For its summer show, “The Arts of San Francisco,” the Museum of Art has refurbished one of its small galleries to house the crafts. The show currently in progress is the last of three presentations from local weavers, potters, and metalworkers.
During the three month period, each presentation has contained a few pieces of timeless quality and expert workmanship. However, there is little versatility in the show as a whole, and the few outstanding pieces are not significantly different except in a degree of refinement.
In all fairness, the quality of this work cannot be attacked. However, this exhibit is a perfect mirror of the lack of communication between painter, sculptor and craftsman. It would seem that as the fine arts have grown larger, both in scale and production, the crafts have grown smaller and fewer. It is very difficult to detect the slightest exchange or carry-over of ideas between the disciplines, and the timidity of craftsmen seems to underline their lack of understanding of the current forces in the fine arts.
It is unfortunate that artists such as Wing Ng, Ed Rossbach, June Schwartz—and so many others—are not included to show today’s idiom in the various crafts. However, the most hopeful aspect of the show, is the fact that the San Francisco Museum of Art now has a gallery in which crafts can be seen. With this new facility the museum can help to uncover the other aspects of today’s crafts.
––Imogene Gieling
