The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) in Manhattan will be running an exhibition titled “Against the Grain: Wood in Contemporary Art, Craft and Design” (March 19 to Sep 15, 2013), which looks at some of the most progressive conceptual and technical trends in woodworking today. Part of MAD’s Materials & Process series, the exhibition includes works by Sarah Oppenheimer, Martin Puryear, Marc Andre Robinson and Alison Elizabeth Taylor. Other than that, there will be new installations, sculptures and furniture by Ai Weiwei, Maarten Baas, Sebastian Errazuriz, Mark Moskovitz, Ursula von Rydingsvard and other renowned artists and designers.
The exhibition focuses on the way artists, designers, and craftsmen have used post-modernist approaches and strategies for woodworking. While many of the participating artists and designers have used wood’s natural state, others combine different wood elements to create noticeably new visual forms. The highlights from the Against the Grain: Wood in Contemporary Art, Craft and Design exhibition include Wing Chair by Martin Puryear, architectural intervention by Sarah Oppenheimer, amazing chest of drawers by Mark Moskovitz, installations of illusionistic marquetry by Alison Elizabeth Taylor, cabinet installation by Gary Carsley and a smoked version of a Marc Newson chair by Maarten Baas. The exhibition features 57 artists and designers from across the globe.
