 30 years. He is a genuinely humble, sincere, warm and stable person who has never lost his passion for ceramic art. Progress never decreased. Day by day, piece by piece he advanced beautifully, One word to describe his work would be "Gorgeous!" A word no one would challenge. His perfectly controlled, handsome forms are decorated with glaze, slips, and infusions of metal: firing methods include raku, low/high soda (slat), wood, gas, and a very carefully co-ordinated electric kiln for his magnificent crystalline glazes. Whatever he chooses, the final results are outstanding.
In mid-June I saw his recent work - WOW! Imediately I spotted a group of new forms (small pots): then Gordon put out his hand in greeting, many beautiful pots distracted my attention, and days later I'm not sure what I saw. Now I look forward to Gordon's show at Circle Craft. Was it a dream or am I going to have a wonderful surprise?
Comment
Gordon Hutchens is himself often surprized. Those magnificent crystalline glazes, which Hero mentions, are wrought by a complicated technique which yields a surfaces of spontaneous, unique crystal patterns. It simply happens - and sometimes doesn't. In this show is an exceptional range of crystalized glazes on different forms, the patterns ranging from the most delicate to very strong. Gordon writes that this technique emulates the natural formation of crystals in rack cooling deep in the earth. By the way, check Gordon's website: www.gordonhutchens.com he has a way with words as well as pots.
Another surprise comes every time Gordon unloads pots from his traditional Japanese style Aragana Kiln. This is a wood-fired dragon measuring 300 cu. ft. which Gordon completed in 1998 (it is the fourth of its kind in the world). Five years ago Gordon had a show at Circle Craft titled 'Brushed by Flame' which featured pots from his newly completed kiln. He wrote, Small blobs of clay are placed on the base of each pot. This allows the flames and woodash to flow up and around the clay surfaces, painting them with a natural glaze to capture the elusive vigour of the flame itself. The action of the flame tells a story, and can make a dramatic difference in the character of the glaze. I get excited by the power of heat, the way fire brings about s transformation, and the metamorphosis of elements I've combined into something new.
This show is full of magic. Note the black Denman Lustre plate on which a metallic silvery dust encircles a bright god sun. The sculptured surface of forms in reduction fired earthenware have been manipulated from within, giving an odd sense of ongoing internal upheaval. Gordon writes that this low temperature firing relates to the French Art Nouveau ceramics of the late 1800s. The glaze has some of the depth and complexity of high fire ware combined with rich colours and lustrous surfaces available at lower temperatures. This is one of the areas where pottery is closely related to Alchemy, both aesthetically and historically.
But work of this kind is alchemy of high order. Here the elements of rare earth and common ground are brought together by a fusion of talent and science, enriched by the legacy of history, and fired with the joy of being a potter. And that joy began when Gordon Hutchens was twelve years old.
Thelma Ruck Keene
Gallery Committee
ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS
Marilyn Lee
 Marilyn Lee creates her panels of architectural details in felt. This material which she makes by hand, was devised by the neolithic people roughly 8000 years ago. Felt was the first non-woven textile, and was used so extensively by the nomads of the Northern Steeps that their territory became known as the Land of Felt. The Greeks lined their battle helmets with felt and the Romans found it made serviceable breastplates. Now felt is machine made for a multitude of industrial and commercial uses.
Like all felt artists, Marilyn Lee is captivated by how felt is made. She describes how the process and the materials create a symbiotic relationship in which every stage is pivotal until, at the end, when the raw wool combines with hot soapy water, the magical alchemy of turning fleece into felt is truly apparent.
At this point, expert guidance is called for, and it comes from Alice Phillips. She describes herself as a passionate supporter, teacher and practitioner of felt making. I add that she produces striking felt clothing, and currently is exploring the art of felt sculpture.
Alice Phillips writes,
Felting is created by the compression of wool (with the correct moisture, pH level, and motion). Sheep's wool has the unique ability to bond to itself. In this process the fibres migrate and interlock with each other to create a permanent and strong textile.
In a medium where clean, precise detail is technically difficult, Marilyn has developed a method of using stencils and stitchery to create intricate, fascinating contrasts with the suffused monochromatic shadings which define the pattern elements themselves. She creates an interesting juxtaposition for the viewer and, like weather-worn paint, suggesting age and timelessness. This plays well with the physical characteristics of the felt, which is soft and diffuse. The work is contemplative and very original.
It is wonderful to see felt being taken in yet another direction. There is nothing folksy or "crafty" in these pieces which are strong, architectural, and very pleasing. They invoke traditional Victorian tracery and design to give a sense of looking through these elaborate gates into another world. Her contemporary evocation of the past uses an ancient process to create a new magnification of pattern.
Beside the larger work is a series of smaller pieces each a jewel of precision and detail. This is a lovely show.
 Marilyn Lee reminds us that the work is full of patterns, natural and man made. She draws on the infinite variety of patterns often hidden in humdrum objects. One day in London she was on her knees making a rubbing of the tracery on a cast iron manhole cover when she became aware of a large pair of well shod feet and heard a deep voice ask, "What are you up, to miss?" The feet belonged to a London bobby. Marilyn explained, and after a pause the bobby said, "All right, miss. Get a move on, and I'll stand here so you don't get into trouble."
Looking at the central panel in the show, I was struck by the delicate balance of line and space, and Marilyn said that the whole elaborate tracery must be held complete in her mind while she worked so the balance would flow uninterrupted. This is a good description of creative work, and reminds me of Bach's music where every note is just where it ought to be.
Marilyn has included three white felt pillows and matching throws as samples of the soft textured machine-made felt she uses for these items. They are part of her new contemporary line of MML Textiles. It is good to see such skill and sensitivity entering unabashed the world of mass production.
Thelma Ruck Keene
Gallery Committee
METALPHORS
Greg Kawcyznski
 Greg Kawcynski came to Vancouver from Poland in 1988, an established sculptor of massive public monuments in marble or cast in bronze from clay forms. Like all immigrants he put his skills to use in his new country - the marble fountain by the Cultural Centre at Deep Cove is his. Then his work took another turn after visiting Mexico and Norway in 2000 and 2002. Sun-drenched Mexico captivated him, especially the imaginative vitality of pre-Columbian sculptures. Norway was also invigorating for he had a friend who owned a bronze foundry, and here Greg produced a series of small birds and animals, formed in clay and cast in bronze. They were shown at a local gallery, and were the precursors of the glazed ceramic Metalphors in this show, which includes a singing bird, and an octopus, cast in bronze.
This month my partner in comments is Penny Birnam, who has put her ceramic skill into creating sculptured heads of creatures who are now endangered species. Penny has been chair of Circle Craft's Board, has worked with the Selections Committee, and now is our colleague on the Gallery Committee. She has travelled the rivers and coast of BC in her kayak, and once she sang to a whale, who stayed to listen.
Penny writes:
This beautiful show builds a seamless web of information into our small gallery space. It is an example of how creativity and an observant eye can operate across a variety of materials and scales.
 First to catch attention are the birds, about 20 in groups of three or four. Each has a character utterly in itself, but grouped together they seem to be interacting so strongly it's impossible not to imagine what they are discussing. Each is a carefully observed individual, both very birdlike and very human. Clay has a tactile, approachable quality, a suitable medium for these lively beings. On some pieces the muted glaze colours highlight the wide variety of textures. On others, raku performs its magic of unifying the elements of form and texture in a group, while providing the dark iridescence so common to many birds. Some have jeweled eyes - jade, agate or hematite - giving a beady, birdlike effect, intensifying the sense of alertness which each has.
Also in the show are two cases of Greg's gorgeous sculptured silver jewelry, large and imposing, with big stones and flowing contours. There are complex chains which cry out for smooth skin or dark silk. There are rings which, if scaled up, could stand alone as sculptures in a marble foyer.
Greg also displays his working drawings and the tools he makes of wood, rebar, steel and wire, each one designed as needed for a particular task. This is a fascinating illustration of the creative process from conception to the finished work.
Penny has given a vivid and informed account of this show, so I will take space to introduce Eva Kawcyznski, Greg's wife. She is an artist, designer, and computer whiz, skills she used to polish the nuts and bolts of this show. She also wrote about METALPHORS, which took off into a kind of blank verse. Here's how it ends:
METAL
enchanting decoration
durable tools sharp pointed abrasive
shaped into familiar
shaped into mysterious
shaped into abstract
shaped into beauty
in the hands of an artist
 The whole of Eva's lovely, spontaneous free verse is in the gallery, an unexpected completion of what Greg has given by including, with the product of his work, his beautiful working drawings, and the tools he has made to suit his purposes as ceramicist and silversmith. The drawings trace the unfolding of imagination: the tools give a new depth to the phrase 'Made by hand'.
Thelma Ruck Keene
Gallery Committee
CHRISTMAS MARKET SHOW PREVIEW
I guarantee that the Circle Craft Christmas Market poster will make you smile. There's a big one in the window of the store. And in the gallery our show features the work of three artisans selected from the 260 who will be selling at the Christmas Market. Smile back at the engaging Pinocchio doll, smile with pleasure at the delicate many-layered colours filtered through forest and ocean on painted silk hangings: and then consider the black, steel-forged birds - they are remarkable.
Meantime meet Paul Yard, the General Manager of Circle Craft Co-Operative. He has patiently nurtured the Christmas Market to its present status of fine craftsmanship at every level, from home-produced chutney to the work in our preview show.
Paul writes:
When I sat down to write about this show, I became slowly aware of the fact that I have been producing the Circle Craft Christmas Market for eighteen years now. I point this out, not because it is such a great achievement, but rather because I am still excited by the great talents that our show continues to attract. Those participating in this Christmas Market Preview are prime examples.
Gunter Reimnitz is new to me but there is no mistaking the “attitude” that his birds impart. You can almost hear the squawking going on in the gallery as the crows vie for berries. I look forward to seeing the full selection at the Christmas Market. Gunter is one of a number of Americans who is participating in the Market for the first time this year.
Shannon Wardroper first did the Christmas Market in the early 90’s after completing courses in Alberta and at Emily Carr. She did the show for a couple of years and then disappeared. When she reappeared in my office last spring, the work she brought was breathtaking. The years away she has obviously put to good use!
Marlene Xenis and her daughter Tania are also “old friends”. We first met in the 90’s at the Creative Art Shows, (an addendum to the Vancouver Gift Show). They exhibited in an early Christmas Market and then went off of my radar for a number of years, only to re emerge last year with the stunning line of dolls on display in this show.
Along with the work of these three, there is that of another thirty on display, mostly in the main window. This is the work of Circle Craft members who are doing the show this year. They, along with another 230 craftspeople from across Canada will make up this year’s Circle Craft Christmas Market November 9th – 13th. If you haven’t been for a few years, I urge you to attend…..we’ve all grown. For more information about the Exhibitors, please go to 2005 EXHIBITORS.
Comment
As we allowed Paul to curate this show, all three artists are strangers to us. But in their statements each has written with gusto about their creative inspiration. So I am free to amble though the show and note what I see.
Gunter Reimnitz is an artist from Alaska, a fisherman who knows his creatures so intimately that his black crows seem forged and sculpted to celebrate the bird within the shape. They are created for gardens, outside, where birds belong, and little birds can sit with impunity on the black, outspread wings.
Shannon Wardroper displays hangings of painted Japan silk on which colour, collage, embroidery, and traditional Asian textile techniques combine motifs of forest and ocean into something close to dreamscapes. Her skills have been enriched by studying traditional kimono techniques and surface designs in Japan, and Ikat weaving and dyeing in Thailand. In this show she includes a selection of albums and notebooks bound in the same beautiful painted silk.
Marlene Xenis and her daughter Tania Xenis make two kinds of dolls, Diva Dolls and others. There is one Diva in our show, a tall, skinny lady, elaborately gowned, with a round, baby face. The other dolls are quite different, with well formed, flexible bodies. There's a laughing Pinocchio, a Mary with her little lamb, a couple of clowns: and each one has a sparkling spirit. I guarantee you will smile back at them.
Thelma Ruck Keene
Gallery Committee
Hearts from My Hands
Hermann Edler
Hermann Edler, who describes himself as a folk artist, might seem to be a bit of an oddball. Folk artists are more likely to be peasants than pundits, and he is a graphic artist with a degree in the History of Folk Art.
 Maybe the problem lies in the fact that ‘Folk Art’ was a title coined in 19th century England. It described something which rather shocked the upper classes, that the simple country folk had, for hundreds of years, maintained a huge repertoire of songs, stories and traditional artifacts which had a quality, even a flavour, quite its own. But art from uneducated peasants? But it was turning up all over the world.
If you listen to English folk songs their flavour is often an echo of spacious medieval music. The language os songs and stories is direct, preferring imagery to adjectives (great for rap artists). And the forms – woven, hammered, sculpted, carved, plain or brightly painted – can range from total simplicity to delicate complexity. It’s inspiration is life, all of it, its expression vigorous, humorous, natural, and without sham. A joyful art, rooted in traditions kept lively by accommodating endless variants – and change.
So Hermann is not an oddball, he’s a native of Austria a land of forests where carving stories in wood is a tradition. He’s put his heart into this lineage, and judges a piece well made when people stop, look, and smile. At the opening of his show Herman talked with a child (a girl) who was gazing intently at Broken Heart. The piece includes a cracked heart held together with wires, shards of broken pottery, and a bead necklace, broken but still attached. The child asked, “Does this mean divorce?” and they had a satisfactory exchange on the subject. She liked Invasion of my Heartland which is dominated by a flock of brightly painted birds clustered on a spreading branch. Hermann told her his heartland was Vancouver Island. “And the birds?” she asked, and Hermann said, “They are all the people who come to live in heartland.” The child liked that, also a fish, a whale, and a row boat, all on springs so she could rock them.
 Hermann’s play on words is basic ‘folk’. Heart of Stone is a woman with a stone heart sitting beneath a cold, white moon. Heart in Love blazes with rays of gold and sparkling beads. Heart Pain has a heart stuck with a great many nails, Sweet Heart is a decorated, heart-shaped cake in a box. There are 20 pieces in all, including two memorials, a Catholic style Sacred Heart, and Heart in my Hand, which is related to a Shaker Valentine.
This work is not mimicry, which has no life in it. The dictionary defines ‘Art’ as skill as the result of knowledge and practice. I prefer what Oscar Wilde wrote: An artist is not a special sort of man: every man is a special sort of artist. "Man", of course means us folk, and especially Hermann Adler.
Thelma Ruck Keene
Gallery Committee
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