Popular Woodworking 2009-12 № 180, страница 29

Tames Krenov, 1920-2009

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A woodworking teacher and writer whose influence will live on.

here is a short list of woodworkers whose work defines a style and is recognizable at first glance. Those on it have undeniably influenced other woodworkers, shaped our culture and molded our tastes. James Krenov is on that list.

Jim (everyone called him "Jim" or "JK"), who died Sept. 9, 2009, in Fort Bragg, Calif., was born in Wellen, Siberia in 1920. He moved to Shanghai as a child before emigrating with his family to Alaska. The Krenovs later moved to Seattle where Jim built and refurbished yachts at Jensen Motorboat, later serving as a Russian Language Interpreter for the Lend-Lease Program before and during WWII.

Then he moved again, this time to Europe where Jim began to build architectural models. He met his future bride, Britta, in Paris; they were married in 1951. He attended the Malmsten School in Stockholm for two years before striking out on his own, gradually

BY RON HOCK

building a reputation for innovative design. Following the publication of his first book, "A Cabinetmaker's Notebook," Jim began teaching woodworking at schools around the world. His influence as an artisan with a viewpoint and passion reached far beyond his classrooms and his own shop.

During my art school years, a frequent topic of discussion regarded the essential difference between art and craft. Through the years I've adopted a simple criterion in my ongoing effort to understand the issues: Craft needs to be functional; art does not.

A chair, no matter how "artful" the design, must perform a certain, familiar function: It must be strong enough for an average person to sit in and comfortable enough to want to. If the "art" part of the chair's design takes it outside those simple parameters, it may not be a chair anymore. It may be sculpture (art). Art expresses aesthetic elements without concern for function. Craft must

include consideration for the utilitarian function of the object: one we can sit on, cover our bed with, or display our treasures in. Memorable craft-works combine exceptional aesthetic design with both hand and engineering skills - skills that do not necessarily constrain the artist. Craft is at its most memorable when it blends aesthetics with the physical, utilitarian demands of the object being crafted.

So it is with the works of Jim Krenov. His iconic cabinets embody a rare synergy of art and craft - genuine artistic brilliance executed with flawless craftsmanship. At the very first glance, Jim's work is striking and recognizable on purely aesthetic terms. His proportions always satisfy; the materials draw the eye; his passion for the wood is obvious. On closer examination, the fit and finish, attention to detail and flawless construction all combine to further enhance the experience. The wood itself is the domi

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Popular Woodworking December 2009

LEAD PHOTO BY SAM HOCK; CABINET PHOTO BY DAVID WELTER