Ai Weiwei: Dropping the Urn (Ceramic Works 5000 B.C.E. - 2010 C.E.)

Museum of Contemporary Craft

Portland, OR

July 15-October 30, 2010

By Elizabeth Lopeman

Before defacing the first in a series of Neolithic vessels on video at the Museum of Contemporary Craft in Portland, Oregon, Beijing-based artist and activist Ai Weiwei pauses to look into the camera, as if to ask the viewer to bear witness. He then dips the pot into a bucket of pink industrial paint, obscuring its ancient design. It could be said that by altering ancient Chinese artifacts Ai is making a statement, but most often his work comes off more as a question for the spectator—very much in the spirit of Marcel Duchamp, whom Ai counts as an influence. His question might be “Does this action matter?” Or even “What are you going to do about it?” The Chinese government has frequently taken his activism as a challenge and regularly performs conspicuous surveillance on him. Ai, one by one, pulls the earthenware pots from a shelf and submerges them, changing them to blue or yellow, purple or green, with remarkable nonchalance.

The exhibition’s title, “Dropping the Urn,” comes from a triptych of photographs titled Dropping a Han-Dynasty Urn, in which Ai is shown in the first shot holding an urn, in the second shot with the falling vessel, and in the third with it shattering onto a brick floor. Though his expression changes little, Ai looks like a child taunting an inattentive parent with his hands fanning out from his body in a “So what?” fashion as an impish tuft of hair kicks out from his scalp.

Coca-Cola Vase features the brand's iconic red script painted onto a Neolithic vase in Warhol style. With the vase as canvas, the viewer must weigh the significance of ready-made and mass production against traditionally crafted objects. Industrialization in China presently competes with farmland as the population expands, and other pieces in the exhibit—including Watermelons, which are the size and color of real watermelons and made of glazed porcelain, and Untitled, a conical heap of to-scale replicas of sunflower seeds weighing exactly one ton, also made of porcelain—ask viewers not only to consider the connotations of the forms, but also the value of food in China. 

Ai’s most recognizable work to date is the National Olympic Stadium—or Bird’s Nest—in Beijing, for which he was a consultant to the architects, Herzog & de Meuron. Viewers marveled at the shiny stadium’s gargantuan crisscrossing beams during the 2008 Olympics, but Ai stepped back from the project when it was used as Chinese propaganda. Sometime thereafter, he ground down Neolithic pots, put the remnants in glass jars, and called the project “Dust to Dust.” It is now also on display at the Museum of Contemporary Craft.

Elizabeth Lopeman is a freelance writer and editor who lives in Portland, OR, and teaches writing at Portland State University.

The cult illustrator Robert Crumb–“R. Crumb,” as he signs his work–holds a special place in the hearts of baby boomers. What ’60s kid didn’t gaze in awe at his cover art for Big Brother and the Holding Company’s Cheap Thrills album (marveling every time at Janis Joplin’s cleavage), paste a “Keep on Truckin” sticker on a school notebook, or delight in the idea of a naughty comic strip starring a feline rake named Fritz the Cat?

The New York artist Joseph Cavalieri has been reminded of just how powerfully this era-defining art still resonates, as he does a three-month, open-studio residency (through August) at the Museum of Arts and Design, working on a series of stained-glass panels based on Crumb illustrations–such as D&G, a portrait of Crumb’s wife and muse, Aline Kominsky-Crumb. “The reaction from visitors has been pretty wild,” says Cavalieri, 49. “Seeing these images brings back a forgotten time. Parents are somewhat embarrassed, telling their kids how they loved reading these comics.”

Cavalieri has done darkly funny panels featuring characters from The Simpsons, and wanted to explore other cartoon icons. “Mr. Crumb’s characters felt like the perfect next step,” he says. “The Simpsons and R. Crumb characters share humor, energy and a great drawing style, though Mr. Crumb’s subjects are more personal and way more kinky. Both the Simpsons and R. Crumb characters are about the last thing people expect to see in stained glass, especially when I place them into gothic settings.”

Before he began, Cavalieri submitted a proposal to the legendary artist and asked for permission to use the images. Crumb graciously gave his blessing. (His verbatim reply: “I’m just flattered that you’re making stain glass out of my stuff and hope you make some money off them!”).

“The thing is,” Cavalieri explains, “I am not reprinting his illustrations. I am placing them into gothic settings, and hand-painting each. He uses pen and ink on paper, and I am using paintbrush and enamel on glass. I’ve never done such precise work in my life. It’s probably similar to what a counterfeiter may feel. I offered to give him one piece as a thank you for using his images. At first he declined, but after showing the sketches to Aline, they decided on D&G. He has been very complimentary along all steps of this process.”

Cavalieri will have new works from the ongoing Cavalieri and Crumb series, as well as new Simpsons pieces, in the UrbanGlass booth at SOFA Chicago (Nov. 5-7). He also plans to stop by the Crumbs’ home in France to drop off D&G in person on his way to a residency in India this fall.

“It was only after watching the documentary Crumb that I truly understood the genius of this man,” Cavalieri says. “I’ve always appreciated his style of drawing, but now understand the far-out subjects and personal story lines. This man is a real survivor; his work will live on forever.”

Assistant Managing Editor
American Craft Council - Minneapolis

American Craft magazine is seeking a seasoned editor to serve as assistant managing editor for the bimonthly magazine.

The ideal candidate is:

• An excellent writer and editor, skilled in shaping stories of interest to a broad readership
• Familiar with the whole process of magazine publishing, from story planning to art direction, line editing and proofing
• Experienced with companion websites and interactive tools
• Well-versed in the uses of social media to reach audiences and create communities
• Acquainted with InDesign, Acrobat and Photoshop
• Passionate about the visual arts and a visual thinker
• Innovative and open to new communication approaches
• Collaborative in work style, with excellent people skills
• Resourceful, able to make the most of a small staff and modest budget in a non-profit organization
• Knowledgeable about the broad craft community and its evolving dynamics
• Familiar with AP style

How to apply:

Please send the following information in a single file by Aug. 1 to mmoses@craftcouncil.org:

• Resume
• Cover letter describing your interest in the role as well as ideas for broadening readership for American Craft magazine and americancraftmag.org
• Names of three references, with contact information
• Salary requirements

Relocation reimbursement is not available for this position.

New York, NY (June 24, 2010) - The American Craft Council announced the hiring of Monica Moses as American Craft magazine's new Editor in Chief, effective June 28.

Moses, a Minneapolis resident, has been an independent editor and creative director after serving as the Executive Director of Product Innovation for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. While in that role she helped to launch Vita.mn, a social media-tabloid-events brand for young adults that delivered new readers and advertisers to the company at a time of media contraction. Prior to that, she served as the Star Tribune's Deputy Managing Editor. She directed the paper's 2005 redesign, earning six top awards from the international Society for News Design. Moses also led the evolution of MARQ, an award-winning bimonthly luxury magazine, and was editor of Living Here magazine.

"I am extremely pleased to bring Monica Moses on to fill such an important and defining role with the organization," said Chris Amundsen, Executive Director of the American Craft Council. "With her stellar background in editing, publishing, creative development and electronic communication Monica will provide great direction for the magazine as well as added value to the organization as we reestablish ourselves in Minneapolis this August."

Moses earned her B.A. in English from St. Olaf College and two M.A. degrees, one in mass communications from the University of Minnesota and one in human development from St. Mary's University of Minnesota. She has won more than 80 national journalism awards and is a former faculty member of The Poynter Institute for Media Studies (FL).

Her appointment fills the currently vacant Editor in Chief position. Shannon Sharpe, Deputy Editor, has served at the helm of the magazine since January. Moses will begin her tenure as Editor in Chief in the Craft Council's New York office and will open the Minneapolis office with Executive Director Chris Amundsen on August 1.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to guide American Craft into a new era and make it the ultimate resource and community for all things craft related," said Moses. "This magazine has a robust history and serves the interests of many constituents. I am eager to build on those interests - and to engage readers who don't even know they love craft."

About the American Craft Council
The American Craft Council's mission is to champion craft.   As a national, nonprofit public educational organization founded in 1943 by Aileen Osborn Webb, the Council actively promotes the understanding and appreciation of contemporary American craft through its bimonthly magazine American Craft, annual juried shows presenting artists and their work, leadership conferences, awards for excellence, research library, workshops and seminars.  For additional information visit www.craftcouncil.org.

The American Craft Council will be moving soon from our New York City location to our new offices in Minneapolis, MN. As of August 1, 2010 please note that our new address will be:

American Craft Council
1224 Marshall Street NE
Suite 200
Minneapolis, MN 55413

Thank you for bringing this announcement to the attention of your accounting/billing department, for updating your database so we may continue to receive correspondence from you, and for sharing this information with others who will find it of interest.

American Craft Council Library
Please note that in preparation for the American Craft Council's move, the Council Library's last day of operation in New York City will be Wednesday, June 30. If you wish to make an appointment to visit the Council Library on or prior to June 30 please contact David Shuford at dshuford@craftcouncil.org, 212.274.0630 x232.

NYC Spring Street Office
Our offices will be vacated on July 16 but we will continue working through the month of July. Please continue to contact us via our e-mail addresses and phone numbers. We will post our new telephone number when we have it.

Our 800 number will remain operational so please feel free to contact us at 800.836.3470. E-mail messages to Chris Amundsen, Executive Director, will continue uninterrupted: camundsen@craftcouncil.org. Instructions will follow for all other departments.

You may direct any questions regarding this announcement to our Director of Marketing and Communications, Bernadette Boyle at bboyle@craftcouncil.org, 212.274.0630 x252.