“Prismatic Utopia” essay in ACSQThrilled to announce that my essay Prismatic Utopia is hot off the press and in the most recent issue of ‘America Communal Societies Quarterly (ACSQ). Thanks to Richard W. Couper Press (Hamilton College) for publishing this essay and to their editorial team, and, to all of the scholars, curators, archivists, and fellowships, too. So grateful to all of you! “Prismatic Utopia” brings a threefold exploration into the practical, temporal, and spiritual use of color by the Shaker community, covering the period between 1790 and 1860. |
#Shakers
through November 2nd’anything but drab’ on view (4 more days) thru Sunday Nov 2Fruitlands Museum,Harvard, MAopen Thursday to Sunday, 10am-4pm big thanks… |
a collection. a surveya collection of yellowsa survey of yellowedswiftschair backspainted pagesdippersbucketsBrethren workshopstair wells and walls& a former Shaker Office building‘anything but drab’… |
chromaticschromatics: relating to or produced by colorvillage maps rendered in vibrant colorsgarments dyed any color of the rainbow..research forming into… |
ROYGBIV“The meaning of a word – to me- is not as exact as the meaning of a color. Colors and… |
encircling chorescolor & circles & spools color encircling chores spindles painted brilliant chrome yellow spools of red and yellow spools twined… |
artist fellowship at Winterthur90,000 artifacts (textiles, ceramics, furniture, ironwork….) 20,000 American & European imprints 3,000 record groups of manuscripts, trade cards, photographs, ephemera… |
community encircledcommunity encircled past & present near & far ‘Hands to work. Hearts to God.’ Shaker mops made from so-called ‘waste’… |
hand heldwool handcarders, niddy noddys, spinning wheel parts and wooden mitten molds. ‘tunnel’ bonnet forms for a sister, wide brimmed brethren… |
reuse & relocateThe Shakers were not shy about retrofitting or changing design to accommodate new needs. This early practice is evidenced by one… |