Speaking of Furniture: Conversations with 14 American Masters is a fresh, stimulating, and in-depth examination of the modus operandi of 14 accomplished—and diverse—furniture makers. An engaging history of studio furniture, this colorful, informative study includes engaging conversations with James Krenov, Wendell Castle, Jere Osgood, Judy Kensley McKie, David Ebner, Richard Scott Newman, Hank Gilpin, Alphonse Mattia, John Dunnigan, Wendy Maruyama, James Schriber, Timothy S. Philbrick, Michael Hurwitz, and Thomas Hucker. The insightful interviews illuminate how these creative and gifted craftspeople arrived professionally and what their craft means to them individually.
In his enlightening foreword, Edward S. Cooke, Jr. maps out the background of the studio furniture movement. Author and furnituremaker Roger Holmes offers an insider’s perspective on the art and craft of producing exquisite contemporary furniture in his conversational introduction and maintains, “Art or craft, this is very personal work.” This elegant presentation skillfully sheds light on the thought processes and techniques of a celebrated and exceptional gathering of studio furniture makers who are as unique as they are stellar. As sculptor and furniture designer Wendell Castle remarks, “What I admired was that . . . fine art and craft were the same thing.”

Based in East Hampton, New York, Pritam & Eames is associated with the finest work in American furniture making since 1981. As the country’s oldest established gallery connected with the American studio furniture movement, they represent a distinguished group of artist-craftspeople. Edward S. Cooke, Jr. is the Charles F. Montgomery Professor of American Decorative Arts in the Department of the History of Art at Yale University. He has served as director of the Yale Center for the Study of American Art and Material Culture since 1992 and served as the Chair of the department from 2000 to 2006.Roger Holmes, author, and furnituremaker, manages a workshop in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he combines traditional handwork and contemporary technology. Author of The Woodworker’s Companion, he has been an editor for Fine Woodworking magazine and has written extensively on furniture and furniture making.

Copyright Page: 6
Contents: 7
Preface | Bebe Pritam Johnson and Warren Eames Johnson: 9
Foreword. Defining the Field | Edward S. Cooke, Jr.: 17
Introduction. A Few Thoughts on What They Say | Roger Holmes: 21
Conversations with 14 American Masters: 27
James Krenov: 28
Wendell Castle: 46
Jere Osgood: 68
Judy Kensley McKie: 88
David Ebner: 108
Richard Scott Newman: 126
Hank Gilpin: 148
Alphonse Mattia: 168
John Dunnigan: 190
Wendy Maruyama: 210
James Schriber: 232
Timothy S. Philbrick: 252
Michael Hurwitz: 272
Thomas Hucker: 290
Acknowledgments: 313
Appendix. Stepping Stones: 315
Definition of Terms: 329
Index: 331

Speaking of Furniture offers a rich and revealing view of studio furniture—an important segment of the studio furniture world. A wide range of work is chronicled here, from the direct-joinery furniture of Hank Gilpin to the witty creations of Alphonse Mattia and the sculptural aspirations of Wendell Castle. Such aesthetic pluralism is endemic to our age of rapid information exchange, of an overstuffed market for domestic goods, and a heightened interest in art and design. . . . What really distinguishes the furniture illustrated and discussed in these pages is the background of the furniture makers; their expertise in both making and designing their pieces by linking concept materials, and technique; and the small shops in which they work.