Spatial Analysis

ENG 519

Sarah McKone

The Gregg Museum of Art & Design

When the Talley Student Center's staircase ends and its second floor begins, the atmosphere is

immediately more reserved than the student-sweated space below. The abnormally high walls help to

dissipate noise and create a library-like peacefulness. One corner of this floor is noticeably brighter and

seems to send an invitation, as the contrasting wall material is made of glass that allows—almost asks

—visitors to peer inside. A welcoming, well lit sign reading “Gregg Museum of Art & Design” sits

high above two large, open doors. Currently on display in the Engineering and University Foundations

Gallery of the museum is “With Lathe and Chisel: North Carolina Wood Turners and Carvers.” This

exhibition encourages visitors, both public university-related, to engage in pensive reflection by

establishing a knowledge-based, interactive relationship between the visitor and the art.

The art displayed in With Lathe and Chisel includes pieces from the North Carolina Wood

Turners and Carvers group and Gregg Museum's permanent collection. The smaller- and regular- sized

pieces are displayed on shelves and in tall cases, while larger pieces sit upon short pedestals on the

floor. Some are inside protective glass boxes while others are displayed openly. Within grouped

collections are often multiple, similar items; however, what makes these objects similar varies. Some

more unique collections are organized by artist, as is Jim Duxbury's set of wooden cowboy hats and

Ray Jones' collection made entirely with the wood of trees blown down by Hurricane Wilma. More

commonly, though, pieces are organized by type. One group of bowls includes pieces like “Scalloped
Edge Bowl” by Charles Farrar and “Textured Bowl” by Patricia W. Lloyd. This type of organization

affords a compare and contrast analysis between pieces. If all were organized by artist, the striking

difference between Farrar's delicate bowl with a beautiful, flowing edge, and Lloyd's thicker, striking

piece would not be as clear to the viewer. This conscious choice to classify most items so that

differences are highlighted allows the collection to “teach” the viewer something about the art of wood

making; mainly, that with skilled hands, vast possibilities live within what novices might believe to be

harsh, stubborn wood, and what wood carvers know to be a vibrant, manipulate-able material.

On most of the placards is the artist's name, material (ex. Pecan hardwood), function (ex. Large

Ogee profile bowl), year made, the donor's name, and the year donated. These labels suggest to the

viewer that the material is important to the art of wood making. Also, it shows that the Gregg Museum

values both the artist's contribution, as his or her name is displayed first, and the donor's contribution,

as their name is (sometimes, probably by choice of the donor) displayed along with the name of that

collection or the year the gift was given. These labels show that the museum expects a variety of

identities to be exploring the space, from students who are learning about wood carving who expect to

be shown the importance and variety of material used, to outside visitors who may need all of this

information in order to understand a type of art with which they are only just becoming familiar, to

donors who deserved to be thanked for their contribution by recognition. “Please Do NOT Touch”

labels are also prevalent in the space. Importantly, though, all of the objects are displayed at or below

eye level,as many of the objects are bowl-shaped and have intricate designs both inside and out. Thus,

visitors are encouraged to interact with the pieces through many views, but asked kindly not to interact

through touch.

Upon entering With Lathe and Chisel, visitors stand before a large, rectangular-shaped, open

room. While there is no reinforced path, the exhibition encourages viewers to walk in a loop around the

rectangular space. Within the layout is a partition that divides the last fourth of the space into a separate

area. That layout encourages visitors to navigate along the long wall that stretches from the entrance
first, and then return to the front (and the only exit) by walking along the opposite wall. This allows

visitors to easily view all items in the gallery and to have some interaction with the art before reaching

the back area. Importantly, information displayed behind the partition is educational; it has equipment

and instructions from Wood Maker Frank Penta, and its value relies on the viewer's previous

experience with the art. By viewing pieces on display before reaching the partition visitors experience

an educational interaction, as the exhibition not only shows pieces of fine wood making but also helps

the viewer learn about the wood making process.

The quiet, vast space is enacted through the high ceilings, bright track lighting, and easy-to-

observe pieces. A bench in the center of the quiet room encourages reflection. The affect is calming, as

visitors are encouraged to take their time while exploring. Overall, visitors are encouraged to

experience many types of wood making art and to compare and contrast pieces that are organized into

similar groupings; also, they are invited to look at the work from many points of view, and to view it

not only aesthetically but also from an educational perspective. The element of education highlights the

museum's location within NCSU, as the focus of the exhibition is kindred to one of the university's

historically prestigious colleges: Engineering. The combination of these superstructures allows this

exhibition at Gregg Museum of Art and Design to be a quiet, exploratory space for many different

identities that encourages interaction between learner and art, whether that learner is a student or a

member of the general public who is simply interested in learning more about the art of wood making,

and whether that visitor would simply like to view the art or to learn more about the process behind its

creation.