Bowl, turned Morrocan thuya burl, fibreglass, textile, Bob Stocksdale, Garry Knox Bennett, United States, 1987

Small turned bowl of Morrocan thuya burl, with a 'patch' added later in fibreglass and fabric. The patch was added to cover a small section of broken wood on the bowl's upper edge. It is made from a rectangle of coloured tartan fabric, cut out of a shirt. This fabric was first laminated over a curved piece of fibreglass. Its outer faces were then encased in another piece of fibreglass to make the patch stiff, and to protect the fabric from damage. The patch was attached to the bowl by drilling a series of holes around the edge of the damaged section, then stitching it into place. The stitching is visible on both the outside and inside of the bowl. On the upper inside edge of the bowl, the extent of the broken section can be seen behind the patch.

Given by Garry Knox Bennett and Sylvia Bennett

This bowl was made by the American woodturner Bob Stocksdale, in 1987. After being bought by a private collector, the bowl was inadvertently broken along its upper edge, and the fragment discarded. The collector then gave the bowl to Garry Knox Bennett, an American studio craft designer. After writing to Stocksdale to check that he was happy with the proposed repair, Bennett responded by 'patching' the area of damage - in the same way as one might do with a torn piece of clothing. Bennett patched the break using a section cut from a bright tartan shirt that he had bought in a used clothing store. He chose the shirt because it was of the same approximate date as the bowl. This piece of fabric was first encased in fibreglass, then stitched onto the upper edge of the bowl.

This 'patched' bowl is a beautifully-crafted example of postmodern DIY. The bowl was made in 1987 by Bob Stocksdale, one of America's leading postwar turners. After being accidently broken along its upper edge, the bowl was given to the studio craft designer Garry Knox Bennett. In conversation with Stocksdale, Bennett proposed a repair to the bowl in which he would 'patch' the broken section using a piece of brightly-coloured tartan, encased in fibreglass. The patch was carefully stitched on to the outside of the bowl to create an unexpected but joyous juxtaposition of materials and techniques.

W.37-2011