Debora Muhl
biography |
portfolio | artists listing
b. 1957, Doylestown, Pennsylvania
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
Allentown Art Museum, Allentown, PA
Fuller Museum of Art, Brockton, MA
Mint Museum of Craft + Design, Charlotte, NC
Museum of Decorative Arts, Paris, France
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2008 Fiber Arts Explored I, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
6th International Fiber Biennial, Snyderman-Works Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2007 Beyond the Basket, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
The Tactile Palette, Wired Gallery, Bethlehem, PA
Rhythmic Coils: Sweetgrass Basketry by Debora Muhl, Allentown Art Museum,
Allentown, PA
The Art of Basketry, The Fine Craft Center, Highlands, NC
Mysteries Contained: Contemporary Sculptural Baskets, Craft Alliance, St. Louis, MO
A Survey of Baskets Today, Peter’s Valley Craft Center, Layton, NJ
2006 Basket Invitational, Snyderman-Works Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
The Woven Image, Toad Hall Gallery, Hamilton, NJ
The Rhythm Of Light, Pearl Art Gallery, Stone Ridge, NY
Stitches, Dahlia Gallery Newton Centre, MA
American Craft Exposition, Evanston, IL
Craft Boston: Circa Now, Museum Purchase Award, Fuller Museum of Art, Boston, MA
2005-06 Debora Muhl: Sweet Grass, The Philadelphia International Airport
2005 Lyrical Coils and Ethereal Webs, Pearl Art Gallery, Stone Ridge, NY
2004-05 Crafts America, West Palm Beach, FL
Selected Works, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2004 Solo Exhibition, The Schumo Gallery, Kehs Hall Fine Art Center, Perkiomen School,
Pennsburg, PA
Celebrating Nature: Craft Traditions/Contemporary Expressions, Craft & Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA
2003 Baskets Now, National Basketry Organization, Yeiser Art Center, Paducah, KY
2002-03 Craft Boston: Circa Now, Museum Purchase Award, Fuller Museum of Art, Boston, MA
2001 Hot Tea! del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2000-03 Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art Exposition, Chicago, IL
2000-01 Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art Exposition, New York, NY
2000 Materials: Hard & Soft, Greater Denton Arts Council, Denton, TX
Sculpture & Fine Crafts, St. Louis Artists’ Guild, St. Louis, MI
The Blue Show, Interfiber Arts Collective, Ann Arbor, MI
1999 Baskets, Beads & Bags, Reston Arts Center, Reston, VA
1998-06 Contemporary Baskets, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2006 Crafts Business Magazine, Cover Image, Jan/Feb
US Airways Magazine, "Art on the Fly", January
Crafts Report Magazine, March
Mowry Kieffer, Susan, 500 Baskets,, Lark Books, Sterling Publication, New York, NY
2005 Wallace, Kevin, Shuttle, Spindle & Dyepot, "The New Sculpture”, spring
2004 FiberArts, November/December
Mowery Keiffer, Susan, Fiberarts Design Book 7, Lark Books, Sterling Publication,
Asheville, NC
2003 Mai Peterson, Dyan, The Decorated Gourd, Sterling Publication
Delta Sky, March
2002 CraftArts International, April, Issue #54
2001 Ateliers d'Art de France, March/April
2000 Leier, Peters & Wallace, Baskets: Tradition and Beyond, Guild Publishing, Madison, WI
1998 Widess & Summit, The Complete Book of Gourd Art, Sterling Publication
1997 Shuttle, Spindle & Dyepot, Vol XXVIII, N0.4, Issue #112, fall, Published by the
Handweavers Guild of America
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
Music was my first passion. It gave me a vehicle for expressing deep feelings and taught me the necessity of bringing discipline and clarity of vision to my work. Sculptural coiling allows me to create a kind of visual metaphor for the music of my life.
In my work, I challenge the boundaries of traditional coiling. I began traditional, symmetrical basketry, polished my technique, and then decided that this unique material, sweet grass needed to be presented in an honorable way. My first sculptural work started on irregular cut out segments of gourd. This approach taught me that I could wrap the coil of grass and then have stability to move it from the body of the basket. The discovery was enlightening and I realized that I could create my own style with this unique material. This was something that I yearned for from the beginning of my earliest work. Since then, I have moved beyond the gourd into more architectural forms where I am bending the coil at angles. I want the work to have a different view on every side, sculptures that that you can look through and see movement inside, or outside. This current body of work is a reflection of both of these approaches.
In 2005, I met glass artist, David Licata. We have been working in collaboration for these past few years. The experience of working on glass at first was intimidating, but I have found that I enjoy the challenge. Starting on something that is a mini-sculpture has taken my work to another level of deconstruction. The chore is to find a balance with the glass in the design as well as in the construction. This new phase of work is apparent in my newest solo work, once again reminding me that there is much more to explore with this technique.
It is my intent to create work that speaks to the unique qualities, history and sacred value of sweet grass. I hope that I have honored it well.
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
Allentown Art Museum, Allentown, PA
Fuller Museum of Art, Brockton, MA
Mint Museum of Craft + Design, Charlotte, NC
Museum of Decorative Arts, Paris, France
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2008 Fiber Arts Explored I, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
6th International Fiber Biennial, Snyderman-Works Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2007 Beyond the Basket, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
The Tactile Palette, Wired Gallery, Bethlehem, PA
Rhythmic Coils: Sweetgrass Basketry by Debora Muhl, Allentown Art Museum,
Allentown, PA
The Art of Basketry, The Fine Craft Center, Highlands, NC
Mysteries Contained: Contemporary Sculptural Baskets, Craft Alliance, St. Louis, MO
A Survey of Baskets Today, Peter’s Valley Craft Center, Layton, NJ
2006 Basket Invitational, Snyderman-Works Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
The Woven Image, Toad Hall Gallery, Hamilton, NJ
The Rhythm Of Light, Pearl Art Gallery, Stone Ridge, NY
Stitches, Dahlia Gallery Newton Centre, MA
American Craft Exposition, Evanston, IL
Craft Boston: Circa Now, Museum Purchase Award, Fuller Museum of Art, Boston, MA
2005-06 Debora Muhl: Sweet Grass, The Philadelphia International Airport
2005 Lyrical Coils and Ethereal Webs, Pearl Art Gallery, Stone Ridge, NY
2004-05 Crafts America, West Palm Beach, FL
Selected Works, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2004 Solo Exhibition, The Schumo Gallery, Kehs Hall Fine Art Center, Perkiomen School,
Pennsburg, PA
Celebrating Nature: Craft Traditions/Contemporary Expressions, Craft & Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA
2003 Baskets Now, National Basketry Organization, Yeiser Art Center, Paducah, KY
2002-03 Craft Boston: Circa Now, Museum Purchase Award, Fuller Museum of Art, Boston, MA
2001 Hot Tea! del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2000-03 Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art Exposition, Chicago, IL
2000-01 Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art Exposition, New York, NY
2000 Materials: Hard & Soft, Greater Denton Arts Council, Denton, TX
Sculpture & Fine Crafts, St. Louis Artists’ Guild, St. Louis, MI
The Blue Show, Interfiber Arts Collective, Ann Arbor, MI
1999 Baskets, Beads & Bags, Reston Arts Center, Reston, VA
1998-06 Contemporary Baskets, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2006 Crafts Business Magazine, Cover Image, Jan/Feb
US Airways Magazine, "Art on the Fly", January
Crafts Report Magazine, March
Mowry Kieffer, Susan, 500 Baskets,, Lark Books, Sterling Publication, New York, NY
2005 Wallace, Kevin, Shuttle, Spindle & Dyepot, "The New Sculpture”, spring
2004 FiberArts, November/December
Mowery Keiffer, Susan, Fiberarts Design Book 7, Lark Books, Sterling Publication,
Asheville, NC
2003 Mai Peterson, Dyan, The Decorated Gourd, Sterling Publication
Delta Sky, March
2002 CraftArts International, April, Issue #54
2001 Ateliers d'Art de France, March/April
2000 Leier, Peters & Wallace, Baskets: Tradition and Beyond, Guild Publishing, Madison, WI
1998 Widess & Summit, The Complete Book of Gourd Art, Sterling Publication
1997 Shuttle, Spindle & Dyepot, Vol XXVIII, N0.4, Issue #112, fall, Published by the
Handweavers Guild of America
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
Music was my first passion. It gave me a vehicle for expressing deep feelings and taught me the necessity of bringing discipline and clarity of vision to my work. Sculptural coiling allows me to create a kind of visual metaphor for the music of my life.
In my work, I challenge the boundaries of traditional coiling. I began traditional, symmetrical basketry, polished my technique, and then decided that this unique material, sweet grass needed to be presented in an honorable way. My first sculptural work started on irregular cut out segments of gourd. This approach taught me that I could wrap the coil of grass and then have stability to move it from the body of the basket. The discovery was enlightening and I realized that I could create my own style with this unique material. This was something that I yearned for from the beginning of my earliest work. Since then, I have moved beyond the gourd into more architectural forms where I am bending the coil at angles. I want the work to have a different view on every side, sculptures that that you can look through and see movement inside, or outside. This current body of work is a reflection of both of these approaches.
In 2005, I met glass artist, David Licata. We have been working in collaboration for these past few years. The experience of working on glass at first was intimidating, but I have found that I enjoy the challenge. Starting on something that is a mini-sculpture has taken my work to another level of deconstruction. The chore is to find a balance with the glass in the design as well as in the construction. This new phase of work is apparent in my newest solo work, once again reminding me that there is much more to explore with this technique.
It is my intent to create work that speaks to the unique qualities, history and sacred value of sweet grass. I hope that I have honored it well.