David R. Guenette

       ARCH ART

Arch Art, Qu’est-ce que c’est?

When in doubt, speak French, I’ve always said. And as a mid-life change, for me the work of Arch Art is hard to explain.

I’ve carried around a lot of art projects ideas for many years, but except for occasionally, I didn’t do much with these concepts for many years. Finally, in 1997, partly as an antidote to 60 hours weeks as a magazine editor-in-chief, I hooked up with Mudflat  and got my hands back into clay.

From the start, I was making ceramic arches with the goal of making wood and ceramic things that, for lack of a better term, I still tend to call “art lamps.” Working from rough sketches, I made the arches first, and then figured out the rest of a piece. The activity was in large part a matter of solving spatial relations problems, as well as figuring out techniques. Fortunately, I had some experience working with wood, both as a carpenter in my earlier years, and as a house renovator for our home, to the extent that all exterior and interior walls (except for one wall in the living room) are new, down to studs, wiring, etc.

In 1999, I got a studio space in Somerville, a 15-minute walk from my house in Cambridge, and became an associate member of Mudflat, and began working more and more on the art, at least when the lack or slowness of my professional contracts allowed. My efforts now focus more on assemblage constructions—yes, I think of Joseph Cornell as a god—even while I continue to explore the mixing of utility and aesthetic. I often feel like a Ginzu Knife commercial when talking about my art work. I can almost hear myself say, “…But wait! There’s more! It’s also a lamp! Now how much would you pay?!”

And, of course, Arch Art is an experiment in the commerce side of art. Got an opinion? Let me know.  And, of course, you can always participate in this experiment by taking any of the following actions:

Buy Arch Art Work 

Okay, so the balance between art and commerce can be a difficult one. Hardwoods are expensive, studio space ain’t cheap, and besides, how can I afford that Chrysler LHS I’ve had my eye on, if you don’t give me money? And, frankly, I don’t have all that much room to store the things I make, and I really want to find good homes for them.

Contact me about a purchase you’d like to make.

Commission an Arch Art Work 

You like what you see, but you not seeing exactly what you’d like. So, commission a new work, why don’t you? I’m especially interested in getting commissions for three types of work:

1. Edited art collages and Momento Mori/Viva furniture and pieces 

2. Light panels and other slide display furniture 

3. Custom furniture and architectural lighting fixtures

Contact me about a commission you’d like to me to create.

Arch Art Lamps

I’ve been developing various lines of “art lamps”—for lack of a better term for these one-of-a-kind mixes of wood, ceramic, and lighting—and I’m exploring wholesale channels for these lines that include wall sconces, slide displays, and end table and desk lamps. If you’re a wholesaler, owner or buyer for your craft gallery, or simply interested, contact me to get more information about these lines.

Arch Art Wall Vases

My slab- and hand-built ceramic wall vases are fun for me to make, make for great gifts, and carry a low price point. Contact me —especially if you’re a wholesaler or manager/owner of a craft gallery—to get more information about this gift line.

Assemblage Art

Assemblage Title Index

Assemblage Thumbnail Index

Reviews and News

Commissions

Light Panels & Slide Displays

Memento Mori/Viva

Custom Furniture, Etc.

Lamps, Etc.

Art Lamps  Sconces Wall Vases

Assemblage Thumbnail Index

Assemblage Title Index

Image poems for the concrete world.  Copyright © David R. Guenette    guenette@comcast.net

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