Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
Page 25
Page 26
Page 27
4SmokeSignalsHIGHNOONWesternAmericanAntiquesoftheFutureFromaCultureofMassManufacturingByJayneSkeffAsweseemtobefirmlyentrenchednowinthe21stcenturywith2014justaroundthecornerandwiththestandarddefinitionofantiquebeingsomething100yearsorolderweneedtobeseriouslylookingatwhatfromacenturyofmassmanufacturingwillbeconsideredantiquesWehavebeensospoiledforlackofabetterwordbybeingabletocollectantiquesknowingtheyweremadeone-at-a-timebycraftsmenwhoseworksustainedthetestoftimeanddesign.Nowwhileitislikelythatalargenumberofuswontbearoundtoseewhatqualifiesasanantiquein2075withourknowledgeandappreciationofqualityincraftsmanshipanddesignweplayapivotalroleininfluencingyoungercollectorstohelpensurethattheyunderstandthatantiquedoesntonlymeanold.Avisualcomestomindthedateis2089anditsthe100thAnnualHighNoonWesternAmericanaShowandAuction.LindaandJosephSherwoodarewatchingfromtheirdistantcelestialseatsasapairofredandbluecowboybootsboughtatWalmartin1985hitstheblocksellingforarecord.TheycantbeartowatchthisandtoaddinsulttoinjurySamWaltonhoversinthedistancelettingoutahugewhoop.IsthiswhatwerelookingatMass-manufacturedcraptakingcenterstagewithrecorddollarsSeewherethiscouldgoYIKESThishastostopnowbeforeitgetstothispoint.ItsnomysterythatthegeneralAmericanmarkethaslostitsappreciationfortruecraftsmanshipanddesignerringonthesideofmassconsumptionforlesserdollarsbutletsbeassuredtheseantiquesdonotmake.ThatbookcasefromIKEAprobablyhasahalf-lifeof1000yearsoldbutolddoesntnecessarilymeangood.Onthepositivesidefineartisabletostandasidefromthisimpendingdebaclewithboth20thand21stcenturyartistsalreadybeingrecognizedasmasters.Butitstheothercraftsandtradesthatareinafrighteningposition.IfanyonehaseverbeentotheCooper-HewittNationalDesignMuseuminNewYorkaspecialbranchoftheSmithsonianyoubreatheasmallsighofreliefthatthereareinstitutionsandorganizationsouttherethatgettheproblem.TheCooper-Hewitthastakenastrongroleineducatingwhatwillbetheantiquesoftomorrow.NoitsprobablynotgoingtobethoseWalmartbootsthatleatherjacketfromMacysorthatIKEAbookcasebutmassmanufacturedproductswillplayasubstantialroleinthispicture.AsaruleofthumbfacedwiththeinevitablewhenlookingatwhattocollectfromanageofmassmanufacturingtheyadviseFromallitemsthatweremassedchoosethosethatareoutofproductionandMiloMarks