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Creator:

Bennett, Garry Knox, 1934-2022  Search this

Subject:

Castle, Wendell  Search this

Stocksdale, Kay Sekimachi  Search this

Schwarcz, June  Search this

Paley, Albert  Search this

Jurs, Nancy  Search this

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Type:

Drawings

Interviews

Video recordings

Citation:

Garry Knox Bennett papers, 1917-2017, bulk 1960-2017. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Scrapbooks  Search this

American studio craft movement  Search this

Theme:

Craft  Search this

Lives of artists  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)6040

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)239435

AAA_collcode_benngarr

Theme:

Craft

Lives of artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_239435

Interviewee:

Cederquist, John, 1946-  Search this

Interviewer:

Riedel, Mija, 1958-  Search this

Subject:

Bennett, Garry Knox  Search this

Clark, Garth  Search this

Cooke, Edward S.  Search this

Danto, Arthur Coleman  Search this

Gaines, Tom  Search this

Hughes, Robert  Search this

Makepeace, John  Search this

Maruyama, Wendy  Search this

Parrasch, Franklin  Search this

Smith, Roberta  Search this

Snidecor, John  Search this

Straight, Bob  Search this

Straight, Chris  Search this

Turnbull, George  Search this

Zuecher, Gary  Search this

California State University  Search this

Franklin Parrasch Gallery  Search this

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston  Search this

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Oakland Museum  Search this

Saddleback College  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Citation:

Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with John Cederquist, 2009 April 14-15. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Art -- Study and teaching  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

Furniture designers -- California -- Interviews  Search this

Sculptors -- California -- Interviews  Search this

Woodworkers -- California -- Interviews.  Search this

Theme:

Craft  Search this

Architecture & Design  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)15662

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)282437

AAA_collcode_cederq09

Theme:

Craft

Architecture & Design

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_282437

Interviewee:

Cederquist, John  Search this

Interviewer:

Riedel, Mija, 1958-  Search this

Creator:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Names:

California State University -- Students  Search this

Franklin Parrasch Gallery  Search this

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston  Search this

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Oakland Museum  Search this

Saddleback College -- Faculty  Search this

Bennett, Garry Knox, 1934-  Search this

Clark, Garth, 1947-  Search this

Cooke, Edward S., 1954-  Search this

Danto, Arthur Coleman, 1924-  Search this

Gaines, Tom  Search this

Hughes, Robert, 1938-2012  Search this

Makepeace, John  Search this

Maruyama, Wendy, 1952-  Search this

Parrasch, Franklin  Search this

Smith, Roberta  Search this

Snidecor, John  Search this

Straight, Bob  Search this

Straight, Chris  Search this

Turnbull, George  Search this

Zuecher, Gary  Search this

Extent:

11 Items (Sound recording: 11 sound files (4 hr., 54 min.), digital, wav file)

111 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

2009 April 14-15

Scope and Contents:

An interview of John Cederquist conducted 2009 April 14-15, by Mija Riedel, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, at Cederquist's studio, in San Clemente, California.

John Cederquist speaks of his recent series Dollar Bill; his long-standing interest in perspective and use of tool imagery in his work; his childhood in Southern California; his early interest in art through custom car art; high school art instruction and focusing on craft; earning undergraduate and graduate degrees at California State University, Long Beach in the late 1960s and early 1970s; teaching at Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, California, starting in the early 1970s; work in wood and leather; other brief teaching jobs in Southern California universities; early exhibitions; exhibition and demonstrations at Parnham House, Beaminster, England, 1978; starting to teach perspective at Saddleback; Number One; the Egg and the Eye gallery/cafe, Los Angeles, California; Game Table [1982]; Auntie Macassar Goes West, 1987-88; philosophical and aesthetic differences between wood artists on the East and West coasts; exhibition: "Material Evidence: Master Craftsmen Explore ColorCore," Workbench: the Gallery, New York, New York, 1984; "California Woodworking," the Oakland Museum [of California, 1980; Thonet catalog as source material]; influence of animation in film and television; the perceptual and conceptual issues in translating two dimensions into three, and vice versa; the nature of illusion and perception; inclusion of work in an exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1989; the influence of How to Wrap Five Eggs: Traditional Japanese Packaging, Hideyuki Oka, Trumbull, Connecticut: Weatherhill, 1967; use of the Thomas Chippendale book (1754) as source material; subtle influence of cubism on Ghost Boy [1992] piece; his choice of furniture as the vehicle for his aesthetic exploration; series Furniture That Builds Itself (1991-2007), and continued influence of cartoons and animation; his choice of different kinds of wood; series How to Wrap Five Crates; series Kimonos and the influence of Japanese aesthetics; When Machines Dream of Hokusai [1995]: Road to Dreamland; series Wave (early to mid-1990s), and Tubular [1990], the first in the series; series Kosode; series This Is Not Lunch; historical Japanese tattoos as a source of inspiration; "Furniture That Builds Itself," Franklin Parrasch Gallery, New York, New York, 2003; sense of humor and "goofiness" in his work; Flat Foot Floogie Builds a Bench. [2003]; influence of photography on his work; his pieces as functional furniture and the artistic potential therein; social commentary in his recent Kosode pieces; Heavenly Victory; how his pieces get named; "The Art of John Cederquist: Reality of Illusion," Oakland Museum of California, 1999-2000; Breakthrough series: Steamer, early 1990s; Top Drawer (1985); Space Age Wave Machine (1999); use of thick wood instead of veneer; strengths and weaknesses of a university setting for art studies; the importance of being part of the craft movement; the role of Garth Clark's gallery in the movement; the importance of working with the Franklin Parrasch gallery; his admiration for art critic Robert Hughes; the role of online media in art journalism and criticism and journalism. He also recalls Gary Zuercher, Franklin Parrasch, John Snidecor, George Turnbull, John Makepeace, Edward S. Cooke, Garry Knox Bennett, Wendy Maruyama, Tom Gaines, Bob and Chris Straight, Arthur Danto, and Roberta Smith.

Biographical / Historical:

John Cederquist (1946- ) creates fine art furniture and wood sculpture. Cederquist is known for using trompe l'oeil in his work. He was educated at Long Beach State University and teaches at Saddleback College.

General:

Originally recorded on 3 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 11 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hr., 54 min.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.

Restrictions:

Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.

Occupation:

Cabinetmakers -- California -- Interviews  Search this

Topic:

Art -- Study and teaching  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

Furniture designers -- California -- Interviews  Search this

Sculptors -- California -- Interviews  Search this

Woodworkers -- California -- Interviews.  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for this interview was provided by the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.cederq09

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9e6b8700a-8d69-4730-8c1b-fa580b376816

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-cederq09

Creator:

Bennett, Garry Knox, 1934-  Search this

Names:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Castle, Wendell, 1932-2018  Search this

Jurs, Nancy, 1941  Search this

Paley, Albert  Search this

Schwarcz, June, 1918-2015  Search this

Stocksdale, Kay Sekimachi  Search this

Extent:

12.4 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Drawings

Interviews

Video recordings

Date:

1917-2017

bulk 1960-2017

Summary:

The papers of woodworker, sculptor, and furniture designer Garry Knox Bennett measure 12.4 linear feet and date from 1917 to 2017 with the bulk of the material dating from 1960 to 2017. The collection documents the artist's life and career through biographical materials, correspondence with family and friends including other artists, exhibition files, professional files, financial and legal records, and printed material and scrapbooks recording his exhibition history and more, including photographs from his youth.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of woodworker, sculptor, and furniture designer Garry Knox Bennett measure 12.4 linear feet and date from 1917 to 2017 with the bulk of the material dating from 1960 to 2017.

The collection includes biographical materials containing Bennett's birthday and wedding celebration material, appointment calendars, childhood artwork, sketches and patterns for projects, photographs and notes regarding the Bennetts' marriage, resumes, student records, and material regarding the Bennetts' house fire in 2003. Correspondence is with artists Wendell Castle and Nancy Jurs, June Schwarcz, Kay Sekimachi and Bob Stocksdale, Albert Paley who describes an accident that occurred in 2002, and good friend and writer Jack Marlowe, as well as with wife Sylvia and daughter Jessica. Exhibition files consist of artwork price lists, artist statements, shipping documents, correspondence, and printed materials for Bennett's solo and group exhibitions. They also include documentation of a few exhibitions showing pieces from his personal art collection.

Professional files relate to workshops, lectures, exhibitions, donations, and grant proposals. Also found are project and publication files, artist statements written by Jack Marlowe and Tom Farber for Bennett, studio visit records, a video recording of an interview with Bennett, and a few digital recordings. The Made in Oakland: The Furniture of Garry Knox Bennett (2001) retrospective files consist of correspondence, fundraising records, lender files, and material regarding the creation of a book that also served as the catalog for the exhibition. Financial and legal records contain check registers, invoices and receipts, card files containing sales information, and legal material relating to the estate of Peter T. Joseph. Printed materials include clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, and exhibition history material. Additional printed material can be found in the scrapbooks recording exhibitions and Bennett's career. The scrapbooks also include some personal items such as letters, photographs, and documents from Bennett's youth.

Handwritten notes by Sylvia Bennett, offering additional history and context, can be found throughout the collection. The notes were typically written onto the original folders which have been preserved along with the related material.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 8 series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1917-2009 (0.8 linear feet; Boxes 1, 13, OV 14)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1955-2017 (2.0 linear feet; Boxes 1-3)

Series 3: Exhibition Files, 1979-2017 (1.4 linear feet; Boxes 3-4)

Series 4: Professional Files, 1959-2017 (5.0 linear feet; Boxes 4-9)

Series 5: -- Made in Oakland: The Furniture of Garry Knox Bennett -- Retrospective, circa 1977-2009 (1.5 linear feet; Boxes 9-11)

Series 6: Financial and Legal Records, 1950s-2010 (0.5 linear feet; Boxes 11-12)

Series 7: Printed Materials, 1960-2015 (0.8 linear feet; Box 12)

Series 8: Scrapbooks, 1948-1997 (0.4 linear feet; Boxes 12-13)

Biographical / Historical:

Garry Knox Bennett (1934-2022) was a woodworker, sculptor, and furniture designer in Oakland, California.

Bennett was born in Alameda, California to Katherine von Tagen and Robert Bennett, but was raised by his grandparents. He attended the California College of the Arts, then the California College of Arts and Crafts, where he studied painting and began experimenting with metals. During this time he married his wife Sylvia.

He opened a studio in the late 1960s where he produced his famous roach clips, then later opened a larger studio named Squirkenworks in Oakland. In the 1970s, he began working with wood and on 1980 fabricated his infamous Nail Cabinet, a wood cabinet with a single nail driven through the face of the door, which garnered attention not only for Bennett's expert craftsmanship but also for what some saw as disrespect for the craft. Regardless of any controversy Bennett's work created, he became highly respected as a craftsman. In step with his unconventional nature, Bennett exhibited and sold his paintings and jewelry using the pseudonyms Ambrose Pillphister and Gerraldo Bennucci.

Bennett received the Award of Distinction from the Furniture Society and the Master of the Medium Award from the James Renwick Alliance, and was a Fellow of the American Craft Council. A major retrospective, Made in Oakland: The Furniture of Garry Knox Bennett, took place in 2001 at the American Craft Museum in New York and the Oakland Museum in California.

Bennett died unexpectedly in 2022 in Oakland, California.

Related Materials:

Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Garry Knox Bennett conducted February 1-2, 2002 by Glenn Adamson in Oakland, C.A. for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.

Provenance:

The Garry Knox Bennett papers were donated in 2003 by Sylvia Bennett, Bennett's wife, and in 2017 by Garry Knox Bennett. The papers were collected as part of the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project For Craft and Decorative Arts in America.

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Occupation:

Sculptors -- California -- Oakland  Search this

Woodworkers -- California -- Oakland  Search this

Furniture designers -- California -- Oakland  Search this

Topic:

Scrapbooks  Search this

American studio craft movement  Search this

Genre/Form:

Drawings

Interviews

Video recordings

Citation:

Garry Knox Bennett papers, 1917-2017. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.benngarr

See more items in:

Garry Knox Bennett papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw910abe018-7381-4bf6-b522-a4b42fcfc6c8

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-benngarr

Interviewee:

Bennett, Garry Knox, 1934-2022  Search this

Interviewer:

Adamson, Glenn, 1972-  Search this

Subject:

Bennett, Sylvia  Search this

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Citation:

Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Garry Knox Bennett, 2002 February 1-2. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Woodworkers -- California -- Interviews.  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

Theme:

Craft  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)11705

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)237767

AAA_collcode_bennet02

Theme:

Craft

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_237767