Curator’s Corner: Craig Kassan

Craig Kassan (Franklinton, NC). "Eclipse," 2009. Cherry wood on pewter. Courtesy of the artist. Private collection.

This week's Curator's Corner features the work of exhibiting artist Craig Kassan.

"Ever since I can remember, I have been involved with some form of art. I give a great deal of credit to my grandfather. He always felt I should pursue a career in woodworking, but I was afraid of losing my passion for it. So instead, I became a dietitian for the Jacksonville Florida Zoo. While there, I discovered the local community theater, where I volunteered backstage building sets and running props. I learned about design and went to work for several different high end furniture and cabinet shops. By 1989, I started my own furniture business, but I've since moved towards sculpture."

-Craig Kassan

Craig dreamed up the idea for this piece, called "Eclipse," during an airplane flight. After attending a national wood turning symposium in 2008, Craig's job sent him to Salt Lake City. "While on that flight, I became intrigued with the patterns created by plots of land and crop circles from the farms below. By the time the plane landed, I had two pages of sketches, as well as the concept of how to make everything possible. This sculptural work resulted from those inspirations."

"Eclipse" can be seen in our latest exhibition, Branching Out: Works in Wood from North Carolina. Craig used cherry wood to create this piece. Cherry is often grown in Eastern North America. When the wood is first cut, it appears a light pinkish brown, then over time, with exposure to light and oxygen, it darkens to a medium reddish brown.

For more on artist Craig Kassan, visit his website at www.CraigKassan.com. You can also see Craig working in his studio in this video, www.craigkassan.com/video, where he turns a wall sculpture on a rapidly spinning wheel! Check it out!

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Art Lesson w/ Ms. Jennifer: Ancient Egyptian Sarcophagus and Hieroglyphs