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the accidental collector
Time Dances Slowly
Jack Larimore |
by Ken Butera and Karol M. Wasylyshyn
A new romance, a new home, the discovery of a shared aesthetic,
the wish to create an urban haven full of comfort, texture, originality,
and fun – these were all factors in the beginning of our “collectors’” journey
ten years ago. Serendipity played a part, too. Living in Philadelphia
placed us among some of the finest American furniture makers and
other craftsmen, and the annual Philadelphia Craft Show and the
Philadelphia Furniture & Furnishings Show gave us intense bursts
of exposure to both the work we sought and to the makers with whom
we would have a number of spectacular collaborations.
Entering our first Philadelphia Craft Show
together in 1989, our approach was pragmatic; we needed to furnish
the foyer, living room and master bedroom of our new home. A
contemporary townhouse full of light and space and semi-elliptical
curves, we knew it would present craft pieces in a natural, elegant
way. We also thought this space would embrace off-beat furniture
choices that, in turn, would punctuate the ambiance we wanted
to create.
It was at the 1989 show that we met Bob Ingram
and Kathy Halton, whose exhibit included their “Cygnet Bench” – a
perfect piece for our foyer. Soon afterwards, we visited their
studio where we were captivated by two pieces – the etched
glass and painted wood “Liebling” table and a queen-sized
bed, “Sweet Dreams,” gorgeously painted and carved.
At the same show, we met Tom Stender of Boston,
NY, who was exhibiting two pieces that also captivated us – a
six-foot cherry wood cabinet, “Kimona,” all curves
and drama; and an extraordinary desk chair, “Caneluna,” its
back legs reminiscent of most dogs we’d known and a crowning
back piece in the shape of a crescent moon.
In the early ‘90s, we began to work with
Jack Larimore, an extraordinary furniture maker who won the Wharton
Esherick Excellence in Wood Award at the 1995 Philadelphia Craft
Show. We first purchased three of his “China Gothic” chairs,
two covered in an exquisite charcoal grey mohair for the living
room, and one in a lively print for the master bedroom. We commissioned
Jack to complete the living room with an undulating couch and
settee pieces that, in combination with the “China Gothics,” enabled
us to seat guests comfortably around the hors d’oeuvres.
Other Larimore pieces include a whimsical three-legged objet, “Tea
for Three at Tetra,” and a five-foot high organic creature
that functions as a jewel box, “Time Dances Slowly.” Too
incredible to be relegated to a hidden closet or bedroom space, “Time...” lives
in the dining room where it often elicits the question, “It
really serves a purpose?”
We met Don Green, another Philadelphia furniture
maker, after seeing a remarkable wall cabinet of his exhibited
at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in the mid ‘90s.
After purchasing this elliptical piece, we met and commissioned
a dining room sideboard that incorporated Italian green marble,
cherry wood, and Don’s distinctive milk paint, sculpted
legs and hardware. One Christmas, an angel brought Don’s
six-foot wood and glass china cabinet to our kitchen. It works
well with Josh Markel’s “Wave” coffee table. The
next Christmas, another Don Green elliptical cabinet with a mirror
found its way into the master bedroom.
Wave Table
Josh Markel |
Cygnet Bench
Kathy Halton and Bob Ingram
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We have surprised and delighted each other
at birthdays, and anniversaries as well, with pieces large and
small – each one treasured and loved for both the craftsmanship
and permanence. We often reminisce about the circumstances of
each acquisition. Every phase of our accidental collecting rewards,
but always it is the identification of the pieces with the people
who created them that resonates most. Our collecting has been,
and is, intimate, visceral, neighborly. These gifted neighbors
surround and charm us daily. In addition to those already mentioned,
we see an exterior light designed and installed by Ray King;
the whimsical paintings by Neil Stifel in triptychs and other
shapes; the fine clay pieces of Jill Bonovitz; the distinctive
jewelry of Susan Jo Kline; the sculptures and lamps by Michael
Biello and Warren Müller respectively; Brower Hatcher’s “Star
Man” sculpture; the phenomenal wall treatments and embellishments
of Barry Marron and Anthony Cassanto.
We may be collectors, but it feels more like
lovers… of how these craftsmen have enriched our lives.
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