Max Hymes
I have discovered a really interesting visual artist who uses marquetry within his work. Max Hymes is a sculptor whose works incorporate various elements of traditional craft alongside modern materials, concepts and techniques. I like his approach and what he is producing which makes reference to significant periods within the history of craft whilst amalgamating historical and contemporary aesthetic tastes.
The Arts and Crafts movement is so important to the study of craft that taking this into account in some way seems inevitable. Pointing to ideas regarding local materials, the exotic and heterogeneous societies- there seems to be a lot going on within Hymes' work; this is reflected in an eclectic style which seems to incorporate amongst other things elements of folk art alongside the more lavish notion of the objet d'art.
I have been thinking about ranges of materials too from the available and inexpensive to the natural and manmade, what we consider luxurious and those taken entirely for granted. Within marquetry there is a huge array of materials to consider. Some of the manmade veneers I have encountered are themselves quite bizarre, fabricated grains that mimic those to be found naturally. Some I find look like retro prints or designs you might find on an out of date jumper. I think within marquetry circles these are more often than not dismissed for being inauthentic and are used more for backing pictures rather than playing a significant part in the actual design.
I think these manmade veneers have their own qualities though that are worth considering and in reality we are surrounded by them everyday, from laminate floors to those plastic walnut finishes that appear to look so great on car doors.
Some of Max Hymes work and other links can be found at the bearspace gallery website below
http://www.bearspace.co.uk/home.html
