WOMAN: I THINK THAT NATURE
IS AN EXPERIENCE. IT'S VERY SENSORIAL AND SENSUAL. WE'RE ALWAYS
OOHING AND AHHING. MAN: IT'S LIKE CHRISTMAS. NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA GET
UNTIL YOU OPEN IT UP. DIFFERENT MAN: I'VE COME
TO REALIZE THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF CLOSET STICK GATHERERS
OUT THERE, AND NOT ONLY DO THEY WANT
TO GATHER STICKS. THEY ACTUALLY
WANT TO BUILD THINGS. WOMAN: TAKING ONE'S CUES
FROM THE PHYSIOLOGY OF THE WOOD, A LOT OF IT IS GETTING
OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY. THEN SUDDENLY THE WOOD
HAS A LOT TO SAY, AND THAT I'M JUST
TRANSLATING IT. DIFFERENT WOMAN: YOUR
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ANIMALS, THE PLANTS, THE PEOPLE
DETERMINES YOUR LANGUAGE, YOUR SPIRITUALITY,
AND YOUR AESTHETICS. YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE
WHAT YOU SURROUND YOURSELF WITH. MAN: I'LL HAVE, LIKE,
A GLASS ON THE GROUND THAT LOOKS LIKE THE RIVER,
AND THEN THE SALMON ARE GONNA BE FLOATING
ABOVE THE TOP. WOMAN: I TRY TO TRANSLATE MY
EXPERIENCE OF THIS ENVIRONMENT FOR OTHER PEOPLE
TO ENJOY AND UNDERSTAND. DIFFERENT WOMAN:
HOW ARE WE DEFINING NATURE? IS IT THE LIMIT
OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WHEN WE SEE GREEN
AND WHEN WE SEE TREES, OR IS IT--IS IT EVERYTHING? [WOMEN VOCALIZING] ANNOUNCER: MAJOR FUNDING FOR
"CRAFT IN AMERICA" WAS PROVIDED BY CYNTHIA LOVELACE SEARS
& FRANK BUXTON... LILLIAN PIERSON LOVELACE... L.L. BROWNRIGG... THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT
FOR THE ARTS... BLOOMBERG PHILANTHROPIES... HELEN & PETER BING... STOLAROFF FOUNDATION. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT WAS PROVIDED
BY THE FOLLOWING. MAN: WELL, I ALWAYS SAY
OF MYSELF THAT I'M A SCULPTOR, AND I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY
WHAT THAT MEANS, BUT I LIKE THE MONIKER. IT'S THE HANDLING
OF THAT MATERIAL, OFTEN, THAT I KEY OFF OF. I WOULD SAY,
STICKS GIVE ME GOOD IDEAS, AND PART OF THAT
IS THAT JUST TOUCHING THEM SEEMS TO SPEAK
OF THEIR IMMANENT POTENTIAL. I GET VERY ENTHUSIASTIC
AT THAT POINT. HOW'S IT GOING, ELSA? ELSA: FINE. DOUGHERTY: IS THAT THE
FASTEST TOWER IN THE WORLD? ELSA: HA HA! YES. DOUGHERTY, VOICE-OVER:
I STARTED OUT BECAUSE I JUST SIMPLY LOVE THE WOOD. I LOVED TRYING TO SEE WHAT I
COULD DO WITH THE BENDING OF IT. I LIKED TO TRY TO MAKE
DIFFERENT SHAPES AND SEE IF I COULD
MAKE THEM STAND UP, BUT I'VE ENHANCED
THAT WHOLE PROCESS A BIT BY INCLUDING PEOPLE FROM THE
COMMUNITY AND ALSO ORGANIZATIONS AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
WHAT MAKES GOOD PUBLIC WORK AND HOW YOU ENLIVEN
PEOPLE'S IMAGINATION AND HOW YOU FIT WORK IN SO THAT
IT SEEMS TO FIT ITS SPACE. I'M INTENSELY INTERESTED
IN THE PLACEMENT OF THINGS AND THE SUCCESS OF THINGS
THAT ARE PUBLIC, SO I'VE COME TO REALIZE
THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF CLOSET STICK GATHERERS
OUT THERE, AND, UH, NOT ONLY DO THEY
WANT TO GATHER STICKS. THEY ACTUALLY
WANT TO BUILD THINGS, SO WE'VE DONE REALLY WELL
IN HAVING A CONSTANT FLOW OF INTERESTED PARTIES
WILLING TO THROW THEMSELVES INTO A LOT OF WORK. HEY, JOHN, HOW ARE
YOU DOING UP THERE? ELSA, VOICE-OVER:
WE START OFF WEAVING A BASIC SPIDER-WEB STRUCTURE THAT
IS JUST VERY RANDOM WEAVING. THEN YOU CAN FILL THE WALLS. YOU CAN WRAP THE DOORS,
WHIPSTITCH THE TOP, MAKE THE FRITZ ON THE TOP. DOUGHERTY: AW, YOU'RE
LOOKING GOOD UP THERE. HOFFMAN, VOICE-OVER:
PATRICK SAYS THAT EVERYONE CAN BE A STICK WORKER, BUT
THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME PEOPLE THAT--THAT ARE BETTER
THAN OTHERS. [SNAP] YEAH. THESE THINGS ARE GREEN,
AND SO THEY HAVE TO BE GREEN. THEY CAN'T BE TOO--
UH, CAN'T BE TOO DRY. UH, WILLOW IS A GREAT ONE
FOR BASKET MAKING, AND SO I USE THAT A LOT
IF IT'S AVAILABLE, MAPLES UP AND DOWN
THE EAST COAST. IN FLORIDA, YOU HAVE
TO USE ONE THING. IF YOU'RE IN HAWAII,
YOU MIGHT USE ANOTHER. YOU USE STRAWBERRY GUAVA. OUT IN THE NORTHWEST, YOU MIGHT
USE A VINE MAPLE OR ALDER. THE MIDWEST
HAS GOT A LOT OF ELMS, CHINESE ELMS AND RUSSIAN ELM,
AND A LOT OF THESE THINGS, THEY JUST--
"HEY, WHERE DO YOU GET STICKS?" WELL, YOU'LL OFTEN GET THEM
WHERE THE BULLDOZERS HAVE TAKEN THE BIG TREES DOWN AND THEY'RE WAITING
FOR THE BOX STORE AND THESE LITTLE SAPLINGS
HAVE COME BACK UP. WE'VE GATHERED BEHIND
SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS, BEHIND THE HIGH-SCHOOL STADIUM,
DOWN ALONG THE RIVER. I'VE LEARNED THAT
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHO OWNS A PIECE OF PROPERTY,
JUST TAKE A RUNNING CHAINSAW AND SIT IT ON THE GROUND. SOMEONE WILL BE THERE
IMMEDIATELY. HA HA HA! I WAS IN THE MILITARY
IN GERMANY. THE ARMY ART & CRAFT PROGRAM
WAS FANTASTIC. I REPAIRED ANTIQUES. I SOLDERED. I WAS ABLE TO WELD. I WAS JUST REALLY ABLE
TO IMMERSE MYSELF EVERY NIGHT FOR 3 YEARS
IN THE IDEAS OF MAKING THINGS AND USING DIFFERENT KINDS
OF MATERIALS. AFTER BEING IN THE SERVICE,
I FORCED MYSELF TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL
USING THE G.I. BILL AND SPENT TWO YEARS
IN THE UNC ART LAB AND REALLY STARTED TO ASK MYSELF
WHAT SCULPTURE WAS, WHAT ART WAS, AND DECIDED
I REALLY, IN FACT, WOULD BECOME A SCULPTOR. THE SECOND PHASE BEYOND MAKING
A STRUCTURAL WEAVE IS TO TRY TO AESTHETICIZE
THE SURFACE. IN OTHER WORDS, I--
I'M KIND OF BUILDING A CANVAS AND THEN DRAWING ON IT. STICKS ARE TAPERED, SO WHEN YOU
ORGANIZE ALL YOUR TAPERS IN ONE DIRECTION, YOU GET
A SENSE OF MOVEMENT FROM IT. LITTLE, LOOPING LINES LIFT
THE WHOLE WEIGHT OF THE TOWER. IF YOU HAVE THINGS THAT
ARE VERY FLAT ON THE GROUND, IT SITS THINGS VERY HEAVILY,
SO I TRY TO MAKE THESE LITTLE LINES ON THE BOTTOM THAT LOOK LIKE
THEY'RE SWOOPING UP. DOUGHERTY: HEY,
HOW YOU DOING, BOY? MIGHTY NICE TO SEE YOU. DOUGHERTY, VOICE-OVER:
ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE DONE IS BEEN NICE TO PEOPLE
AS THEY COME AROUND, SO WE'RE EMBEDDING THIS PIECE
IN THE COMMUNITY NOW. WE HOPE THAT,
BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN NICE, PEOPLE WILL LIKE IT BETTER
AND THEY'LL PROTECT IT AND, UH, SEE IT AS PART
OF THEIR OWN ENVIRONMENT. MAN, VOICE-OVER:
EVERYBODY THAT WALKED BY-- AND I MEAN LITERALLY EVERYBODY--
HE WOULD CHAT WITH. HE'D INVITE THEM IN. HE'S STOP AND TALK TO THEM,
AND I ASKED HIM ABOUT IT, AND HE SAID THAT HE FELT
HE NEEDED TO MAKE FRIENDS FOR THE SCULPTURE AND THAT
IT WOULDN'T BE PROTECTED ONCE HE WAS GONE, AND HE WANTED
PEOPLE TO LOVE IT AS HE DID. DOUGHERTY, VOICE-OVER:
IF YOU MAKE SOMETHING THAT'S TOO ABSTRACT
IN CERTAIN SITES, IT MIGHT SEEM UNINTERESTING,
SO THIS WAS A PLACE WHERE I FELT LIKE
THAT IF I MADE SOMETHING THAT LOOKED LIKE AN OBJECT
OR SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD RELATE TO
AS KIND OF A SHADOW BUILDING OF SOME SORT, UH, YOU KNOW, NATURE CONFIGURING ITSELF
AS A--AS A PANTHEON. HA HA HA! HA HA! MAYBE I WAS INFLUENCED
BY BEING IN WASHINGTON LATELY AND WORKING AT THE RENWICK
BECAUSE EVERYTHING IN THE ENTIRE WASHINGTON AREA
IS BASED ON THE PANTHEON, AND SO IT MUST HAVE BEEN
INFILTRATING INTO MY MIND. MAN: RENOVATING
THE RENWICK GALLERY IN 2015 WAS AN OPPORTUNITY
TO REMIND OURSELVES WHY THIS BUILDING WAS PUT HERE
IN THE FIRST PLACE. IN A SENSE, EVERY MUSEUM EXISTS
AS A POTENTIAL FOR YOU TO HAVE AN EXPERIENCE OF WONDER,
AS A PLACE WHERE YOU MAY GO TO COMMUNE WITH ART AND WHERE,
IF YOU'RE SO LUCKY, YOU MIGHT EVEN BE CARRIED AWAY
IN THE MOMENT. DOUGHERTY, VOICE-OVER:
AT THE RENWICK, WE HAVE A SERIES OF 7 BIG PIECES THAT
ARE VERY AMORPHOUS IN A WAY, AND THEY FLING THEMSELVES
UP AGAINST THE WALL, OR THEY ROLL ACROSS THE SURFACE,
BUT IT ALLOWS THE VIEWER TO GO INSIDE AND THEN CREEP
AROUND THE BACK AND THEN GO IN ANOTHER ONE
AND MAKE THEIR WAY FROM ONE SIDE OF THE ROOM
ALL THE WAY TO THE OTHER. BELL: AS YOU WALK
THROUGH THE EXHIBITION, YOU'LL SEE DIFFERENT KINDS
OF INSTALLATIONS. SOME OF THEM WILL REMAIN,
BUT SOME OF THEM WON'T. PATRICK DOUGHERTY'S INSTALLATION AND JOHN GRADE'S INSTALLATION
WILL EVENTUALLY GO AWAY. THIS EPHEMERAL QUALITY
REALLY DOVETAILS NICELY WITH SOME OF THE EVOLUTION
OF THE FIELD OF AMERICAN CRAFT WHERE FOCUS HAS CHANGED
FROM CRAFT AS A NOUN WHERE WE'RE THINKING ABOUT CRAFT
AS SPECIFIC OBJECTS THAT EXIST OVER
LONG PERIODS OF TIME TO CRAFT AS A VERB, THE ACT OF
DOING SOMETHING A CERTAIN WAY. WHEN YOU ASK ARTISTS TO WEIGH IN
ON WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AMAZED
BY THE WORLD OUT THERE, IT SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT WHERE WE
ARE AS A CULTURE AND AS A WORLD THAT THEY'VE GRAVITATED
TOWARDS A SENSE OF NATURE AS OUR MOST CRITICAL RESOURCE. BY BRINGING NATURE
INTO THE MUSEUM AS A SUBJECT, THEY ARE REMINDING US OF
THE VALUE OF WHAT IS BEING LOST, AND THEY ARE GIVING US
AN OPPORTUNITY TO REFLECT ON WHAT IS MOST AT RISK
IN OUR WORLD. DOUGHERTY: I SEE MY WORK
AS BEING PROPELLED BY PEOPLE'S CONCERN
ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT. WE'VE COME TO THE REALIZATION
THAT EACH OF US IS NOT TRYING TO DO
ANYTHING WRONG, BUT AS A WHOLE, WE'VE STARTED
HAVING A--A REAL IMPACT. I THINK THAT MY WORK
HAS FILLED A SPACE IN THERE WHERE THERE'S SOME
VISUAL RELIEF. THERE'S A KIND OF NOSTALGIA,
TO SOME DEGREE, BUT IN A REAL WAY,
IT'S A TOUCHSTONE FOR THE THINGS WE CARE ABOUT
IN THE NATURAL WORLD. IT REMINDS US OF ANIMAL LIFE. IT REMINDS US OF SIMPLE SHELTER. IT REMINDS US
OF SIMPLER TIMES WHEN WE SEEMED TO BE MORE
IN TOUCH WITH THE ENVIRONMENT, AND I THINK MY WORK
COMES INTO PLAY. IT FINDS AN AUDIENCE ON THE CUSP
OF SOME OF THESE CONCERNS. MAN: I'VE WORKED ABOUT
8 DIFFERENT PIECES FOR PATRICK, AND THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT
EVERY PIECE THAT STRIKES YOU THAT THE OTHER ONE DIDN'T. THIS PIECE, IT'S THE ARCHWAYS,
DOME, WITH THE CEILING IN IT. IT'S ALWAYS A SPECIAL SOMETHING
THAT GRABS THE EYE. HOFFMAN: PEOPLE LIKE
TO ADD STICKS. THEY LIKE TO TAKE THEM OUT. THEY LIKE TO TAKE THEM OUT AND
PUT THEM BACK IN SOMEWHERE ELSE. IT WILL NEVER LOOK
AS GOOD AS TODAY. I THINK IT'S SORT OF AN ORGANIC
THING, AND EVENTUALLY, IT DOES HAVE A LIFE,
AND IT'S TEMPORARY, AND IT'S LIKE ANY TREE
IN THE FOREST. IT'S--IT'S GONNA
NOT LAST FOREVER. DOUGHERTY: IT'S NOT REAL UNLESS
YOU CAN REACH OVER AND TOUCH IT, AND SO I'VE TRIED TO MAKE WORK
THAT HAS NO BARRIER, TAKING IT INTO A PLACE WHERE
SOMEBODY CAN GRAB HOLD OF IT, CAN PUSH IT, CAN FEEL
ITS PROPERTIES, CAN REALLY EXPERIENCE IT. IT'S MUCH MORE FRUITFUL,
AND IT'S MUCH MORE COMPELLING, ALLOWING PEOPLE
TO INTERACT WITH THEM FULLY AND GET A SENSE OF WHAT IT IS. WOMAN: I'M A SEVENTH-GENERATION
ORANGE COUNTY NATIVE. I ACTUALLY LIVE NOT FAR
FROM THE PLANTATION MY FAMILY WAS ORIGINALLY ON. TO BE ABLE TO COMBINE ART
AND NATURE AND MY ROOTS, IT'S AN AMAZING THING. I WANT TO CONTINUE
TO MAKE ORANGE COUNTY GREAT, AND SEEING THINGS TODAY
LIKE STICKWORK, THIS IS JUST SOMETHING
THAT ADDS ICING TO THE CAKE. ALL: 3, 2, 1. [CHEERING AND APPLAUSE] DOUGHERTY, VOICE-OVER:
WHEN I FINISH A SCULPTURE, I'M KIND OF REDUNDANT. I FEEL LIKE THERE'S
AN EQUATION THERE, THAT IT'S MY JOB
TO BUILD SOMETHING EXCITING AND THEN I TURN IT OVER
TO THE PUBLIC AND IT'S THEIR JOB
TO SEE WHAT THEY THINK. WOMAN:
I HAVE A VERY STRONG FEELING FOR EVERYTHING THAT GROWS,
BUT I'M MOST IN AWE OF TREES. I REFER TO THEM
AS THE QUINTESSENTIAL MATERIAL. WELL, IT'S WOOD, TO BEGIN WITH. THEY CONTAIN FIRE. THEY TRANSPIRE AIR. THEY TRANSFORM
WATER INTO WATER VAPOR, AND THEY'RE ROOTED IN THE EARTH, SO THEY REALLY EMBODY
THE 5 ELEMENTS, AND I THINK THAT'S WHY I FIND
THEM SO ENDLESSLY INSPIRING. THE NATURAL FORM HAS A LOT
OF VISUAL CUES OF ITS OWN. IT HAS ITS OWN STRUCTURE,
ITS OWN CELLULAR STRUCTURE. I WOULD BE A FOOL
TO NOT WORK WITH IT BECAUSE, I MEAN,
ALL WOODWORKERS KNOW YOU HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION
TO GRAIN, BUT THERE'S THE NATURE
OF THE PIECE, AND THEN THERE'S MY LITTLE WILL
WORKING ON IT. I DON'T WANT TO EXIST
IN SOME KIND OF CREATIVE VACUUM WHERE IT'S JUST ME AND THE PIECE
AND NOTHING ELSE MATTERS. WELL, I DO THINK
ABOUT THE VIEWER. I DO TRY VERY HARD TO ENGAGE
AND SPARK THEIR IMAGINATION, TO HAVE THEIR EYE
LOOK INTO THE PIECE TO-- YOU KNOW, TO DRAW THEM IN. THE CULTURAL CONTEXT
IS TREMENDOUSLY IMPORTANT, AND I'M LEAVING
A LITTLE ARCHIVE. IT'S A RECORD OF A TIME
AND A PERSON AND A STORY THAT, FRANKLY, ISN'T TOLD
THAT MUCH BY WOMEN IN WOOD. WE'RE IN THE GREAT NORTHERN
APPALACHIAN FOREST COMPLEX THAT RUNS ALL ALONG
THE EASTERN SEABOARD. THE WOODS THAT GROW AROUND HERE
ARE GENERALLY MAPLE, AND THAT COULD BE SUGAR MAPLE,
BUT IT COULD ALSO BE RED MAPLE; CHERRY, WHICH IS WILD CHERRY; WALNUT AND BUTTERNUT, ALTHOUGH
BUTTERNUT IS DISAPPEARING; YELLOW BIRCH; WHITE BIRCH;
AND BASSWOOD. THERE'S SOME VERY NICE LOGIC
OF HAVING A TREE. IT HAS LEAVES. YOU CUT IT DOWN. YOU CUT IT INTO WOOD. YOU TURN IT. YOU DO ALL THIS STUFF TO IT,
AND THEN, FOR ME, IT'S ALMOST LIKE RETURNING
THE LEAVES TO THE WOOD, SO WHAT I MIGHT DO HERE IS USE
THAT AS THE MIDRIB OF A-- OF THE LEAF--LET'S SAY
AN OAK LEAF THAT HAS LOBES-- AND I WOULD LAY OUT THE LOBES
LIKE THAT. IN A CASE LIKE THIS,
I WOULD USE THIS AIR TOOL. UH, IT'S CALLED
A PENCIL GRINDER, TURNS VERY FAST. I'D USE IT TO ROUGH OUT
THIS FORM, TO CREATE THE MASS
OF THE FORM, BUT WHEN I'M CLOSE
TO WHERE I WANT IT TO BE, I REALLY LOVE AN X-ACTO KNIFE AND A 100-PACK
OF REPLACEMENT BLADES. I BEGAN CARVING IN HIGH SCHOOL. I HAD A WONDERFUL TEACHER
NAMED MRS. BLAKE. SHE SHOWED US HOW TO MAKE
FRESCOES ON PLASTER. THERE WAS A KILN. WE USED CLAY. IT WAS AN INCREDIBLY
WONDERFUL PROGRAM, AND AT ONE POINT,
SHE GAVE US LINOLEUM BLOCKS AND THE CARVING TOOLS
TO MAKE BLOCK PRINTS, AND I REALIZED
THAT I REALLY LOVED CARVING. MRS. BLAKE GAVE ME
MY FIRST SET OF CARVING TOOLS. I STILL HAVE THEM. I STILL USE THEM. I THINK ALONG THE WAY,
THERE WERE MANY, MANY PEOPLE WHO I FOUND OR WHO HAVE FOUND ME WHO HAVE JUST SUPPORTED ME
TREMENDOUSLY, FOREMOST OF WHOM WOULD BE DAVID. DAVID, VOICE-OVER: IT'S A LOT
LIKE CUTTING JEWELS BECAUSE, EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE
A SENSE OF WHAT'S ON THE INSIDE, YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW
UNTIL YOU CUT INTO IT, AND THEN YOU SEE
WHAT YOU'VE GOT. WE'LL BRING THE TRACTOR AROUND
BECAUSE THESE ARE OBVIOUSLY WAY TOO BIG TO MOVE
ANY OTHER WAY. WE'LL TAKE THEM PIECE BY PIECE AND PUT THEM IN OUR LOWER
WOOD-DRYING SHED, AND I WON'T USE THESE, UH,
FOR 4, 5, YEARS, SO I HAVE TO KEEP--
I HAVE TO KEEP THAT FAR AHEAD. SOME PEOPLE WILL FIND
SOMETHING THAT THEY LOVE TO DO, AND THEY'LL GO ANYWHERE
TO DO THAT THING, AND OTHER PEOPLE FIND A PLACE
THAT THEY WANT TO BE AND THEN FIGURE OUT WHAT
THEY HAVE TO DO TO STAY THERE, AND FOR MICHELLE AND ME,
IT WAS THE LATTER. THE LONGER WE STAYED HERE,
THE DEEPER THAT UNDERSTANDING OF THE TOPOGRAPHY
AND OF THE BOTANY OF THE AREA, THE NATURE OF THE TREES
AROUND HERE AND THEIR LIFE CYCLES
AND THEIR BEHAVIORS. THEIR CHARACTERISTICS
BECAME AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF OUR EXPERIENCE OF WOOD AND OUR EXPERIENCE
OF WORKING WOOD. THE SAWMILLS WANT STRAIGHT TREES
THAT THEY CAN SAW OUT FOR 2x4s AND FOR FLOORING
AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT WHAT MICHELLE AND I USE
ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE JUNK TO THE INDUSTRY. THERE MIGHT BE A BURL UP
IN A YELLOW BIRCH TREE. NOBODY WANTS THAT. MICHELLE, VOICE-OVER:
A BURL IS A GROWTH ON A TREE THAT'S OFTEN CAUSED AT THE SITE
OF A WOUND OF SOME SORT. IT DOESN'T REALLY HURT IT-- IT JUST GROWS
ALONG WITH THE TREE-- BUT IT DOES CAUSE THE GRAIN,
INSTEAD OF GROWING STRAIGHT, TO START GROWING IRREGULARLY,
SO THESE VERY CONCENTRIC AND ECCENTRIC GRAIN PATTERNS
DEVELOP. THIS PIECE ALSO HAS, LIKE,
DISCOLORATION FROM WATER DAMAGE. IT HAS THESE LITTLE,
BLACK LINES, REFERRED TO AS SPALTING,
THAT ARE MINERAL DEPOSITS. I MEAN, THERE'S--
THERE'S A LOT GOING ON. THIS--THIS TREE HAD
A LOT OF STUFF HAPPENING TO IT. I LIKE WORKING WITH BURL
BECAUSE IT HAS A LOT OF PERSONALITY
TO BEGIN WITH. IN A SENSE, I HAVE TWO DIFFERENT
WAYS OF WORKING, ONE WHERE I'LL CHOOSE A MATERIAL
THAT HAS A LOT OF PERSONALITY. THEN I'M HAVING A BIT
OF A DIALOGUE WITH IT AND TRYING TO SUIT THE FORM
TO SUIT THE REALITY OF THE MATERIAL,
BUT OCCASIONALLY I WANT TO HAVE MY OWN WAY WITH THE FORM,
AND THAT'S WHEN I'LL CHOOSE A VERY BLAND PIECE OF WOOD,
LIKE BASSWOOD, THAT DOESN'T TALK BACK AT ALL. TAKING ONE'S CUES
FROM THE PHYSIOLOGY OF THE WOOD AS YOU FIND IT, A LOT OF IT IS
GETTING OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY, YOU KNOW, TURNING ME DOWN
AND--AND LETTING THAT WOOD SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE LOUDLY. THEN SUDDENLY, THAT'S WHEN
I START REALIZING THAT THE WOOD HAS A LOT TO SAY AND THAT I'M JUST
TRANSLATING IT, ALMOST. SOMETIMES PEOPLE SAY TO ME,
"YOU MUST BE SO PATIENT. "HOW DO YOU DO IT? "YOU'RE SPENDING DAYS
IN YOUR SHOP LOOKING DOWN AT THIS PIECE." THAT COMES
EXTREMELY NATURALLY TO ME, AND IT HARKENS BACK TO MY HAND''
FIRST TRAINING-- DRAWING WITH A PENCIL
AND SEWING. MY MOTHER WAS
A GREAT SEAMSTRESS, AND TAUGHT ME AND
ALL OF MY SISTERS HOW TO SEW. WE HAD TO MASTER
JUST THE NEEDLE AND THREAD AND MAKE EVEN, SMALL,
PERFECT STITCHES. THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TRAINING
FOR MY EYE AND MY HAND AND ALSO THAT INNER FOCUS
THAT YOU NEED TO JUST DO REPETITIVE WORK
AND DO IT WELL. MY FATHER WAS
A TOOL AND DIE MAKER. HE WAS BUILDING CABINETS,
AND WHEN IT GOT TIME TO BUY HARDWARE,
HE LOOKED AT ALL THE HARDWARE AND THOUGHT, "THIS IS ALL CRAP. "THERE'S NO WAY
I'M GONNA BUY THIS. I'M GONNA MAKE MY OWN HARDWARE,"
SO HE PUT THE LATHE TOGETHER. BECAUSE IT WAS MADE
TO TURN METAL, THERE'S ALL KINDS
OF CALIBRATIONS ON HERE, SO IT'S REALLY MADE
FOR FAIRLY HIGH-PRECISION WORK. I'M NOT IN CHARGE
OF HOLDING THAT TOOL. THE TOOL HOLDER HOLDS IT. ALL I HAVE TO DO IS TURN
THESE TWO HANDLES. IT'S LIKE USING
AN ETCH A SKETCH. IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO FIGURE OUT
HOW TO DO BOTH AT THE SAME TIME,
BUT IT IS UNUSUAL. IT'S NOT A WOOD LATHE,
AND, IN A WAY, I'M NOT A TURNER'S TURNER. DAVID, VOICE-OVER: MICHELLE'S
ABILITY TO VISUALIZE A 3-DIMENSIONAL FORM
IN A SOLID MASS OF WOOD IS ASTOUNDING TO ME. I CAN'T UNDERSTAND
HOW SHE CAN DO THAT, HOW SHE CAN TAKE A--
A, LIKE, REUNION BOWL. SHE CAN CARVE THIS LARGE BOWL
THAT'S ALSO ATTACHED TO 5 SPOONS,
ALL A SINGLE PIECE OF WOOD, OR THE BROCADED PILLOW WITH A WOODEN BOWL
STUCK DOWN INTO IT BUT IS A SINGLE PIECE OF WOOD. MICHELLE: "ONDINES," MY FATHER
COMES INTO THAT PIECE BECAUSE THAT IS KIND OF
A HIGHLY ENGINEERED PIECE. THE CENTRAL PIECE
WAS THAT CANTEEN FORM, AND THEN I TURNED
TWO CHERRY BURL BOWL FORMS AS A SORT OF LATTICE
AND ATTACHED THEM. MEANWHILE IN THE INTERIOR
OF THAT CHERRY VASE, I CARVED TWO MERMAIDS. I DIDN'T CARVE THEM SEPARATELY
AND THEN PUT THEM BACK IN. I CARVED THEM WITHIN
THAT CENTER MASS. THEY'RE LOOKING AT EACH OTHER. THEY'RE REACHING
AROUND EACH OTHER. IT'S A VERY INTIMATE PIECE,
AND I REALLY DO ACKNOWLEDGE MY FATHER AND HIS WORK
AND HIS MIND. I INHERITED SOME ASPECT
OF HIS MIND WHICH IS THAT ABILITY
TO, LIKE, SEE A 3-DIMENSIONAL FORM
IN YOUR MIND, ROTATE IT IN YOUR MIND,
AND THEN WORK ON IT. DAVID, VOICE-OVER: FOR HER,
IT'S LIKE SHE'S TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A PROBLEM. ONCE SHE'S FIGURED
THAT PROBLEM OUT, SHE'LL DO A COUPLE,
SAY, "OK. I'VE GOT THAT," AND THEN SHE GOES ON
TO FIND THE NEXT PROBLEM. SHE'S ALWAYS BEEN
A TIRELESS EXPLORER. MICHELLE: I CONSIDER THIS PIECE
TO BE A BIT OF A SELF-PORTRAIT. I MADE IT AT A TIME WHEN I WAS
FEELING SOMEWHAT CONSTRAINED. YOU KNOW, I GUESS IN ANY FIELD,
YOU GET KNOWN FOR DOING CERTAIN WORK,
AND, UH, THERE'S PRESSURE TO CONTINUE DOING THAT WORK,
AND SOMETIMES A GOOD WAY TO WORK THROUGH THOSE CONFLICTS
IS THROUGH THE WORK. THIS PARTICULAR BOOK WAS CARVED
FROM ONE PIECE OF WOOD. THE COVERS, I USED
THE WOODBURNING TOOL TO GET THIS VERY DARK COLOR. FOR THE PAGES
AFTER CARVING THEM, I USED WOOD BLEACH. IT BLEACHES THE COLOR
OUT OF THE WOOD AND MAKES IT HAVE SORT OF
A SUEDED, PAPERY TEXTURE. IT'S JUST THE PERFECT SURFACE
FOR DRAWING ON WITH THE WOODBURNING TOOL,
AS WELL, AND LET'S LOOK AT THE BOTTOM. YOU LOOK AT THE SPINE,
YOU CAN SEE IT SAYS, "GULLIVER'S TRAVELS,"
SO GIVING A NOD TO THE ORIGINAL. THIS PIECE WAS STRANGELY FUN
TO MAKE, THOUGH. THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT--
HA HA!-- TYING SOMETHING UP LIKE THAT
THAT'S, UM-- I DON'T KNOW--
STRANGELY SATISFYING. WHEN I CAME UP HERE
TO GO TO MARLBORO COLLEGE IN 1969 WHEN I WAS 17,
I REMEMBER DRIVING UP THE HILL AND JUST FEELING,
LIKE, IN MY CHEST-- I THOUGHT, "AH, I AM HOME." IT WAS SOMETHING
ABOUT THE MOUNTAINS, ABOUT THE FORESTS,
AND EVEN ABOUT THE WINTER. HERE ESPECIALLY, I THINK,
PEOPLE THINK IN TERMS OF THEIR HOMESTEADS. THEY USE THAT WORD "HOMESTEAD,"
AND IT MEANS IT'S THE PLACE-- IT'S--IT'S A LOCUS NOT WHERE YOU
JUST GO TO LIVE AND SLEEP. IT'S A LOCUS OF--
OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, AND MANY PEOPLE HERE MAKE THEIR
LIVING IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER OFF THE LAND
UPON WHICH THEY LIVE, AND I THINK THAT
BACK-TO-THE-LAND MOVEMENT WAS JUST THIS NOTION THAT YOU
COULD BE CONNECTED IN THAT WAY, AND I FEEL LIKE IT'S WHERE
HUMANS ARE MOST SATISFIED. WOMAN: "WE WERE TALKING
ABOUT WHAT IT IS LIKE "TO SPEND ONE'S CHILDHOOD
IN LITTLE TOWNS LIKE THESE, "BURIED IN WHEAT AND CORN, "UNDER STIMULATING
EXTREMES OF CLIMATE: "BURNING SUMMERS WHEN THE WORLD
LIES GREEN AND BILLOWY "BENEATH A BRILLIANT SKY, "WHEN ONE IS FAIRLY STIFLED
IN VEGETATION, "IN THE COLOR AND SMELL OF
STRONG WEEDS AND HEAVY HARVESTS; "BLUSTERY WINTERS
WITH LITTLE SNOW, "WHEN THE WHOLE COUNTRY
IS STRIPPED BARE "AND GREY AS SHEET-IRON. "WE AGREED THAT NO ONE
WHO HAD NOT GROWN UP IN A LITTLE PRAIRIE TOWN
COULD KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT." WILLA CATHER, UH, I THINK,
DID AN IMMENSE JOB OF DESCRIBING WHAT IT'S LIKE
TO LIVE IN THE MIDWEST... AND IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS
I TRY TO DO IN MY WORK, IS TO TRANSLATE MY EXPERIENCE
OF THIS ENVIRONMENT FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO ENJOY
AND UNDERSTAND. I THINK LIVING IN THE MIDWEST IS
TIED TO ALMOST EVERYTHING I DO, AND I LIKE LIVING HERE. MY WORK IS MADE UPSIDE DOWN
OVER A MOLD, SO THE INTERIOR OF A BASKET IS ACTUALLY NOT
THE LAST THING THAT I MAKE. IT'S THE FIRST THING,
SO I'M THINKING INSIDE OUT AND UPSIDE DOWN,
BASICALLY. WHEN I'M DRAWING, I'M ACTUALLY
VISUALIZING THE VOLUME ALREADY SO I COME UP WITH A SILHOUETTE. I USE FOAMCORE BOARD
FOR A LOT OF MY MOLDS. I LOVE FIGURING OUT HOW TO MAKE
THE, UH, SHAPE THAT I'M AFTER WITH THIS METHOD,
AND I SCORE IT, BUT I DON'T CUT IT
ALL THE WAY THROUGH SO THAT I CAN MAKE THE CURVE. THE MOLD DOESN'T HAVE TO BE
ABSOLUTELY PERFECT AND EXQUISITELY MADE. IT CAN BE KIND OF
A ROUGH PROCESS, AND IT IS FOR ME. BEING ABLE TO DRAW WAS IMPORTANT
IN MY CHILDHOOD. I THOUGHT OF IT AS SOMETHING
THAT HAD JUST HAPPENED TO ME, ALTHOUGH I GREW UP IN A HOUSE WHERE PEOPLE WERE ALWAYS
MAKING THINGS. I DIDN'T LIVE IN TOWN,
AND I DIDN'T LIVE ON A FARM. MY PARENTS LIVED
ON WHAT IS CALLED AN ACREAGE, SO I GREW UP JUST EXPERIENCING
WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO LIVE IN THE FARMLAND,
ALTHOUGH I WASN'T A FARM PERSON. IOWA IS A TALL-GRASS PRAIRIE,
AND THE GRASSES CERTAINLY REFLECT ASPECTS
OF MY VESSELS, SO I THINK THE PRAIRIE HELPS
UNDERPIN EVERYTHING THAT I MAKE, BUT I'M NOT SURE I CAN SAY
THERE'S AN EXACT CONNECTION. I'M NOT LOOKING
FOR GRASSES AND TWIGS THAT I CAN PUT
INTO A WORK OF ART. IT'S JUST NOT WHAT I DO. I REALLY PREFER
ANONYMOUS MATERIALS. THEY'RE NOT THE POINT. IN FACT, I BUY THEM. THEY ARE COMMERCIAL MATERIALS. I USE TWISTED PAPER CORD,
AND I USE REED, WHICH IS A BASKETRY MATERIAL,
BUT NOT GATHERED BY ME. I HAD A WEAVING TEACHER
WHO USED TO SAY, "WELL, YOU CAN
DYE YOUR OWN YARN, "AND YOU CAN SPIN
YOUR OWN YARN. "YOU COULD GROW YOUR OWN SHEEP. "YOU COULD, YOU KNOW,
CARD THE WOOL, AND-- BUT AT SOME POINT, YOU STILL
HAVE TO MAKE THE WORK OF ART," SO I GUESS I'M JUST GOING
STRAIGHT TO THE WORK OF ART. I BEGIN BY SOAKING
THE PAPER CORD JUST TO GET IT TO BE
A LITTLE MORE MALLEABLE, AND THEN I PUT IT
IN, UH, A BATH OF--OF, UH, METHYL CELLULOSE
AND ACRYLIC PAINT. I WORK WITH COLOR
ALL THROUGH THE PROCESS, SO THEN I LAYER THIS ON
TWO STRANDS AT A TIME, PUTTING IT IN PLACE
WITH THE TISSUE PAPER. WHAT I'M DOING IS REALLY
A PAPIER-MACHE PROCESS, BUT WE OFTEN THINK
OF PAPIER-MACHE GROUNDED-- GRIND UP NEWSPAPER OR WHATEVER, AND IT'S KIND OF
A LUMPY-LOOKING THING, BUT WORKING WITH, UM, SHEET, UH, MAKES A VERY
REFINED SURFACE. YOU KNOW THAT
IT'S VERY THIN TISSUE. YOU'VE GOT ABOUT 3 SECONDS
BEFORE IT DISSOLVES INTO A LITTLE BALL IN YOUR HAND,
AND SOME PEOPLE NEVER GET THE KNACK
OF HANDLING--OF HANDLING THAT. THE PROCESS FOR BUILDING
THE BASKET IS LENGTHY. WHEN I'M MAKING
A REALLY LARGE BASKET THAT NEEDS, PERHAPS,
10 OR 15 LAYERS, THAT CAN ACTUALLY TAKE WEEKS
IF NOT MONTHS. I COULDN'T IMAGINE
WHAT KIND OF LIFE I WOULD LEAD AS AN ARTIST. I JUST COULDN'T SEE IT,
SO I WENT THROUGH A REGULAR UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM,
LIBERAL ARTS, BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL I GRADUATED
AND I TOOK AN ART CLASS I MET SOME PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS,
AND I THOUGHT, "THAT'S WHAT I AM," AND SO THEN I STARTED ART SCHOOL
AND, UH, NEVER LOOKED BACK. I WANTED TO FIND A PROGRAM WHERE PEOPLE DID FORMING,
MAKING VESSELS, AND THE PROGRAM
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA WAS FOCUSED ON VESSELS,
AND CHUNGHI CHOO, OUR PROFESSOR, KNEW HOW TO RAISE A BOWL
AND CREATE A VESSEL FORM. I'VE THOUGHT A LOT
OVER THE YEARS ABOUT WHY VESSELS HAVE, UH, BEEN
MY, UH, FORMAT, SO TO SPEAK, AND I'VE ONLY COME TO ONE, UH,
SORT OF THOUGHT ON THE MATTER, AND THAT IS, SOME PEOPLE
WANT TO PUT AN IMAGE ON A SQUARE PIECE OF CANVAS. WHY IS THAT? UH, WHAT--WHAT-- SOMETHING IN THE FORMAT
SPEAKS TO THAT PERSON OR CALLS FORTH THEIR CREATIVITY,
AND, FOR ME, IT'S BEEN VESSELS. I STARTED OUT DOING
FOLDED METALS, AND I THOUGHT, "MM, THIS METALWORK THAT
I'M DOING LOOKS LIKE PAPER," AND SO I STARTED TO WORK
WITH PAPER JUST AT THE VERY END
OF MY GRADUATE SCHOOL. "DOUBLE EXPOSURE" IS ONE
OF MY EARLIEST PIECES. THROUGH IT, I PUT A DOWEL,
ACTUALLY, AND THEN A BIRCH BRANCH, THE, UH, CONTRAST OF SOMETHING
MACHINED AND COMMERCIAL AND THEN THE NATURAL BRANCH,
AND THIS IS WHAT I SEE IN THE LANDSCAPE IN IOWA
ALL THE TIME. "HELION" IS ONE
OF MY LIGHTED SCULPTURES. IF WE WERE GOING
TO THE LANDSCAPE, THEY'RE CONNECTED TO MELONS,
TO BERRIES. "MORNING COLORS"
IS ONE OF MY SKY BASKETS. IF YOU'RE UP IN THE MORNING
AND THE SKY IS JUST BEING LIT WITH THESE GOLDEN PINKS
AND YELLOWS, "MORNING COLORS" IS THAT MOMENT. THE PRAIRIE SPEAKS TO ME
IN A VERY DEEP WAY, BUT I CAN'T AVOID THE FACT
THAT, IN MANY WAYS, IOWA'S AN OPEN-AIR FACTORY,
AND THE GRIDS OF CORN AND SOYBEANS HAVE JUST
SORT OF BEEN DROPPED ON TOP OF THAT
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. IOWANS LOVE
PLANTING THINGS IN ROWS, AND SO THAT'S PART
OF MY INSPIRATION, TOO. I'M REALLY TRYING TO REDUCE IT
TO THE FORM AND THE EFFECT OF THE COLOR
OR THE SHAPE, SO FROM THAT STANDPOINT,
I THINK OF THE WORK AS SOMEWHAT MINIMALIST. I THINK IT'S AMAZING
WE ALMOST ENTIRELY LOST THE PRAIRIE ENVIRONMENT. IT COVERED THE WHOLE STATE. IT WAS A VAST, OPEN GRASSLAND,
AND WHEN THE LAND WAS SETTLED, WE LOST IT. WE DIDN'T TREASURE IT,
AND NOW, WITH GREAT STRUGGLE, WE'RE TRYING TO BRING IT BACK,
AND THIS PRAIRIE HAS BEEN RECONSTRUCTED
WITH, UH, NATIVE SPECIES AND, UH, PRAIRIE BURNS AND-- AND THINGS THAT USED
TO HAPPEN NATURALLY. HAVING THESE PRAIRIES
CAN SHOW US WHAT THE WILD LAND WAS LIKE. WHEN I WAS IN GRADUATE SCHOOL,
I MADE A DECISION THAT I HAVEN'T CHANGED
SINCE THEN, AND THAT WAS THAT
THE INSPIRATION FOR MY WORK WOULD COME OUT OF MY OWN LIFE,
OUT OF MY OWN EXPERIENCE, AND, FOR ME, THAT WAS ACTUALLY
THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WAS AROUND ME. I'VE BEEN VERY, VERY LUCKY
TO LIVE IN LEAFY, UH, PLACES, UH, PLANT LIFE,
TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A GARDEN, SO IT'S BEEN THE SOURCE
OF MY INSPIRATION. IT HASN'T CHANGED. MAN, VOICE-OVER: I SEE GLASS
AS A TRANSFORMATIONAL MEDIUM. IT'S TRANSFORMING
FROM A LIQUID TO A SOLID. THERE'S THIS FEELING
ABOUT THE MATERIAL THAT IS UNLIKE
ANY OTHER MATERIAL, AND THE EFFECT THAT YOU
CAN GET WITH IT IS PRETTY REMARKABLE. I'M A TLINGIT TRIBAL MEMBER, WHICH IS FROM THE SOUTHEAST
OF ALASKA, AND I SEE MYSELF AS A BIT
OF AN AMBASSADOR OF GLASS TO THE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY. BECAUSE IT IS
MY CULTURAL BACKGROUND, I WANTED TO HAVE A VERY
DISTINCTIVE TLINGIT STYLE. THAT WAY, I'M SORT OF CONTINUING
THE TRADITION. YOU KNOW, THERE ARE PEOPLE
THAT CAME BEFORE ME AND PIONEERED THIS WHOLE SYSTEM
OF DESIGN AND OBJECT, AND THERE'LL BE PEOPLE
THAT ARE AFTER ME, TOO. YOU KNOW, I'M JUST A GUY
THAT'S DOING IT TODAY. A LOT OF THE MATERIALS
THAT WE USE FOR THE TRADITIONAL ARTS
ARE BECOMING, UH, INCREASINGLY RARE,
LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE BIG, CEDAR TREES
FOR A TOTEM POLE OR A CANOE, SO IN MY OWN WAY, I'M TRYING
TO INTRODUCE THIS NEW MATERIAL TO THE NATIVE CULTURE. THE TRANSFORMATION THEME
IS PROMINENT IN THE NORTHWEST COAST ART. I MEAN, THE RAVEN
OFTEN TRANSFORMS INTO DIFFERENT CHARACTERS, AND SO I LIKE PLAYING
WITH THOSE THEMES. THE RAVEN STORY
THAT I'M WORKING ON IS "RAVEN AND THE BOX
OF DAYLIGHT," AND I'M THINKING OF USING GLASS
AS ELEMENTS TO TELL THE STORY, AND I'M THINKING OF HAVING IT SORT OF LIKE A THEATRICAL
INSTALLATION, IS THE WAY I'M DESCRIBING IT. I MEAN, TO EXPERIENCE IT
AS IN ITS PURITY, UH, AS MUCH AS YOU CAN
WITHOUT INUNDATING THEM WITH LOTS OF INFORMATION
ALONG THE WAY. RIGHT. WOMAN, VOICE-OVER: MY NAME
IS MIRANDA BELARDE-LEWIS. I AM ZUNI AND TLINGIT, AND I'M AN INDEPENDENT CURATOR
IN THE SEATTLE AREA. "RAVEN AND THE BOX OF DAYLIGHT"
IS AN EXHIBITION COMING UP AT THE MUSEUM OF GLASS
IN TACOMA. WE ARE TELLING
THE ICONIC TLINGIT STORY OF RAVEN FREEING THE DAYLIGHT
FOR US ALL. PRESTON IS ILLUSTRATING
THIS STORY IN GLASS, AND I'M CURATING IT. SINGLETARY, VOICE-OVER:
EACH OBJECT WILL HELP TO SHAPE THE STORY, AND IT WILL
ALSO BE ENHANCED BY VIDEO PROJECTING ONTO GLASS
AND CREATING SORT OF A BACKDROP. I WANTED TO CREATE
THIS ATMOSPHERE OF THE NORTHWEST COAST
WHERE THERE'S MIST RISING OUT OF THE TREES. IT WOULD TRANSFORM THE VIEWER
INTO ANOTHER PLACE. THE STORY OF RAVEN,
THERE WAS THE BEGINNING OF TIME. THE WORLD WAS IN DARKNESS,
AND RAVEN ENCOUNTERED THE FISHERMEN OF THE NIGHT
AT THE HEAD OF THE NASS RIVER, AND HE ASKED,
"WHERE'S THE DAYLIGHT?" AND THE FISHERMEN TELL HIM
OF THIS OLD MAN THAT IS KEEPING THESE OBJECTS--
THE DAYLIGHT, SUN AND MOON AND THE STARS--
AND IN HIS CLAN HOUSE. LEWIS, VOICE-OVER: SO RAVEN
FOUND OUT THAT THE DAUGHTER OF THE MAN DRANK FROM A STREAM
EVERY MORNING, AND HE CHANGED HIMSELF
INTO A PIECE OF DIRT BECAUSE RAVEN IS A TRICKSTER
AND HE'S A SHAPESHIFTER, AND HE FELL INTO THE WATER
THAT SHE WAS DRINKING FROM. HER SERVANT SAW THE DIRT,
AND THEY THREW HIM OUT. SO RAVEN HAS TO REFORMULATE
HIS PLAN, AND THE NEXT DAY,
HE TRANSFORMS HIMSELF INTO A HEMLOCK NEEDLE
AND FLOATS DOWN THE RIVER, AND THIS TIME WHEN HE GETS
SCOOPED UP, SHE DOESN'T NOTICE, AND SO SHE SWALLOWS
THIS HEMLOCK NEEDLE. JUST AS IN MANY OTHER STORIES
AROUND THE WORLD, THERE WAS
AN IMMACULATE CONCEPTION BECAUSE THE RESULT
OF HER DRINKING RAVEN WAS, SHE BECAME PREGNANT. SINGLETARY, VOICE-OVER: SO
THE SALMON IS GONNA PLAY A PART AS SORT OF, LIKE, STAGECRAFT. I'LL HAVE, LIKE,
A GLASS ON THE GROUND THAT SORT OF LOOKS
LIKE THE RIVER, AND THEN THESE SALMON
ARE GONNA BE KIND OF FLOATING ABOVE THE TOP. MAN, VOICE-OVER: THE SALMON'S
A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT JUST BECAUSE IT'S--
IT'S AN OFF-CENTER THING THAT'S, YOU KNOW--THERE'S
A LOT OF WEIGHT ON ONE SIDE, A LITTLE BIT ASYMMETRICAL. OH, BOY. ALBERT, VOICE-OVER: IT LOOKS
MUCH EASIER THAN IT REALLY IS. YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T PUT IT DOWN. WITH GLASS, ONCE WE START,
WE HAVE TO FINISH IT. LEWIS, VOICE-OVER: NATIVE PEOPLE
ARE THE BEST STORYTELLERS IN THE WORLD BECAUSE OUR STORIES
CARRIED KNOWLEDGE AND THAT KNOWLEDGE WAS NEEDED
TO SURVIVE IN A PARTICULAR ENVIRONMENT. THERE WAS A APACHE PHILOSOPHER
BY THE NAME OF VIOLA CORDOVA. ONE OF HER MAIN POINTS
IS THIS IDEA OF BOUNDED SPACE. BOUNDED SPACE
IS THE NATURAL TERRITORY THAT IS DEFINED BY, UM, RIVERS,
MOUNTAINS, DESERTS, FORESTS, OR OCEANS,
AND EVERYTHING WITHIN THAT BOUNDED SPACE
YOU HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH-- THE ANIMALS, THE PLANTS,
THE PEOPLE. YOUR RELATIONSHIP
WITH THAT SPACE DETERMINES YOUR LANGUAGE. IT DETERMINES
YOUR SPIRITUALITY. IT DETERMINES YOUR CONCEPT
OF SELF, AND IT DETERMINES
YOUR AESTHETICS. YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE
WHAT YOU SURROUND YOURSELF WITH. SINGLETARY, VOICE-OVER:
SO THIS CHILD WAS BORN, AND THE OLD MEDICINE WOMAN
NOTICES THAT THIS CHILD'S VERY PRECOCIOUS AND THE EYES
ARE ALWAYS DARTING AROUND, AND SHE SAYS,
"HE HAS RAVEN'S EYES." [WHISTLES] SINGLETARY: OK. SINGLETARY, VOICE-OVER:
HE ASKED TO SEE THIS BOX THAT IS UP ON THIS LITTLE AREA. THEY BRING IT DOWN,
AND HE STARTS TO PLAY WITH IT, AND HE OPENS IT UP,
AND IT BECOMES THE BOX THAT CONTAINS THE STARS,
AND SO HE TAKES THE STARS, AND HE TOSSES THEM UP
THROUGH THE SMOKE HOLE, AND THAT'S HOW THE STARS
GET INTO THE SKY. LEWIS: SO HE WAS GIVEN
THE BOX WITH THE MOON IN IT TO HELP COMFORT HIM,
TO SHOW FORGIVENESS, AND HE OPENED IT,
AND THE MOON WENT OUT THROUGH THE SMOKE HOLE
INTO THE SKY. MAN, VOICE-OVER:
TODAY I STARTED THE PIECE WHICH WAS THE STUFFING
OF THE CUP, APPLYING ALL THE POWDER,
AND THEN I HAND IT TO PRESTON. AS IT GETS LARGER,
IT GETS HOTTER. IT'S JUST MORE TO HANDLE. YOU PUT THAT WEIGHT ON THE END
OF A 5-FOOT PIPE AND THEN GET IT HOT,
AND SO THE MORE YOU GATHER, THE MORE IT TAKES
TO ACTUALLY CONTROL IT. PRESTON'S WORK,
ONE PIECE OF HIS WORK IS MERELY LIKE ONE LINE
IN A STORY. IT'S THE WHOLE THING
THAT HE DOES. OK. BENVENUTO, VOICE-OVER:
IT'S HIS CULTURE, HIS-- WHAT HE'S COMMUNICATING,
WHAT HE'S TRYING TO SAY, THE PIECE ITSELF. SINGLETARY, VOICE-OVER:
EVERY OBJECT THAT WAS CREATED IN THE TLINGIT COMMUNITY WAS
MADE FROM A NATURAL ELEMENT. THE LADLES WERE CREATED
FROM MOUNTAIN GOAT HORN. THE CEDAR BARK WAS HARVESTED
TO CREATE BASKETRY, YOU KNOW, THE NATURAL PIGMENTS
THAT ARE USED ON THE WOODEN BOXES. ONE THING
THAT IS REALLY FASCINATING IS THE WHOLE SCIENCE
OF CREATING THESE OBJECTS. LEWIS: THERE'S A TERM CALLED "TRADITIONAL
ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE," AND IT USUALLY HAS TO DO
WITH GATHERING PRACTICES OF NATIVE PEOPLE EITHER
FOR MEDICINE OR FOR FOOD. IN THE NORTHWEST COAST, WE HAVE
THE EXAMPLE OF CEDAR BARK. WHEN YOU GATHER CEDAR BARK
FROM A TREE, IF THE TREE IS GONNA
REMAIN STANDING, YOU CAN ONLY TAKE A SECTION
ABOUT A THIRD OF THE CIRCUMFERENCE
OF THE TREE. THAT WAY, THE TREE CAN
HEAL ITSELF AND KEEP ON GROWING. YOU KNOW, THAT IS GENERATIONS
OF KNOWLEDGE RIGHT THERE THAT RELATES TO THIS IDEA OF TRADITIONAL
ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE AND WHICH GOES BACK TO THE IDEA
OF BOUNDED SPACE AND HAVING THIS RELATIONSHIP,
A LONG-STANDING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PLANTS IN YOUR SPACE. THE ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE
IS EMBODIED IN MANY DIFFERENT PIECES
OF NATIVE ART. THAT RELATIONSHIP
WITH THE LANDSCAPE IS WHAT IS INSPIRATION
FOR THE ART. SINGLETARY, VOICE-OVER:
OF COURSE, FEW DAYS LATER IS THE FINAL BOX,
AND SO THE BOY FUSSES AND CRIES AND SCREAMS
TO GET HIS WAY, AND THE DAUGHTER
GOES TO THE OLD MAN AND SAYS, "FATHER, IS THERE ANYTHING MORE
IMPORTANT THAN YOUR GRANDSON?" AND HE SAYS,
"YEAH. OK. YOU'RE RIGHT," SO HE PUTS THE BOX DOWN
IN FRONT OF HIM AND INSTRUCTS HIM
NOT TO OPEN UP THE BOX. OF COURSE, HE OPENS UP THE BOX. HE TAKES THE SUN, AND HE FLIES THROUGH THE SMOKE HOLE
IN THE HOUSE, AND HE PLACES IT IN THE SKY AND
BREAKS DAYLIGHT ON THE WORLD... AND THE PEOPLE
THAT WERE STARTLED, SOME OF THEM RAN OFF
INTO THE FOREST AND THEN BECAME THE ANIMALS
OF THE FOREST. SOME OF THEM
DOVE INTO THE WATER AND BECAME THE--THE SEA LIFE. SOME OF THEM TOOK OFF INTO
THE SKY AND BECAME THE BIRDS. THEN THE PEOPLE
THAT REMAINED WHERE THEY ARE BECAME THE TLINGIT. WOMAN, VOICE-OVER:
THE GREEN IS A RUBBER TAPE, AND YOU CAN DRAW ON IT,
AND THEN I'LL CUT IT OUT, AND THEN IT'LL BE SANDBLASTED. EVERYTHING THAT I CUT
AND I REMOVE, THE COLOR WILL COME OFF OF THAT, AND WHEREVER THE TAPE IS,
THE COLOR WILL STAY. WHATEVER I CUT IS HOW PRESTON'S
DESIGNS ARE GONNA COME OUT IN THE END, SO I WANT TO STAY
TRUE TO HIS DESIGN AND HIS LINE AND KEEP IT LOOKING
LIKE HIS HAND. WOMAN, VOICE-OVER:
WELL, THE SANDBLASTING PROCESS, AS FAR AS PRESTON'S WORK GOES,
IT'S THE LAST STEP OF A KIND OF
INTERDEPENDENT PROCESS, AND EACH STEP CAN ONLY BE
AS GOOD AS THE LAST STEP, SO BRITT'S CUTTING
CAN ONLY BE AS CLEAR AS PRESTON'S LINES WERE FOR HER,
AND MY SANDBLASTING IS ONLY GONNA BE AS GOOD
AS THE CUTTING. ON THE RAVEN,
THE BLACK COMES OFF TO REVEAL A RED UNDERNEATH. LEWIS, VOICE-OVER:
AT THAT POINT, RAVEN DECIDED THAT HE WAS DONE BEING A HUMAN,
AND HE CHANGED BACK INTO THE RAVEN FORM,
AND BACK IN THOSE TIMES, RAVEN WAS, UM, A WHITE BEING TO MARK HIS SUPERNATURAL STATUS. THE MAN WAS SO ANGRY
AT BEING TRICKED BY RAVEN THAT HE HELD HIM BY HIS FEET
OVER THE FIRE, AND THE SMOKE FROM THE FIRE
TURNED RAVEN BLACK, AND THAT'S
HOW WE KNOW HIM TODAY, SO WE HAVE RAVEN TO THANK
FOR RELEASING THE DAYLIGHT INTO THE WORLD,
BUT HE SUFFERED AND IS FOREVER MARKED
FOR DOING SO. SINGLETARY: MAYBE SOME
ELEMENTS OF THIS STORY BEING SPOKEN
IN TLINGIT, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THE SOUNDSCAPE, YOU KNOW, SO THAT--THAT
ACTUALLY SUBLIMINALLY, YOU'D BE GETTING THIS STORY, BUT YOU DON'T REALIZE IT. SINGLETARY, VOICE-OVER: THE WAY
THAT I THINK ABOUT WORKING WITH THE CULTURAL ARTS,
IT BECOMES A BIT OF A RESPONSIBILITY
TO KIND OF SHEPHERD THIS ABILITY AND THIS KNOWLEDGE AND SHARE IT
WITH A BROADER AUDIENCE. ALL OF THE SYMBOLISM
THAT I WORK WITH HAS SOME KIND OF CONNECTION
TO NATURE, SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT
I'M CONSTANTLY REFLECTING ON ON TERMS OF THE MYTHOLOGY
AND THE SYMBOLISM AND HOW TO BRING THOSE INTO
A NEW WAY OF LOOKING AT THEM. WOMAN, VOICE-OVER:
"ASTRONAUTS LOVE EARTH SO MUCH, "THEY CHOOSE TO LEAVE IT. "FOR COMFORT,
THEY CARRY WITH THEM "EARTHLINGS OF OTHER SPECIES. "ZINNIA IS AN IDEAL COMPANION,
BECAUSE IT IS GOOD TO LOOK AT, "AS WELL AS GOOD TO EAT. "DEAR ZINNIA, CAN YOU FEEL
THE FLOATING INSIDE YOU? "YOUR HEAD TURNS TOWARD THE SUN
AGAIN AND AGAIN. "YOU KNOW IT'S YOUR HOME STAR,
SINGULAR AND TRUE." IT'S A POEM
BY CLARE ELLIOT LILLISTON. I ASKED CLARE IF SHE WOULD
JUST WRITE ME SOMETHING ABOUT NATURE, AND I DIDN'T
GIVE HER ANY PARAMETERS, AND SHE CAME BACK TO ME
WITH WANTING TO WRITE ABOUT ZINNIAS IN SPACE. I GOT REALLY EXCITED
AND A LITTLE SCARED BECAUSE WE'RE NOT REALLY USED TO
THINKING ABOUT SPACE AS NATURE, BUT THE MORE I THOUGHT ABOUT IT,
OF COURSE SPACE IS NATURE. IT'S LIKE,
HOW ARE WE DEFINING NATURE-- IS IT THE LIMIT
OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WHEN WE SEE GREEN
AND WHEN WE SEE TREES, WHEN WE SEE WILDLIFE,
OR IS IT--IS IT EVERYTHING?-- AND I THINK NATURE IS BOTH
INSIDE US AND OUTSIDE US AND THAT THERE IS NO LIMIT
TO WHAT NATURE IS. I REMEMBER MY VERY FIRST TRIP
OUT TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, GOING INTO THE RAINFOREST,
GOING TO THE BEACHES. IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ME,
AND IT REALLY HELPED DEVELOP MY APPRECIATION OF THE AREA, AND MY LOVE OF NATURE
GREW OUT OF THAT. BEFORE I MET BILL,
HE WAS STUDYING PLANT MEDICINE, AND TOGETHER, WE'VE BOTH WORKED
TO CREATE THIS GARDEN. WE BROUGHT IN A LOT OF FERNS,
A LOT OF THE MAHONIAS, A LOT OF PLANTS
THAT WERE NATIVE. WE DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN,
BUT WE'RE NOT INDIGENOUS TO THIS PARTICULAR CORNER
OF THE WORLD, AND NEITHER
ARE ALL OF THE PLANTS. BILL, VOICE-OVER:
I'M SO INSPIRED JUST BY WATCHING HER PROCESS
AND THE WAY SHE CREATES AND WHAT GENERATES
THAT CREATIVITY. IT'S CONSTANTLY EVOLVING. IT STARTS OFF
WITH THIS LITTLE IDEA, AND THEN IT JUST GROWS
AND GROWS AND GROWS, AND THEN IT MORPHS
INTO SOMETHING ELSE, AND THEN IT BECOMES THIS
BEAUTIFUL, FINISHED PRODUCT. MICHAELIS: I'M JUST MIXING
SOME TRANSPARENCY IN WITH SOME SILVER INK. OK. I'M GONNA PUT IT
ON THE PRESS NOW. THE IDEA OF "ASTRONAUTICA"
WAS TO HAVE THINGS LOOKING LIKE THEY'RE
FLOATING IN SPACE. THIS IS THE SILVER PRINT RUN
THAT MADE THE LIGHT-COLORED LEAVES
THAT GO THROUGH HERE. SO I WANT TO GIVE THE, UM,
PLEXIGLAS A GOOD COAT INK. HERE'S THE LEAVES. EACH LEAF WAS GLUED
TO A PIECE OF PAPER, AND THEN I CUT AROUND IT
JUST TO HELP IT BE A LITTLE STRONGER
AND RES--REINFORCE IT. OFTEN, I'M GONNA PICK UP A LEAF, AND I'M GONNA PRESS IT
MAYBE JUST FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. UM, THE GREENER IT IS, THE LONGER THE LIFE
IN THE PRESS, BUT IF IT'S TOO GREEN,
IT'S JUST GONNA SQUIRT CHLOROPHYLL OUT
IN THE PRESSING PROCESS... AND THEN I JUST ROLL IT OVER... AND IT'S REALLY CLEAR
THAT THE LEAVES THERE ARE MAKING THE PRINT HERE, SO 4 PRINT RUNS
BEFORE THE TYPE WENT ON IT, AND THEY'RE ALL
PRESSURE-PRINTED. "LETTERPRESS PRINTED
UNDER THE MOON'S WAX AND WANE "AT MAY DAY PRESS, APRIL 2016." I CHOSE THE NAME MAY DAY PRESS NOT JUST BECAUSE
I WAS BORN ON MAY DAY, BUT I GOT MY FIRST PRESS
ON MAY DAY. RAYNA HOLTZ WAS
MY LETTERPRESS TEACHER, AND SHE WAS A BIG INFLUENCE
FOR ME AS A TEACHER BUT ALSO AN INFLUENCE
ON WHAT A PRESS SHOULD BE, THIS IDEA OF HAVING
SOME KIND OF MISSION OR THEME THAT YOU BUILT
YOUR WORK AROUND. I GOT MY OWN PRESS, AND I HAD
TO MAKE MY VERY FIRST BOOK. I HAD TO START WITH A BOOK
THAT HONORED MY GRANDMOTHER AND HER CHEROKEE HERITAGE. SHE WAS JUST SUCH
A BEAUTIFUL PERSON. SHE TOOK IN EVERY STRAY PLANT,
EVERY STRAY ANIMAL. SHE RAISED 3
OF HER GRANDCHILDREN. EVERYBODY LOVED HER. THIS IS WHAT I THOUGHT IT MEANT
TO BE CHEROKEE. THIS IS WHAT I THOUGHT
IT MEANT TO BE A GOOD PERSON IN THE WORLD,
AND SO I WANTED TO HONOR THAT WITH MY FIRST PROJECT. I DESIGNED A BOOK--
"A CHEROKEE PRIMER." I CHOSE THIS BARK PAPER
THAT'S HAND-BEATEN BY INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN MEXICO. ON THE INSIDE,
THERE'S IMAGES FROM NATURE, AND I WANTED THE WORDS
IN CHEROKEE AND ENGLISH UNDERNEATH THEM. I SPENT A LOT OF TIME
DRAWING THE LETTERS, AND I THEN CARVED THEM
IN LINOLEUM AND PRINTED THEM ONTO THE PAPER. AS I WAS LEARNING
ABOUT THE CHEROKEE LANGUAGE, I ALSO LEARNED ABOUT SEQUOYAH
AND HIS INVENTION OF THE WRITTEN CHEROKEE
LANGUAGE. IF THE CHEROKEE LANGUAGE
COULD BE WRITTEN, THEN IT WOULD HELP KEEP
THE CHEROKEE CULTURE ALIVE. THAT WAS SEQUOYAH'S VISION, AND THAT'S WHAT
I WAS TRYING TO DO, TOO. I WAS TRYING TO KEEP IT
ALIVE IN ME AND, UM, IN OUR FAMILY, AND SO IT FELT IMPORTANT
TO BRING THAT PIECE OF HISTORY FORWARD AND PUT IT IN THE BOOK. MICHAELIS, VOICE-OVER:
BILL AND I GOT REALLY INTERESTED IN THE ECO PRINTING PROCESS
ON PAPER, AND WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME
COLLECTING PLANTS AND PUTTING THEM THROUGH THIS
TRANSFER PROCESS ON THE PAPER. MOODY: PLANTS CONTAIN
MANY PIGMENTS. BY PUTTING THEM IN
CONTACT WITH THE PAPER AND WE BUNDLE THEM UP
AND RUBBER-BAND THEM PRETTY RIGHTLY
AND THEY GO IN THE POT AND WE APPLY HEAT,
IT RELEASES THE PIGMENTS FROM THE PLANTS, AND IT'S
ABSORBED BY THE PAPER. MOODY:
WEIGHT IT DOWN AND-- MICHAELIS: THERE WE GO. MICHAELIS, VOICE-OVER:
ALL THROUGH THE SEASONS, WE'RE COLLECTING
DIFFERENT THINGS BECAUSE NEW PLANTS
ARE COMING UP, NEW PLANTS ARE BLOOMING,
NEW PLANTS ARE GOING TO SEED. ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS
ARE HAPPENING, AND SO IT REALLY GAVE US
A CHANCE TO EXPERIMENT AND CREATE DIFFERENT LOOKS
FROM ONE MONTH TO THE NEXT ALL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. WE'RE ALWAYS OOHING AND
AHHING OVER THE PAPERS. MOODY: IT'S LIKE CHRISTMAS. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT
YOU'RE GONNA GET UNTIL YOU OPEN IT UP. MICHAELIS: IT'S ALWAYS EXCITING. THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW. MICHAELIS, VOICE-OVER:
WE DECIDED TO CREATE A BOOK. IT'S CALLED "SOLAR RETURN,"
AND IT'S REALLY ABOUT SHOWCASING THESE PAPERS, BEING VERY DRAMATIC WITH THEM
AND SUBTLE WITH THEM AND SORTING THEM BY SEASONS. I THINK THAT NATURE
IS AN EXPERIENCE. IT'S VERY EXPERIENTIAL. IT'S VERY, UM, SENSORIAL
AND SENSUAL, AND WHEN WE MAKE ART ABOUT IT,
WE'RE FIXING IT, AND I WANT IT TO STAY ALIVE
AS MUCH AS I CAN. I WANT MY OWN
EXPERIENCE OF NATURE TO KEEP EXPANDING AND GROWING. I DECIDED I WOULD DO A BOOK AND, UM, HAVE IT BE CALLED
"EROTICA BOTANICA." I JUST HAD THE TITLE,
AND I THOUGHT, "OH, MAYBE JUST
EVERY NOW AND THEN, YOU'LL DISCOVER A LITTLE,
NATURE-BASED QUOTE," BUT WHILE I WAS LOOKING
FOR THE TEXT, I JUST HAD A HARD TIME FINDING
SOMETHING THAT I WANTED. I DECIDED, "I GUESS I JUST
HAVE TO WRITE SOME EROTICA ABOUT THE BOTANICA," SO, UM, BECAUSE IT WAS
EMBARRASSING, I THINK, I DECIDED ALL THIS WAS GOING
TO BE FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF THE FLOWERS
AND THEIR POLLINATORS, SO EACH OF THESE LITTLE VERSES IS A DIFFERENT
POLLINATION METHOD. YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW THAT
WHEN YOU READ IT. YOU MAY JUST THINK IT'S EROTICA, BUT THEY'RE MEANT TO BE
REALLY TRUE. WHEN I WAS CREATING
THE VISUAL DESIGN, I WANTED IT TO BE VERY LEAFY
AND SENSUAL, SO I HAVE THESE PAGES
THAT ARE SHAPED LIKE LEAVES THAT FOLD OVER EACH OTHER,
AND YOU GET LITTLE GLIMPSES THROUGH THEM, AND THE PAPER
IS VERY SENSUAL TO THE TOUCH. I SPENT HOURS AND HOURS
JUST DOING MY ARTWORK AND SITTING IN THE GARDEN BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT
THE BOOK IS ABOUT. IT'S ABOUT NATURE,
AND THE BEST WAY TO UNDERSTAND NATURE
IS TO SPEND TIME IN IT. WHETHER IT'S THE BIRD SOUND
OR THE COLORS OF THE FLOWERS OR THE SMELL OF THE PLANTS,
IT'S ALL REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME, AND IT ALL, I THINK, BECOMES,
UM, IMBUED IN THE PROCESS. "DEAR SPACE, "CAN WE CALL YOU 'NATURE'
SO MANY MILES ABOVE ATMOSPHERE? "STILL, WE PUT OURSELVES
IN THE CENTER OF IT-- "THE AIR THAT IS NOT AIR, "THE VACUUM, THE VOID, "THE POSSIBLE IMPOSSIBLE. "WE PUT OURSELVES THERE
AND BRING THE FLOWERS WITH US." ANNOUNCER: MAJOR FUNDING FOR
"CRAFT IN AMERICA" WAS PROVIDED BY CYNTHIA LOVELACE SEARS
& FRANK BUXTON... LILLIAN PIERSON LOVELACE... L.L. BROWNRIGG... THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT
FOR THE ARTS... BLOOMBERG PHILANTHROPIES... HELEN & PETER BING... STOLAROFF FOUNDATION. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT WAS PROVIDED
BY THE FOLLOWING.
