The American Studio Woodturning Movement can be traced back through diverse international movements and schools of thought, including Arts and Crafts,

Mingei The concept of , variously translated into English as " folk craft", "folk art" or "popular art", was developed from the mid-1920s in Japan by a philosopher and aesthete, Yanagi Sōetsu (1889–1961), together with a group of craftsmen, including ...

Bauhaus The Staatliches Bauhaus (), commonly known as the Bauhaus (), was a German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined crafts and the fine arts.Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 4th edn., 20 ...

and

Scandinavian Design Scandinavian design is a design movement characterized by simplicity, minimalism and functionality that emerged in the early 20th century, and subsequently flourished in the 1950s throughout the five Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Norway, ...

.The Cutting Edge: Contemporary Wood Art and the Lipton Collection, Kevin Wallace, Fine Arts Press, 2011 The field was born when a number of individuals, working in different parts of the United States, began to explore design and aesthetics utilizing the ancient process of

woodturning Woodturning is the craft of using a wood lathe with hand-held tools to cut a shape that is symmetrical around the axis of rotation. Like the potter's wheel, the wood lathe is a simple mechanism that can generate a variety of forms. The operator ...

.Contemporary Turned Wood: New Perspectives in a Rich Tradition, Ray Leier, Jan Peters and Kevin Wallace, Hand Book Press, 1999

James Prestini James Libero Prestini (January 13, 1908 – July 26, 1993) was an American sculptor, designer and woodworker. Early life and education He was born on January 13, 1908, in Waterford, Connecticut. He graduated as a mechanical engineer from Yale ...

was the first of these individuals to come to the public's attention with an exhibition at the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

in 1949 that featured sculpture, as well as bowls that had more in common with historical approaches to ceramics and glass than work in wood. Others who are credited with pioneering this approach are Mel Lindquist, Ed Moulthrop, Rude Osolnik,

Dale Nish Dale or dales may refer to: Locations * Dale (landform), an open valley * Dale (place name element) Geography ;Australia *The Dales (Christmas Island), in the Indian Ocean ;Canada *Dale, Ontario ;Ethiopia *Dale (woreda), district ;Norway *Da ...

and

Bob Stocksdale Bob Stocksdale (1913 January 6, 2003) was an American woodturner, known for his bowls formed from rare and exotic woods. He was raised on his family farm and enjoyed working with tools. His wife of more than 30 years, Kay Sekimachi, stated tha ...

.American Style, Volume 9, Number 1, Fall 2002 In the 1970s, in concert with the Back-to-the-land Movement and Studio Craft Movement, a new generation of individuals entered the field, including

David Ellsworth David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

Giles Gilson Giles may refer to: People * Giles (given name), male given name (Latin: ''Aegidius'') * Giles (surname), family name * Saint Giles (650–710), 7th–8th-century Christian hermit saint * Giles of Assisi, Aegidius of Assisi, 13th-century compa ...

Stephen Hogbin Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...

William Hunter (sculptor) William Hunter may refer to: Politicians U.S. politicians * William Hunter (Vermont politician) (1754–1827), U.S. Representative from Vermont * William Hunter (senator) (1774–1849), U.S. Senator from Rhode Island * William H. Hunter (died ...

and

Mark Lindquist Mark Lindquist (born 1949) is an American sculptor in wood, artist, author, and photographer. Lindquist is a major figure in the redirection and resurgence of woodturning in the United States beginning in the early 1970s. His communication of his ...

. In 1986, the

American Association of Woodturners The American Association of Woodturners (AAW) is the principal organization in the United States supporting the art and craft of woodturning. It is sometimes stylized as American Association of Wood Turners (AAW). Established in 1986 and headquart ...

was formed to serve the growing amateur and professionals in this burgeoning movement. Canadian artists

and

Michael Hosaluk Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...

were central to the growth of the international woodturning movement as artists and educators, inspiring individuals in the United Kingdom, Australia, France and Germany to explore their own traditions in light of this new movement. Today, the leading figures in the field are international, while the amateur movement continues to grow.

References

{{Reflist Woodturning American art movements