March 19th- MFA Visit

At the MFA, I found a piece that was very similar to my work, surprisingly. I thought it would be really difficult to find a piece that connected to mine. The piece I found was titled Folding Screen by Wharton Esherick, from 1927. It is a wooden folding screen made from walnut and ebony. The screen is covered in carvings of patterns. There are also carvings of bare tree limbs and flying blackbirds. I thought this was so cool because it was a work on wood with carvings and carvings of birds! It relates to my work because my work is all done on wood. I incorporate carvings and digging into the wood into my pieces as well. The blackbirds relate to my work as well because I have been focusing on this idea of the mythical bird, connecting my pieces with this idea.

I also found a piece that was different than my work, but still incorporated some of the similar conceptual ideas. This is Freeform (Dinnerware decorated with the primitive pattern) by Viktor Schreckengost from 1955. They are ceramic pieces that include a tea pot, plate, tea cup and saucer, salt & pepper shaker, and a milk/cream holder.

 These ceramic pieces are all connected by the narrative painted on them. This consists of deer and people. It almost has a tribal feel to it. This is different than my work because it is ceramic and really 3D, while my work is on wood and mostly 2D. It does connect to my work in the sense that the narrative or decorations of the dinnerware allow the pieces to connect and flow together. My work has a sense of a narrative having to do with birds that is incorporated in each piece, connecting them together.