CRITIQUE OF THE WEEK #5

Debora Muhl

(Spinnerstown, Pennsylvania )

Untitled #1161   

Maine sweet grass, gourd, organdy ribbon, artificial sinew, picasso stone beads, 7.5x13x11 inches, 2002

Blue Spiral #1175 

Maine sweet grass, gourd, silk ribbon, waxed Irish linen, black onyx beads. 7.5x12x11 inches, 2003

Metamorphose #1189

Maine sweet grass, rayon ribbon, waxed Irish linen, 9x13x7.5 inches, 2003

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Through her work, Debora Muhl challenges us to reconsider the form and function of traditional basketry. Using traditional materials and methods and working loosely within that framework, her designs bear some resemblance to familiar functional vessels. However, she surprises us by elevating the basket to an art form.

When looking at Muhl's work, consider two basic approaches to design. The first is to work according to a plan. In this approach, the maker knows in advance what the finished product will look like, and uses a particular technique and method to reach that goal. The second approach is to design by acting and responding. These artsits intentionally work without a plan (or at least within loose parameters that are subject to significant revision as the design progresses).

Debra Muhl is a proponent of this second approach. She begins each work by wrapping coils of Maine sweet grass around a simple armature: sometimes a cut-out section from a gourd and other times sweet coil wrapped into a basic geometric form. From there, the sculptural process evolves improvisationally. Muhl sets her forms in motion, exploring and playing with possibilities. Each movement leads to another. Forms break down, mutate, re-form, and emerge. The artist acts and responds until a satisfying asymmetrical resolution occurs.

Muhl creates these movements in part by moving the coil away from or outside of the expected symmetry. She wraps the coil tightly in colored ribbon to stiffen and strengthen it. Because of this, it can hold its shape apart from the main form (the ribbons also introduce small accents of color into the arrangement).

Muhl's sculptural compositions are fundamentally structured according to a series of rhythms produced by the concentric wrapping of the coil and the counter-rhythms of the stitching that joins one coil to another. Beyond this commonality, each is unique. By looking briefly at each, you can discover a range of emotive quality.

  Blue Spiral #1175

In Blue Spiral #1175, forms and movements push and pull against one another to establish equilibrium. The quasi-basket form is solid at its base, apparent at bottom/right. Then, proceding upward, the coil movements extend to the left so that more and more volume is contained. The result is a bulbous extension that leans strongly to one side. In response, Muhl pulls a couple of coils to the right which jut outside the form with dramatic emphasis. Here, the cool bluish color of the ribbon wrapping is exposed, lending additional excitement and emphasis. In the end, the two differing variations, one left and the other right, magically balance the arrangement asymmetrically. The result is a feeling of stately resolution.

Untitled #1161

Untitled #1161 evokes an entirely different mood. Here, all the coil movements are gyrating like a spinning top. A movement out on one side is countered by a movement in on the other—a movement up countered by a movement down. Rhythms rock back and forth with jazzy energy. But even in such a frenzied arrangement, a balanced resolution is achieved.

Metamorphose #1189

In Metamorphose #1189, the form feels as if it is on the verge of collapse. It is broken into a series of concentrically arranged cylindrical slices that generally become smaller as they ascend. Each slice in the gently rocking stack feels as though it is in danger of falling inside the one beneath it. In addition, the spiraling movements are higher at the outside and lower toward the middle, creating the sense that the form is collapsing into the middle. Finally, although the arrangement drops more dramatically to the right, there are forces at play that create balance. Notice the largest, fattest spiral off of the left edge pulls back up and left, away from the collapsing bottom/right. In the end, Muhl leaves us with a satisfying resolution.

Steven Aimone

author of DESIGN! A Lively Guide to Design Basics for Artists and Craftspeoplel

CLICK HERE FOR NEWS ABOUT UPCOMING ART AND DESIGN WORKSHOPS

(The Critique of the Week is edited by Katherine Duncan AImone)

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About the Artist:

Debora Muhl is a self-taught artist who coils sweet grass and sews it together with waxed linens or artificial sinew. Her materials of choice are sweet grasses native to Maine, which are gathered, combed, and sorted by Native Americans. The grasses are left in their natural state to retain their sweet aromas. Many of these coiled sculptural baskets begin with an unusual cut-out segment of gourd and are designed in the process of their creation. The resulting basket is a free-form sculpture.

Muhl began making baskets in 1983, but the challenge of mastering various techniques and materials eventually led her to create one-of-a-kind art pieces. Her work is included in many private collections around the world as well as in the permanent collections of the Mint Museum (Charlotte, NC), the Museum of Fine Arts, (Boston, MA), the Fuller Craft Museum (Brockton, MA), and the Museum of Decorative Arts, (Paris, France)

Artist's Statement:

Music was my first passion. It gave me a vehicle for expressing deep feelings, and it taught me the necessity of bringing discipline and clarity of vision to my work. Sculptural coiling allows me to create a kind of visual metaphor for the music of my life.

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Debora Muhl is represented by the del Mano Gallery in W. Los Angeles , California . Visit their website at:

http://www.delmano.com

To visit the artist's website, go to: