Marquetry Masters Presenting At 2010 Furniture Society Conference

The 2010 Furniture Society Conference, Fusions: Minds and Hands Shaping Our Future

The conference will convene June 16-19 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. The cultural richness of Boston with its many galleries, museums and educational institutions will greatly enhance the 2010 conference proceedings taking place on the MIT campus.

MIT Stata Center







The 2010 Furniture Society Conference, Fusions: Minds And Hands Shaping Our Future

Fusions is all about the fluid relationships between mind and hand, tool and material, maker and client, technique and theory. In focusing on the theme of fusion—the merging of diverse, distinct elements into a unified whole—the conference will bring together makers and designers, collectors, educators and curators to address the role of furniture in today's society as well as the historical context and future of contemporary furniture.

For complete information go to this link for the Furniture Society website.

For more information about the inlay arts presenters, go to the 'Read more' link:

Three of the presenters have had a particularly profound influence at the nexus of furniture design and marquetry:

JOHN MAKEPEACE

 Furniture maker, designer, educator, forester and instigator of scientific research leading to new technologies for the more efficient use of forest produce in sustainable architecture, John's career has moved on to meet new needs as he has come across them, whilst retaining his primary commitment to furniture design and craftsmanship in wood. A recurring theme in his work arises from his fascination with nature and its constant evolution of elegant forms and structures.

Presentation: Challenging Convention: The Faltering Steps of a Furniture Maker

SILAS KOPF

 Silas Kopf lives in Massachusetts and has been making furniture using marquetry decoration for over 35 years. He is the author of A Marquetry Odyssey. The book is a history of the craft and how those historic objects have influenced his own work.

Presentation: Fusing Past And Present

PAUL SCHÜRCH

 Paul Schürch maintains a shop in Southern CA consulting, designing and building marquetry furniture. His background includes a formal education in Switzerland as a piano and church organ builder, later as a traditional boat builder in England, and then for a marquetry internship in Italy. His work is well published, with articles, books and DVDs behind him. He lectures and gives seminars at venues nationwide, and shown his work in national shows and galleries since 1992.

Presentation: Intuitive Furniture Design