ExhibitionThe Crafted World of Wharton Esherick

This exhibition explores the interdisciplinary creativity of Wharton Esherick (1887–1970), the famed American artist best known as the father of the Studio Furniture Movement. Esherick considered his hillside home and studio, now the Wharton Esherick Museum (WEM), the best representation of his iconoclastic vision, calling it “an autobiography in three dimensions.” Built between 1926 and 1966, his unconventional escape on the verdant slopes of Valley Forge Mountain near Philadelphia houses almost three thousand iconic works of art from across Esherick’s seven decades of artistic practice.

The Crafted World brings selections from this rich and rarely loaned collection to a broader public, including many objects never before seen except in Esherick’s home and studio. Detailing the artist’s career from his early woodcut illustrations for books by members of the avant-garde literati to his revolutionary re-imagining of furniture forms as organic sculpture, works will be presented in thematic vignettes that invite visitors into Esherick’s story and bring the essence of his creative world into the gallery.

From the exhibition catalogue:

“THE CRAFTED WORLD OF WHARTON ESHERICK takes you into the visionary landscape of one of the most innovative and influential artists of the twentieth century. A master craftsman and sculptor, Esherick created a world that blurred the boundaries between art and functionality and pushed the limits of wood and design…”

“The exhibition [and accompanying publication] explore themes that are present in the home and Studio, with their rich array of artworks. They also connect Esherick’s artistry to the broader intellectual and creative worlds of which he was an integral part. From sculptural furniture to breathtaking architectural spaces, each image in this publication tells a story of unwavering commitment to craftsmanship and artistic  expression, as well as a deep connection to the medium of wood. Numerous moments of transformation are visible. Most striking, perhaps, is the overall evolution of Esherick’s style, from early works characterized by prismatic shapes and intricate details to later organic and free-flowing designs.

Wharton Esherick, The Race, 1925. Painted wood on walnut base, 6 3/4 x 30 3/4 x 8 1/2 in. Wharton Esherick Museum Collection. Photo by Eoin O’Neill, courtesy of the Wharton Esherick Museum.

“Esherick’s innovative approach to form and function has inspired generations of artists, designers, and makers. His career unfolded as conventional boundaries between fine art and functional craftsmanship were being questioned. Esherick had rich answers to offer. His unique approach to blending form and function resulted in a body of work that challenges categorization. Because of his iconoclasm, Esherick’s work resonates not only with enthusiasts of traditional woodworking, design, and “useful” craft, but also with those who see in his work the very essence of expressive creativity.

“The spaces that Esherick created for himself, in which he lived and worked, offer evidence of one of his core beliefs: that our surroundings can and should reflect our individuality and enhance our lives in meaningful ways. Esherick saw the tactile nature of wood, carefully shaped by his own hands, as a principal means of fulfilling this goal. In his Gesamtkunstwerk—or “total work of art”—the warmth and intimacy of the spaces he created invite us to consider how the intimate objects of everyday life may be imbued with beauty, ritual, and comfort.”

—Julie Siglin and Thomas Padon

Wharton Esherick, Library Ladder, 1969. Cherry, 48 1/2 x 25 1/2 x 16 1/2 in.
Wharton Esherick Museum Collection. Photo by Eoin O’Neill, courtesy of the Wharton Esherick Museum.