New exhibits on work of Wharton Esherick
Tuesday, September 7th, 2010
An woodcarving exhibit at the University of Pennsylvania depicts a furniture maker from Paoli as one of the seminal figures of American Modernism. Wharton Esherick died in 1970 and is now recognized for his influence beyond just tables and chairs.
Esherick is known, by those who know him at all, as an expressionistic woodworker. Even his oddly angular outhouse looks taken from the set of the German silent film, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Paul Eisnehauer is the curator at the Wharton Esherick Museum in Paoli.
"He often said the wood would tell him what to do. As he worked with the wood it would lead him in new directions."
A series of planned exhibits and performances show how a young Esherick used wood to embrace all disciplines of Modernism, from poetry to dance to architecture. Two galleries at the University of Pennslvania display his sculptural furniture and his connections with progressive artists of his day – including architect Louis Kahn and playwright Theodore Dreiser. William Whitaker is a curator at Penn.
"Esherick was able to bridge these artistic endeavors in ways others weren't. His sensibility of motion and how to capture that in sculpted form that we could call furniture is really remarkable."
In addition to the gallery shows at Penn, Hedgerow Theater in Media will revive Dreiser's An American Tragedy, for which Esherick designed the original set.
Meeting Wharton Esherick for the first time at Hedgerow Theatre was an extraordinary experience. He and Jasper Deeter were kindred spirits and it was a privilege to spend time with them. Over lunch at the table Wharton had sculpted, sitting on the axe-handle chairs: one thought one had died and gone to art heaven! Letty Esherick joined us: Rose Shulman and some of the actors who were resident at Hedgerow House, made for brilliant conversation. Lucky me, an Englishwoman via Brandeis University, supping with this gifted genius and his friend, Jasper Deeter. Joan Kay.
Joan:
I'm doing a book on Deeter for Southern Illinois Press and would love to correspnd!
Cordially,Barry