Marquetry in America

Marquetry in the United States has not reached the popularity nor the fervor that it has attained in Europe, particularly in England and France. One reason is that Americans are preoccupied with two things: technology and making money. Sometimes these go hand in hand. The handcrafts that were brought over from the old world are beginning to fade from the repertoire of a new generation of craftsmen. It is possible to learn marquetry, but at a price. Those that teach marquetry do so as a living or to supplement their income and that is the only reason they do it. Advancing marquetry might be in the back of their mind, but it is not their forte and they are less concerned with elevating the craft than making their free time profitable. You can not serve two masters. This begs the question – are we advancing marquetry by charging double and triple digit fees to learn this craft or is this exclusively an exercise in free enterprise. In England there are lots of marquetry clubs while in America only a handful exist. British marquetry clubs gather as a group and assemble in halls filled with tables. Men and women practice their marquetry during these meetings with the more experienced members helping those in need of instruction and all this without a fee. It is a beautiful sight. This is the way to advance marquetry, but it is not the American way. I will be teaching a free class this Fall on the “Basics of Marquetry” prior to the October meeting of the Lakeland Marquetry Club. It is my goal to make marquetry accessible to anyone with a desire and no expensive tools or special skills are needed. At a recent Woodworking Show our club signed up over seventy people who had an interest in learning marquetry. This was a class given by one of our members at a cost of over $100.00. In the end only a handful actually took the class. Talk about missed opportunities. What we need in America are instructors of marquetry truely interested in preserving and advancing the craft.

Marquetry Patterns

For those that came here by a link on my website, this blog is replacing my News page. Others can find my home page by the link on the left. I hope to provide more content by moving that page here which I can update more easily and more often.

It is hard, if not impossible, to find marquetry patterns on the internet. There are a few available at a cost. This can be a hinderance to those just starting out. It seems most people are reluctant to share their patterns with others, I suspect, because they feel it is an infringement on their artistic license. To those that need a little help in getting started I have four pattern that can be downloaded for free. They do not contain a veneer-key so a little imagination is useful. All four are in one pdf file with a link on the left. Also, I've had some marquetarians inquire about veneer keys for some of the old marquetry patterns that are still circulating. These are used to decode the numbers on the pattern that correspond to the specie of wood used. Marquetry suppliers such as Art-Veneers Co. Ltd. and H. G. Wild Co. used this system to promote their veneers. Included with this is a list of common veneers used in marquetry and the effects acheived with their use. In all a very handy reference for those old patterns.

Preserving Marquetry

In recent years there has been an attempt to pass works of mixed media off as marquetry. First, let me define mixed media as an object that combines several mediums to produce a whole. It can be said that it's counterpart in the last century was that of tramp art. That is not to say it is art, but more of a curosity for collectors. Just because something is displayed in a gallery or someone collects it hardly qualifies it as art. Originality is an idea, not an object. Many art galleries display mixed media next to collectibles and this helps blur any distinctiveness which in turn increases the bottom line. I've heard people say that "if it looks like art it must be art". They are wrong and all they need is an education in real art!

Marquetry is marquetry and mixed media is just that. The following hypothesis will illustrate the point. If an object is crafted using ink, fabric, paint, gems and inlaid wood is this then marquetry, a painting, applique or what? None of the above and most likely mixed media. If a bottle of wine has 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 70% Merlot is it the former or the latter? Neither, as it is a Varietal wine which is classified on its own merits. It must be remembered that Andre Jacob Roubo in his L'art du Menuisier in 1774 said marquetry was "painting in wood" not painting on wood or any other such technique. Marquetry has been defined by the ancients who have gone before us and the desire to broaden its scope is not possible.

Marquetry as a craft needs to be elevated to the status of art. True connoisseurs of art already recognize this to some degree. The real detriment to the advancement of marquetry as an art are the purveyors of mixed media. Those that adulterate marquetry to suit their own needs are misguided into believing they are creating something new, even avant-garde, in the hopes of becoming the next Andy Warhol or Georgia O'Keeffe. I have nothing against becoming famous, but not by debasing marquetry. Only God can create something from nothing. Man must destroy in order to make anything. I know a few people who work in various mediums other than marquetry and very few if any create works-of-art. Most can be categorized as Objets de curiosité. Mixed media makes for a good conversation vehicle, but it's called mixed-media for a reason. Lets not litter our museums with articles devoid of any taste, character or style.