MAN: THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT THE INSPIRATION YOU GET IN YOUR EARLY TEENS THROUGH YOUR EARLY 20s THAT IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT INSPIRATION IN YOUR ARTISTIC LIFE.

WOMAN: LET''’S GET UNDERNEATH THAT NOTCH...

I WAS JUST REALLY YOUNG, AND I HAD TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT HOW TO BE AN ARTIST.

WHICH MEANS THAT YOU''’RE AN ARTIST ALL THE TIME.

YOU''’RE NOT AN ARTIST FROM 9:00 TO 5:00.

SECOND WOMAN: THINKING OF TEXTURE... WE ASK STUDENTS TO BE VERY AWARE OF WHAT IT IS IN THE WORLD THAT GIVES THEM THE IMPULSE TO MAKE.

THIRD WOMAN: THE REASON WHY I WANT TO MAKE VIOLINS IS BECAUSE I WAS TIRED OF MAKING THINGS THAT PEOPLE DIDN''’T APPRECIATE.

SECOND MAN: MOST OF THESE KIDS ARE RECEPTIVE.

THEY''’RE LIKE SPONGES.

THAT''’S WHY I LIKE TO GET THEM WHEN THEY''’RE SPONGY.

ALWAYS CREATIVE, ALWAYS WANTING TO WORK, WORK, WORK, WORK, WORK.

THIRD MAN: THERE MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE FOR A REAL RESURGENCE IN CRAFT.

THERE IS A GREAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LEAVING WORK AT THE END OF THE DAY HAVING MADE SOMETHING AND LEAVING WORK HAVING RETURNED ANY NUMBER OF PHONE CALLS.

WOMAN: IT''’S SORT OF... FOURTH MAN: IT''’S A VERY SPECIAL PROCESS TO TEACH SOMEONE TO MAKE JEWELRY AND THEN HAVE THEM WALK OUT THE DOOR AND WEAR IT.

IT''’S A THRILL.

FOURTH WOMAN: MY BRAIN KEPT HANDING ME THESE IDEAS-- WELL, NOW LET''’S DO THIS.

I SAID, WELL, NO, WE DON''’T HAVE THAT MACHINE ANYMORE.

I''’M ALWAYS TALKING TO MY BRAIN IN THE THIRD PERSON.

MY BRAIN WOULD SAY, OK, WELL, HOW ABOUT THIS?

SO IT TURNED OUT THAT I HAD TO GET THE LASER CUTTER BECAUSE I COULDN''’T GO BACK.

FIFTH WOMAN: CULTURE DOESN''’T REALLY BEG PEOPLE TO PURSUE A CAREER IN THE ARTS.

PEOPLE DON''’T JUST COME BARRELING INTO YOUR STUDIO TO FIND OUT WHAT YOU''’RE DOING.

YOU HAVE TO LET PEOPLE KNOW WHAT YOU''’RE DOING.

WOMAN: THE FOUND OBJECT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO OUR WORK.

IT''’S TELLING A PART OF OUR STORY.

ROBERTA: YOU KNOW, THAT WILL AT LEAST GET US STARTED IN THINKING ABOUT HOW THIS MOTH IS GOING TO RELATE TO THE WAY THAT IT WILL BE WORN AND HOW WE WOULD SEE IT.

WHEN WE BEGIN THINKING ABOUT A PIECE, DAVE AND I SEE THINGS ALMOST IDENTICALLY.

WE''’RE LAYERING AND LAYERING AND LAYERING.

IT''’S LIKE A DANCE, REALLY, OF OUR HANDS, AS WE MANIPULATE THE VOCABULARY THAT WE USE.

THE PART THAT I LOVE SO MUCH IS WHEN WE TAKE OUR FOUND OBJECT, LIKE THIS BEAUTIFUL ANTIQUE MOTH, AND THEN WE SET IT INTO THE POSITION, AND IT''’S LIKE, OH, THAT''’S IT.

THE FOUND OBJECTS THAT WE COLLECT NOT ONLY ARE BOTTLE CAPS AND LITTLE MEMENTOS THAT HUMANS HAVE CREATED, BUT NATURE OFFERS THE MOST BOUNTIFUL COLLECTION.

THE STONES WE FIND, EVEN THE LITTLEST TINY SEED POD MAY BE PART OF A PIECE, AND EVENTUALLY THEY''’LL FIND THEIR WAY INTO ONE OF OUR PIECES.

WE DON''’T BRING ANYTHING INTO OUR ARCHIVE HERE UNLESS THERE''’S A RELATIONSHIP WE''’VE FORMED WITH IT, SO THAT WE KNOW IT WILL CONNECT TO SOMEONE ELSE.

WHEN SOMEONE LOOKS AT A PIECE, THEY MAY SAY, "OH, THAT''’S THE LITTLE CHARM MY MOTHER HAD ON HER CHARM BRACELET."

THERE IS A CONNECTION THERE.

IT TAKES SOMEONE BACK TO A MEMORY.

IT OPENS UP A WONDERFUL DIALOGUE AND A WONDERFUL CONNECTION WE FEEL WITH THAT PERSON THAT WE FACILITATED THAT.

DAVE: HERE''’S SOME MORE CYCLAMEN.

IT''’S SUCH A PERFECT HEART.

YEAH, ISN''’T THAT AMAZING?

ROBERTA: MY EPIPHANY HAPPENED WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG.

I WAS BORN IN THE PILSEN AREA OF CHICAGO.

WHERE WE GREW UP, THERE WASN''’T EVEN GRASS.

THERE WAS NOTHING.

I MEAN, I WOULD GO OUTSIDE AND WE WOULD JUST SIT ON THE STEPS, AND THAT WAS OUR PLAY AREA.

AND AS A LITTLE GIRL, THERE WEREN''’T ANY INSECTS.

THERE WASN''’T THIS SMELL.

ONE DAY IT CHANGED BECAUSE MY DAD SURPRISED US, AND HE HAD BUILT A HOUSE OUT IN THE SUBURBS, AND I HEARD BIRDS FOR THE FIRST TIME.

I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED THAT.

SO...THAT''’S WHY I GET SO EMOTIONAL TALKING ABOUT IT, ''’CAUSE IT BRINGS BACK THAT DAY FOR ME THAT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL.

AND IN THAT MOMENT, IT OPENED UP MY SPIRIT.

I JUST BEGAN TO DRAW, WITH THE TWIGS AND THE INSECTS AND LITTLE MINIATURE DOLLS, AND THAT WAS THE MOMENT I THINK I BECAME AN ARTIST.

DAVE: IT WAS SO FORTUNATE FOR ME THAT ROBERTA AND I MET WHEN WE WERE FRESHMEN AND WE WERE 18-- ROBERTA: 18 YEARS OLD.

DAVE: YEAH, 18.

I WAS SO NAIVE THAT I WOULD GO PAST THE POTTERY STUDIO AT UNIVERSITY, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS AN ARCHAEOLOGY LAB.

I SAID, LOOKS LIKE YOU CAN GO OUT AND DIG THESE PIECES OF POTTERY UP.

AND SHE SAID, NO, THIS IS A CERAMICS CLASS WHERE THE STUDENTS ARE MAKING THESE THINGS.

AND I THOUGHT, NO WAY.

WE SIGNED UP FOR THE CLASS THE NEXT SEMESTER TOGETHER.

SHE KIND OF LED ME ALONG.

IT WAS ONE OF THOSE EPIPHANIES THAT YOU CAN MAKE THINGS THAT ARE WONDERFUL.

IT JUST OPENED MY EYES TO A WORLD I DIDN''’T KNOW EXISTED.

[SCRAPING, HAMMERING] WITH OUR STUDENTS, WE''’RE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT HAVING INTEGRITY IN THE IDEAS THAT YOU WANT TO MANIFEST IN THE WORK.

ROBERTA: EACH OF US HAVE A STORY THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO TELL.

OUR STORIES ARE ALL DIFFERENT.

BUT IT''’S ALL THE SAME MESSAGE, REALLY, BECAUSE WE''’RE ALL SO CONNECTED.

THESE STUDENTS ARE AT A PLACE THAT WE''’RE BEGINNING TO OPEN THE DOOR.

STUDENT: MY GRANDMOTHER LIVED IN UKRAINE IN THE THIRTIES AND THROUGH THE WAR, AND SHE WALKED THROUGH A NUMBER OF COUNTRIES TO GET OUT, AND ONE OF THE PLACES THAT THEY ENDED UP STAYING WHEN THEY WERE TRAVELING WAS AN OLD BOMBED-OUT BARN.

AND THE ONLY THING THAT WAS THERE WAS THIS OLD ICON.

AND SO SHE CARRIED THIS WITH HER ALL HER LIFE, AND IT WAS ALWAYS IN HER ROOM.

DAVE: IS THIS THE-- STUDENT: THIS IS THE ICON.

DAVE: OH, MY GOSH.

WHAT A TREASURE.

ROBERTA: THEY''’RE GOING TO GO HOME.

THEY''’RE GONNA BEGIN THINKING ABOUT THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT AND FEELING A REAL BOND WITH THE OTHER STUDENTS.

THAT''’S WHERE A LOT OF GROWTH WILL HAPPEN.

IT''’S WHEN YOU CAN''’T FALL ASLEEP AT NIGHT.

YOU''’RE THINKING OF THAT STORY MAYBE 50 TIMES AT NIGHT, AND IN YOUR HEAD YOU BEGIN FORMING WHAT YOU''’RE GONNA DO.

YOU KNOW, THAT''’S NOT BAD.

I THINK THAT''’S DOABLE.

DAVE: OUR WORK BENCH IS A BIG TABLE, AND THERE''’S SOME THINGS THAT ROBERTA LIKES TO DO MORE THAN ME.

WE''’VE FOUND OUR OWN NICHE.

ROBERTA: DAVE''’S THE MASTER SOLDERER.

HE LOVES THAT PROCESS.

[SIZZLING] DAVE: IT''’S REALLY DIFFICULT TO GET A CAREER GOING AS A CRAFTSMAN OR AS AN ARTIST, ESPECIALLY IN THE TIMES THAT WE''’RE LIVING RIGHT NOW.

WE MARKET OUR WORK BY ATTENDING 3 OR 4 RETAIL CRAFT SHOWS AROUND THE COUNTRY.

THE PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART CRAFT SHOW; SMITHSONIAN CRAFT SHOWS IN WASHINGTON, D.C.; THE AMERICAN CRAFT EXPOSITION IN EVANSTON, ILLINOIS.

AND THERE IS JUST A COUPLE FINE CRAFT GALLERIES THAT WE''’VE HAD A LONG RELATIONSHIP WITH.

ROBERTA: AND THEN THERE''’S SOME COMMISSION WORK.

WE DO WEDDING RINGS FOR PEOPLE, BROACHES, NECKLACES.

DAVE: WE LIKE TO SAY THAT IT''’S THE TWO PERSONALITIES, BUT THERE''’S THE THIRD PERSON THAT''’S THE BLEND THAT IS THE ONE THAT REALLY CREATES THE WORK.

MAN: WHEN YOU TAKE A LOOK AT HOW MANY PEOPLE COME THROUGH THE DOORS HERE EVERY DAY, IT''’S REALLY QUITE EXTRAORDINARY.

THE 92nd STREET Y REACHES ABOUT 300,000 PEOPLE A YEAR.

IN THE SCHOOL OF THE ARTS, WE OFFER MORE THAN 1,500 CLASSES A YEAR.

MAN: RIGHT THERE.

[SIZZLING] WOMAN: YOU''’RE VERY GOOD AT CUTTING, YOU KNOW?

SECOND MAN: I HAVE DETERMINED THAT THE PRONG IS 1.5 MILLIMETERS LONG, SO I TAKE 1.5 MILLIMETER INTO THE CALIPER, AND FROM THERE INTO THE DIVIDER.

THIS PARTICULAR RING THAT THIS WORKSHOP IS ON IS CALLED A TIFFANY RING.

IT''’S A 4-PRONG SETTING.

THIS IS A SAMPLE THAT SHOWS YOU HOW THE PRONG, AFTER IT''’S SOLDERED TOGETHER, HOW IT''’S INSERTED INTO THE RING SHANK.

IT''’S A VERY TECHNICAL ASSIGNMENT, BUT THAT''’S WHAT THE STUDENTS HERE ARE VERY INTERESTED IN.

MAN: KLAUS BURGEL WAS TRAINED AT THE ACADEMY OF MUNICH, WHICH IS A TREMENDOUS SCHOOL AND PRODUCES AMAZING ARTISTS.

HE TEACHES 6 CLASSES FOR US.

HIS ABILITY TO CREATE OBJECTS OF SPECIFIC QUALITY, SPECIFIC CONTROL, STONE SETTING, HIS TECHNIQUE IS FLAWLESS.

BURGEL: AND YOU MAKE YOUR FIRST MARK.

WITH THIS GROUP, IT''’S A VERY SERIOUS GROUP OF STUDENTS.

THEY HEARD ABOUT THE 92nd STREET Y, THEY HEARD ABOUT THE GREAT PROGRAM, AND SO THAT MADE THEM COME.

THEY ARE INTERLOCKING.

IT''’S LIKE A KEY MECHANISM.

MAN: KEEP IT RIGHT ON THE CENTER.

THE ESSENCE OF SILVERSMITHING IS TO TAKE AN UNFORMED PIECE OF METAL AND TRANSFORMING IT INTO A USEFUL OBJECT USING PROPER TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES.

WAHL: HAN BEAK ORIGINALLY TRAINED IN KOREA.

HAN IS A DRAMATICALLY ABLE SILVERSMITH.

HE IS ONE OF THE PRIMARY SILVERSMITHS FOR TIFFANY.

WHEN YOU GO AND YOU SEE A BIG SILVER FABRICATED TIFFANY SOMETHING OR OTHER, IT''’S VERY LIKELY THAT HAN HAD HIS HAND IN MAKING THIS OLD-SCHOOL SILVERSMITH RAISED OBJECT.

GILSON: THE ARTS REALLY BEGAN AT THE Y IN EARNEST RIGHT AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION, IN 1930, WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THIS BUILDING THAT WE''’RE IN NOW.

ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE DID WAS TO OFFER ART CLASSES, AND IN PARTICULAR, WE OFFERED CRAFT CLASSES.

WOMAN: THERE YOU GO.

EXCELLENT.

[CHILD TALKING, INDISTINCT] THIS CLASS IS FOR JEWELRY METALSMITHING.

THEY COME IN, THEY START LEARNING ALL THE PROCESSES.

TODAY''’S PROJECT, IT''’S A THUMB PIANO, SO THEY''’RE DOING A LITTLE INSTRUMENT.

AND THE MORE ADVANCED KIDS END UP DOING MORE INDIVIDUALIZED PROJECTS.

STUDENT: YES.

HASKINS: LOVE IT.

[HORN HONKS] MAN: NEW YORK IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CULTURAL CENTERS IN AMERICA, AND OBVIOUSLY CRAFT ARTISTS ARE ATTRACTED TO COME HERE.

IT IS A PERSONAL CHOICE.

SOME PREFER TO LIVE IN A RURAL AREA, BE CLOSER TO NATURE.

OTHERS LIKE TO BE IN THE CENTER OF ALL OF THE ENERGY AND BENEFIT FROM ALL THE STIMULATION THAT''’S HERE.

BUT OVER THE YEARS, THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT ARTISTS WHO HAVE RESIDED HERE.

SOME HAVE COME TO HAVE ASSOCIATION WITH SCHOOLS, INCLUDING THE 92nd STREET Y, GREENWICH HOUSE POTTERY, HUNTER, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY.

SO THE STUDIO CRAFT MOVEMENT IS INTEGRATED WITH NEW YORK ITSELF AND ITS VAST ARRAY OF ACTIVITY.

MAN: I''’M A LAWYER HERE ON WALL STREET.

AFTER WORK, I GO TO THE 92nd STREET Y AND MAKE THINGS THAT RELIEVE THE STRESS OF MY WORLD.

AND I LIKE TO MAKE A LOT OF POTS THAT ARE NOT PERFECT, BECAUSE BEING A LAWYER, EVERYTHING''’S ABOUT PERFECTION.

CERAMICS ALLOWS ME TO BE CREATIVE IN A WAY THAT I CAN''’T DO IN MY REGULAR 9:00 TO 5:00 WORLD.

THIS IS, UH, A PIECE, CRUNCHED THE BOWL TOGETHER, AND THEN GLAZED IT.

MAN: WHEN WE FIRE IT, THIS IS GONNA HAVE TO BE BARE OF ANY GLAZE.

WOMAN: YES.

MAN: ALL RIGHT?

WOMAN: YES.

MAN: I CAME TO THE Y AFTER HAVING TAUGHT AT THE UNIVERSITY LEVEL FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS.

AND ABOUT 5 OR 6 YEARS AGO, I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A SCHISM THAT WAS TAKING PLACE BETWEEN WHAT THE CERAMIC COMMUNITY WAS DOING AND HOW CULTURE WAS DEVELOPING.

UNFORTUNATELY, THE UNIVERSITY IRONICALLY SEEMED TO BE A KIND OF INERT PLACE.

SO AN OPPORTUNITY CAME TO WORK AT THE 92nd STREET Y.

THE Y, I FELT, WAS ABLE TO BE MORE RESPONSIVE TO THESE IDEAS THAT I HAD.

WE''’RE FEE-BASED.

WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PROGRAMMING IS RELEVANT.

MAN: THE MOMENT I DISCOVERED THAT I REALLY LIKED SILVERSMITHING WAS WHEN I FINISHED MY FIRST SPICULUM SHAPE, WHICH IS SORT OF A CONAL SHAPE THAT TAPERS AT ONE END.

WAHL: DENARD HAD A CAREER AS A DANCER, AND THROUGH HIS LIFE COLLECTED OBJECTS OF SILVER.

HE STARTED HERE AS A RANK BEGINNER AND FOUND THE SPICULUM THE OBJECT OF HIS OBSESSION, AND HAS NOW PROGRESSED TO PUT HIS LINE TOGETHER BASED ON THESE FORMS.

PORE: I''’M FROM A FARM, AND THE SHAPE OF THE SPICULUM REMINDS ME OF SOME OF THE TOOLS THAT MY GRANDFATHER USED, PARTICULARLY AN OIL CAN OR A FUNNEL THAT HE WOULD USE TO POUR THE GAS IN THE TRACTOR.

SMITH: I THINK THERE IS A CONTINUUM.

MAKING THINGS BY HAND IS AS OLD AS CIVILIZATION.

IT''’S CERTAINLY ALIVE AND WELL TODAY.

AND IT''’S MY BELIEF IT WILL CONTINUE.

IT MAY EVEN BE MORE IMPORTANT AS OUR WORLD BECOMES MORE DEHUMANIZED TO DO SOMETHING THAT IS A CHOICE OF MAKING SOMETHING WITH PRIDE AND PASSION, AND THEN SHARING IT WITH OTHERS.

AND I THINK THAT KIND OF UNDERLYING INSTINCT IS SOMETHING THAT''’S CENTRAL TO WHAT CRAFT IS ALL ABOUT.

MAN: HERE WE ARE ON BOLINAS RIDGE.

IT DROPS OFF ALMOST 2,000 FEET TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN.

I WAS BORN AND RAISED RIGHT NEAR HERE, JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS MOUNTAIN.

IT''’S ALWAYS THESE INTERFACES, THESE TRANSITION POINTS THAT ARE SO BEAUTIFUL IN THE NATURAL WORLD.

THE WAY I START WORKING ON A PRINT IS I HAVE THOUSANDS OF SKETCHES.

I GO OUT AND SKETCH ALL THE TIME.

I GO HIKING.

A LOT OF THE SKETCHES I DO ARE FROM THE PLACES I GO BACKPACKING.

TO BUILD THE LAYERS OF A LANDSCAPE PRINT, YOU NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO BREAK THE DISTANCE UP INTO THESE DIFFERENT PLANES AND THEN BUILD THE LAYERS UP.

AND THAT''’S WHAT THE LINES OF MY SKETCHES DO-- THEY SHOW THE DIFFERENT LAYERS AS I SEE THEM SO THAT I CAN BUILD THAT UP.

I PUT IN NOTES ABOUT COLOR, ABOUT BACKGROUND, BECAUSE YOU CAN''’T PUT IN ALL THE LEVELS OF DETAIL THAT EVENTUALLY WILL BE IN THE PRINT.

NOW, THIS IS A TOPO MAP OF THE MARBLE MOUNTAINS UP IN THE WILDS OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

I WAS UP RIGHT AROUND HERE GATHERING FIREWOOD ONE DAY, AND I CAME ACROSS THIS VIEW OF MOUNT SHASTA THROUGH A LITTLE RAVINE, AND IT WAS JUST AWESOME THE WAY THE MOUNTAINS STUCK UP THERE.

SO I DID THIS SKETCH ON THE BACK OF A TOPO MAP.

ALL MY LIFE I''’D SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH THE PRINTS OF HOKUSAI, AND PARTICULARLY HIS "36 VIEWS OF MOUNT FUJI."

THAT WAS ONE OF MY GREAT INSPIRATIONS SINCE I WAS A CHILD FOR DOING WOODCUT PRINTS OF LANDSCAPE.

AND THIS VIEW HAD THE ELEMENTS OF SEVERAL OF MY FAVORITE OF HOKUSAI''’S PRINTS IN IT.

ONE WAS THIS PRINT OF HIS OF PILGRIMS MEASURING SORT OF THE JAPANESE EQUIVALENT OF THE GIANT SEQUOIA.

THIS IS A FADED OLD PRINT OF IT I HAD UP ON MY WALL AT THE TIME.

AND THEN THE OTHER IS THAT WONDERFUL RED FUJI WHICH IS ONE OF HOKUSAI''’S 2 OR 3 MOST FAMOUS PRINTS.

AND THIS IS THE PRINT I FINALLY MADE FROM IT.

I''’VE STARTED TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE I''’M ALMOST PAINTING WITH THE WOOD, BUT IT''’S NOT IMMEDIATE.

IT''’S A VERY DELAYED GRATIFICATION SORT OF PAINTING.

THERE''’S ALWAYS THE SURPRISE THAT COMES.

BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS CARVED, THERE''’S SO MUCH WORK BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY GET THE COLOR ONTO THE PAGE THAT YOU REALLY DON''’T KNOW WHAT IT''’S GOING TO TURN OUT LIKE.

THAT IS THE GREAT JOY OF PRINTMAKING.

IT KIND OF TAKES PART OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE IMAGE OUT OF YOUR HANDS AND PUTS IT OUT INTO THIS MAGICAL SPACE.

THIS CALIFORNIA LANDSCAPE, IT''’S REALLY A LANDSCAPE THAT APPEALS TO SOMEONE WHO HAS WHAT MY GOOD FRIEND DIAGNOSED AS TOPOPHILIA.

[LAUGHS] HE FIGURED OUT MY DISEASE, AND HE GAVE IT A NAME, AND I THINK I HAVE IT, WHICH IS SORT OF A LOVE OF THE LANDSCAPE.

THE WAY I GOT STARTED MAKING JAPANESE-STYLE WOODCUT PRINTS THAT LOOK SOMETHING LIKE HOKUSAI WAS, WHEN I WAS A CHILD, I GREW UP ON THE SLOPES OF MOUNT TAMALPAIS.

ONE SIDE IS THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY, THE OTHER SIDE IS THE PACIFIC OCEAN, AND IT''’S QUITE A PLACE, THIS MOUNTAIN.

AND I WANTED TO MAKE PICTURES OF IT THAT WERE SOMETHING LIKE THOSE WONDERFUL PICTURES THAT HOKUSAI HAD DONE IN HIS SERIES "36 VIEWS OF MOUNT FUJI."

I DIDN''’T REALIZE THAT HOKUSAI HADN''’T DONE THE BLOCK-CARVING HIMSELF.

IT WAS A WHOLE GROUP OF CRAFTSMEN THAT PRODUCED THOSE INCREDIBLE PRINTS FROM THE 1820s AND 1830s, THE UKIYO-E STYLE OF WOODBLOCK PRINTS.

BUT I DID KNOW THAT IT WAS ABOUT A SERIES ABOUT A PLACE.

AND THE FIRST PLACE I WANTED TO DO A SERIES, OF COURSE, WAS THIS MOUNTAIN.

AND I STARTED IN ON IT WHEN I WAS STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL, AND BY THE TIME I HAD FINISHED COLLEGE, I HAD ENOUGH OF THEM TO MAKE A BOOK, WHICH I CALLED "28 VIEWS OF MOUNT TAMALPAIS."

I HADN''’T QUITE GOTTEN TO 36.

I WANTED TO GET TO 36.

I DIDN''’T GET THERE.

I NEVER STUDIED ART.

I JUST LEARNED HOW TO PRINT ON A PRINTING PRESS AT UC SANTA CRUZ SO I COULD MAKE THIS BOOK.

SOME OF THE PRINTS IN THIS BOOK WENT WAY BACK TO MY TEENAGE YEARS.

THIS IS ONE OF THE EARLY PRINTS THAT I DID THAT I THOUGHT REALLY WORKED, MOUNT TAMALPAIS IN THE BACKGROUND.

AND I DID WANT TO PUT IT IN COLOR, BUT I DIDN''’T KNOW HOW TO USE COLOR YET, SO I WOULD HAND ROLL IT.

SO THE ONLY COLOR ONES IN THIS BOOK WERE ONES WHERE I COULD DIVIDE THE SCENE INTO TWO PRETTY OBVIOUS COLORS.

SO HERE WE''’VE GOT THE FIELDS ARE ALL YELLOW AND THE MOUNTAIN AND THE SKY ARE BLUE.

AND JUST A FEW YEARS LATER, AROUND THE TIME I WAS FINISHING THIS BOOK IN 1975, I HAD BECOME MUCH MORE REFINED IN MY ABILITY TO CARVE.

ALL OF THIS CARVING WAS DONE WITH A SINGLE JAPANESE V-GOUGE, WHICH I WAS LABORIOUSLY LEARNING HOW TO SHARPEN AT THE TIME.

SHARPENING IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS OF THIS.

SO THIS BOOK I FINISHED IN 1975, AND I DON''’T THINK I WOULD EVER HAVE MADE THIS BOOK AND PROBABLY NEVER HAVE BECOME A PRINTMAKER IF I HADN''’T BEEN HIT BY A CAR TURNING LEFT WITHOUT SIGNALING ON MY BICYCLE AS I WAS COMING DOWN A STEEP HILL ONE DAY AND HAD TO SPEND 4 MONTHS IN A FULL LEG CAST.

AND THEREFORE, I COULDN''’T GO OUT SURFING AND BIKE RIDING AND PLAYING WITH MY FRIENDS, AND I WAS FORCED TO DO SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE, AND THIS IS WHAT I ENDED UP DOING, WAS THIS BOOK.

THE FIRST STEP IN MAKING A PRINT OUT OF THIS SKETCH FROM UP ON BOLINAS RIDGE IS TO...

TRANSITION THIS SKETCH ONTO WHAT BECOMES THE KEY BLOCK.

AND THAT''’S THE BASIS FOR CREATING A MULTI-COLORED PRINT.

SO I TAKE A PIECE OF TRACING PAPER AND I GO OVER THE BACK OF ALL THE LINES OF THE SKETCH ON THE TRACING PAPER IN A VERY SOFT PENCIL.

AND I TURN IT UPSIDE DOWN ON A UNCUT BLOCK.

SO, BEFORE THIS BLOCK WAS CUT, IT WAS JUST A BIG FLAT SURFACE.

AND I WENT OVER THE BACK WITH A BALLPOINT PEN.

AND THEN I GO TO THE CARVING.

ONCE I GET THE KEY BLOCK CARVED, IT HAS ALL THE INFORMATION FROM THE SKETCH ON IT.

IT WORKS LIKE THE TEMPLATE FOR THE PRINT.

I TAKE THE KEY BLOCK AND PRINT IT ONTO MYLAR SHEETS, AND I TURN IT OVER, AND I RUB IT, AND I GET THE WHOLE IMAGE TRANSFERRED ONTO AS MANY BLOCKS AS I''’M GONNA NEED FOR THE DIFFERENT COLORS OF THE PRINT.

THEN, THE KEY BLOCK BECOMES THE VERY LAST DARKEST COLOR, AND IT''’S THIS BLACK THAT REALLY GIVES THE IMAGE A LOT OF POWER.

I REALLY USE SOME OF THAT POSSIBILITY OF THE DARK BLACKS AND THAT STRONG COLORATION TO GIVE THE PRINT A LOT OF POWER AND TO GIVE IT A LITTLE MORE OOMPH, I WOULD SAY.

SO NOW I AM GOING TO TRY TO GET THIS BLOCK REGISTERED SO THAT IT''’S GOING TO HIT THE RIGHT PLACE ALONG WITH ALL THE OTHER COLORS ON THE PRINT.

AND THE WAY THAT I DO THAT, I HAVE MADE A WHOLE STACK OF REGISTRATION PROOFS.

I RUN THESE THROUGH THE PRESS, AND THEN I MOVE THE BLOCK A LITTLE BIT IF I NEED TO, AND IT''’S A PROCESS OF TRIAL AND ERROR TILL I GET IT TO HIT EXACTLY IN THE RIGHT PLACE.

AND I''’M GOING TO PUT SOME INK ONTO THE PLATE.

IT SEEMS TO BE INKING NICELY.

LET''’S SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

OH, WAY OFF.

NOW, THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF-- SEE HOW FAR OFF THAT IS?

THAT DISTANCE IS HOW MUCH I NEED TO MOVE THE BLOCK OVER IN THE BED OF THE PRESS.

I GOT INTO MAKING MONEY AT ART WHEN I WAS REALLY YOUNG.

I WAS VERY FORTUNATE TO GROW UP IN A TOWN THAT APPRECIATED ART.

AND I ALWAYS HAD AROUND ME THE INSPIRATION OF PEOPLE THAT DID ART, AND SOME OF THEM SOLD IT.

WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER, I WOULD TAKE SOME OF MY PEN AND INK DRAWINGS DOWN TO THE LITTLE OUTDOOR ART FAIR A COUPLE BLOCKS FROM MY HOUSE IN MILL VALLEY, AND I WOULD SELL THEM TO PEOPLE FOR $10, $25.

I ALWAYS GOT AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE THAT WERE INTERESTED IN MY WORK TO GIVE ME THEIR MAILING ADDRESSES, AND I HAVE ASSIDUOUSLY CULTIVATED A MAILING LIST THAT HAS GROWN AND GROWN AND GROWN.

AND ANYBODY THAT''’S INTERESTED IN TRYING TO MAKE A LIVING AT ART, I SUGGEST THAT THEY DON''’T RELY ON GALLERIES TO TAKE CARE OF ALL THAT.

OK.

THIS WAS IT BEFORE WE HAD THE SECOND LAYER OF GREEN ON, AND HERE IT IS WITH THE SECOND LAYER OF GREEN.

SO NOW, THE FINAL LAYER OF BLACK.

HERE IT COMES.

OH, LOOK AT THAT.

THAT LOOKS GOOD.

VOILA.

THAT''’S IT.

WOMAN: KANSAS CITY HAS SEVERAL EXAMPLES OF BEAUTIFUL ART DECO TERRACOTTA.

THE BRIGHT COLORS ARE ALL CERAMIC GLAZES ON CLAY THAT''’S BEEN CARVED AND THEN GLAZED WITH THESE PINKS AND YELLOWS AND BLUES AND PURPLES AND ORANGES.

IN ADDITION, THE BEIGE-COLOR BLOCKS ARE ALSO MADE OUT OF CLAY TO SIMULATE STONE.

AND THAT WAS VERY COMMON IN THE EARLY PART OF THE 20th CENTURY.

AND IT REALLY TOOK ME A WHILE TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT WAS CLAY.

I ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS PAINTED STONE.

IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME IN MY DEVELOPMENT AS AN ARTIST BECAUSE SUDDENLY A WHOLE NEW WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES IN CERAMICS WAS OPENED TO ME.

THEY HAVE ONE SCENE ON ONE SIDE AND ANOTHER SCENE ON THE OTHER SIDE.

STUDENT: OH.

ESSER: IT''’S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, BUT THERE''’S SOME SORT OF RELATIONSHIP IN HIS MIND CONCEPTUALLY.

NOW, I KNOW THAT YOU''’RE TALKING ABOUT THIS WHOLE IDEA OF THE METAPHOR OF THE BULL IN THE CHINA SHOP, AND SO IS HE ACTUALLY GONNA BE KIND OF SITTING ON A DINING ROOM TABLE?

THE KANSAS CITY ART INSTITUTE IS COMING UP TO ITS 125th ANNIVERSARY IN 2010.

IT WAS REALLY WHEN KEN FERGUSON CAME TO THE KANSAS CITY ART INSTITUTE THAT CERAMICS BECAME ITS OWN DEPARTMENT.

FROM 1971 UNTIL 1996, KEN, GEORGE, AND VICTOR WERE THE 3 PROFESSORS IN THE DEPARTMENT.

AND THE 3 OF THEM BUILT A REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT AND WONDERFUL DEPARTMENT.

BABU: THERE WAS A NICE CROSS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A-- A MIX, YOU KNOW, OF INFORMATION POURING INTO THE DEPARTMENT.

THE STUDENTS, I THINK, ENDED UP, ALONG WITH THE FACULTY, IN SOME KIND OF A SOUP, TO WHICH FLAVORS WERE BEING ADDED TO EVERY TIME, AND IT GOT RICHER AND RICHER AND MORE COMPLEX.

THEY WERE ARTISTS, AND THEY WERE HERE TO FIND OUT WHY.

TIMOCK: ANY QUESTIONS?

I''’VE BEEN HERE FOR A FAIR AMOUNT OF YEARS.

I THINK I''’M STARTING MY 37th YEAR HERE.

I AM HERE, MY COLLEAGUES ARE HERE, FOR THE STUDENTS, BECAUSE THEY''’RE DAMN INTERESTING KIDS.

YOU''’RE ALWAYS GONNA BE MATING THESE PIECES TOGETHER IN THIS CASE.

IT''’S A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A STUDENT THROUGH PROCESS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THEY HAVE TO HAVE SOME SORT OF INTELLECTUAL CONNECTION, PASSION, AND THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THINGS FARTHER.

I--YOU KNOW, I''’M GONNA CHALLENGE YOU, THOUGH, REALLY, TO STICK WITH IT.

STUDENT: OK. TIMOCK: SEE, YOU GOT AN IDEA, BUT IT''’S COMPLEX.

I DON''’T WANT YOU TO WALK AWAY FROM IT, BECAUSE I THINK IT CAN WORK BOTH WAYS.

YOU''’RE A SHARP ENOUGH GUY... STUDENT: OK. WOMAN: AND THIS LITTLE GUY WAS ACTUALLY FOUND IN A TOMB IN EGYPT, AND HE WAS LEFT IN THERE.

IT WAS ONE OF THE WORKERS, PRESUMABLY, THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY LOCKED THEM IN, AND SO THEY, YOU KNOW, PERISHED THERE IN THE TOMB.

ESSER: A LOT OF TIMES, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU''’RE FIRST WORKING WITH CLAY, THINGS WILL LOOK REALLY BEAUTIFUL IN THE GREEN STATE, AND THEN YOU FIRE THEM AND THEY''’RE LESS EXCITING.

THIS IS EXCITING BECAUSE I THINK IT''’S MORE BEAUTIFUL IN THE FIRED STATE.

I''’VE ENJOYED WORKING WITH BARA.

SHE HAS BEEN VERY AFFECTED BY DEATHS OF FAMILY MEMBERS, AND SHE''’S TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE MYSTERY OF DEATH THROUGH WHAT HAPPENS TO THE REMAINS TO OUR BODIES.

BARA: I''’M GONNA BE DOING 3 OF THESE LARGER FIGURES, EVENTUALLY MOVING TO LIFE-SIZE.

I THINK IT''’LL BE MORE POWERFUL THE LARGER THAT WE--THAT WE GO.

ESSER: BUT WHAT''’S INTERESTING TO ME IS THE WAY IT SEEMS TO BE NOW IS LIKE A SMALL ANIMAL.

YOU KNOW, LIKE A RACCOON OR A POSSUM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

BARA: I MEAN, THE EGYPTIANS, YOU KNOW, MUMMIFIED THEIR PETS, SO I THOUGHT ABOUT GOING THAT ROUTE AS WELL.

ESSER: I DIDN''’T KNOW THEY MUMMIFIED THEIR PETS.

BARA: YEAH.

YEAH, THEY MUMMIFIED THEIR PETS A LOT OF TIMES.

ESSER: MAYBE I''’LL DO THAT WITH MY CAT.

[LAUGHS] MAN: I''’M KIND OF SETTING UP AN INTERIOR STRUCTURE FOR MY PLASTER TO KIND OF FLOW ON.

ESSER: IT IS A CONSTANT CHALLENGE TO BALANCE TEACHING AND WORKING IN THE STUDIO.

BUT WHAT I TRY TO DO IS JUST GET DOWN HERE, AND WHAT I FIND IS THAT EVEN IF I''’M TIRED, IF I START WORKING, THE CLAY REVITALIZES ME.

THIS KIND OF ACTIVITY, PRESSING THE TILES, IS A VERY GOOD MEDITATIVE KIND OF ACTIVITY THAT HELPS ME THINK ABOUT WHAT IT IS I WANT TO DO.

THIS WORK GOES INTO THESE PIECES THAT ARE LIKE LARGE, I CALL THEM HONEYCOMB EGGS, AND THEY GO TOGETHER IN THESE HORIZONTAL KIND OF COMPOSITIONS.

I WANT PEOPLE TO BE ENTICED TO TOUCH THEM AND TO WANT TO MOVE THEM AROUND.

I WANT THEM TO BE EXTREMELY LUSCIOUS AND VERY SENSUAL, AND THAT SEEMS TO DRAW MY AUDIENCE TO THE PIECES.

WOMAN: I DO LOVE THE TINY DETAIL AND THE PRECIOUS AND THE THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND THEN I ALSO JUST LIKE TO BANG OUT A BUNCH OF PIECES AS WELL.

SO I KIND OF...HAVE A SPLIT PERSONALITY IN THAT WAY.

ESSER: NIKKI LEWIS WAS A STUDENT OF MINE AND GEORGE TIMOCK AND VICTOR BABU.

YOU COULD TELL WHEN NIKKI WAS A STUDENT THAT SHE WAS GONNA BE ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT WOULD GO ON AND CONTINUE TO WORK WITH CLAY.

LEWIS: WHEN I CAME HERE, I DIDN''’T KNOW WHAT WAS EXPECTED OF ME.

AND THEN SLOWLY, I REALLY LEARNED, I GUESS, HOW TO BE AN ARTIST.

WHICH MEANS THAT YOU''’RE AN ARTIST ALL THE TIME, YOU''’RE NOT AN ARTIST FROM 9:00 TO 5:00.

WE''’RE IN THE KEN FERGUSON TEACHING COLLECTION ROOM WITH CABINETS FULL OF THE COLLECTION THAT KANSAS CITY HAS COLLECTED OVER NEARLY 60 YEARS OF BEING THE EPICENTER OF CERAMICS IN OUR COUNTRY.

THIS...IS AN INCREDIBLE, INCREDIBLE BOWL BY AN ARTIST NAMED JIM EAKINS.

WE WOULD STARE AT THIS PIECE FOR HOURS.

THE FINENESS AND THINNESS OF THE WAY THIS WAS THROWN AND THE BEAUTY OF THE LIP.

I LOVE TO TOUCH IT.

I LOVE TO FEEL MY FINGERS IN THE THROWING LINES THAT HIS FINGERS MADE WHEN HE WAS HERE.

THERE''’S 2 PITCHERS IN THIS CABINET THAT ARE MADE BY A WOMAN IN IOWA NAMED CLARY ILIAN.

THEY ARE SO BEAUTIFUL.

SHE''’S THROWN IT SO THIN, YET IT FEELS INCREDIBLY STURDY.

I COULD CARRY IT LIKE THIS AND BE COMPLETELY CONFIDENT THAT I WOULDN''’T DROP IT.

HER SKILL IS SO, SO PROFOUND.

AND JUST THE SIMPLEST DECORATION, JUST BLACK AND WHITE HUGGING EACH OTHER.

IT''’S JUST THAT BEAUTIFUL LITTLE DANCE OF THE GLAZE THERE.

ESSER: THINKING OF TEXTURE, I SEE SOME REALLY NICE STITCHING GOING ON.

CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT''’S GOING ON?

STUDENT: THE STITCHING SYMBOLIZES A RECOVERY PROCESS.

SOLDIERS GET INJURED AND TEND TO HAVE STITCHES.

ESSER: PAUL HAS A REAL POLITICAL BENT TO HIS WORK AND HIS THINKING.

THE ASSIGNMENT WAS TO FIND AN OBJECT IN THE MUSEUM TO WORK OFF OF, AND HE IS WORKING WITH SAINT MICHAEL EXPELLING THE REBEL ANGELS AND CONNECTING THAT TO THE AMERICAN MILITARY IN IRAQ.

WHEN...SOMETHING IS STITCHED, THERE''’S A TENSION, THERE''’S A PULLING.

PAUL: OK. ESSER: OK?

AND I DON''’T FEEL THAT HERE.

TO BE HONEST, COMPARED TO THE WAY THAT I''’VE SEEN YOU LIKE REALLY HANDLE CLAY, IT SEEMS A LITTLE BIT ON THE TIMID SIDE.

AND I DON''’T WANT TO SUGGEST EXACTLY WHERE FOR YOU TO TAKE IT ''’CAUSE I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THAT FOR YOURSELF.

BUT, UM...

BUT THAT''’S SOMETHING THAT I THINK CAN BE MUCH MORE POWERFUL IN THIS PIECE.

IF SOMEONE HAS A STRONG REACTION AGAINST IT... ARE YOU GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, READY TO--TO TALK TO THEM?

PAUL: SURE.

WHY NOT?

ESSER: YEAH, I MEAN, THAT''’S LIKE HOW YOU''’RE GONNA-- PAUL: THAT''’S WHAT I''’M TRYING TO, LIKE, I''’M TRYING TO PUT IT OUT THERE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN SEE IT.

MAN: OK. ALL RIGHT.

WHAT WE HAVE HERE ARE SMALLER EXAMPLES OF THE LARGER PIECE THAT I WAS WORKING ON.

SO THIS IS THE OBJECT.

KIND OF SEE THROUGH THE PIECE AND THEN IT JUST KIND OF...

SITS FLUSH BACK ONTO THE WALL.

LEWIS: WHEN YOU ARE DONE WITH SCHOOL, YOU ARE SORT OF PLOPPED OUT INTO THE ART WORLD AND YOU''’RE TOLD TO SORT OF FIGURE IT OUT.

IN MY CASE, I LOOKED IN THE YELLOW PAGES.

I WENT--I CALLED UP EVERY CERAMICS STUDIO IN THE CITY.

BUT MY OTHER PIECE OF ADVICE TO SOMEBODY WHO''’S DOING THIS IS TO TRY AND HAVE FUN, YOU KNOW, WHILE YOU''’RE MAKING STUFF, BECAUSE WHAT''’S THE POINT OF BEING AN ARTIST UNLESS YOU''’RE GONNA HAVE A GOOD TIME?

ESSER: CULTURE DOESN''’T REALLY BEG PEOPLE TO PURSUE A CAREER IN THE ARTS.

I THINK YOU JUST DECIDE EVERY SINGLE DAY, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU WAKE UP, YOU JUST DECIDE YOU''’RE GONNA DO IT.

BECAUSE THERE''’S SO MANY REASONS NOT TO DO IT.

EVERY TIME THAT YOU GO INTO THE STUDIO AND YOU MAKE SOMETHING, EVERY HOUR THAT YOU SPEND THERE IS WHAT KEEPS YOU MOVING ON TO THE NEXT HOUR.

CHEN: I''’M PUTTING TOGETHER A PART OF A POP-UP THAT GOES IN MY MOST RECENT BOOK, "PANORAMA."

AND THE POP-UP IS MADE UP OF 4 LAYERS, AND THEN THE 4 LAYERS GO INTO A PAGE, AND EVERYTHING JUST GETS THREADED TOGETHER.

SO THERE''’S VERY LITTLE ADHESIVE HOLDING IT ALL TOGETHER.

"PANORAMA," THE THEME OF THE BOOK WAS CLIMATE CHANGE.

WHEN I STARTED THE PROJECT, IT WAS BECAUSE I FELT PERSONALLY THAT I WAS REALLY AVOIDING LEARNING ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE.

NOT AS AN ARTIST, BUT JUST AS A PERSON.

THERE ARE 3 FOLDED SECTIONS IN THE BOOK.

THEY''’RE ALWAYS SURROUNDED BY THESE PANORAMIC PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES.

MY WORK DOESN''’T TEND TO BE POLITICAL IN NATURE, BUT IN THIS CASE, THE TOPIC SEEMED SO IMPORTANT TO ME, AS AN INDIVIDUAL, THAT I FELT THAT I WOULD EXPLORE IT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENED.

AND THEN THE NEXT PAGE SPREAD WILL BE A POP-UP.

WELL, I ENDED UP DISCOVERING THAT, IN FACT, THE ISSUE OF CLIMATE CHANGE WAS EVEN SCARIER THAN I HAD ANTICIPATED, SO I TRIED TO ALTERNATE BETWEEN FACTS ABOUT WHERE WE ARE TODAY WITH MEDITATIONS ON THE BEAUTY OF THE PLANET.

EVEN IF WE''’RE IN THE MIDDLE OF BIG ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES, WE CAN STILL APPRECIATE THE WORLD WE LIVE IN.

AND THEN THE NEXT SECTION AGAIN WILL BE A POP-UP, WHICH WOULD GIVE YOU A LITTLE BREAK FROM THE TEXT AND HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A VISUAL EXPERIENCE.

AND NOW WE''’RE COMING TO THE ENDING OF THE PIECE.

AN ARTIST''’S BOOK IS REALLY A BOOK THAT IS MADE BY AN ARTIST WITH THE INTENTION THAT THE BOOK ITSELF IS THE WORK OF ART.

THIS IS A BOOK CALLED "TRUE TO LIFE."

YOU OPEN THE BOX.

THE BOOK ITSELF IS THIS TABLET WITH PANELS, AND YOU READ THE TEXT AND THEN YOU SLIDE UP EVERY PANEL.

I DID MY TRAINING AT MILLS COLLEGE, AND WE DID REALLY STUDY BEAUTIFUL LETTERPRESS PRINTING, LITERARY TEXTS, BEAUTIFUL WOODBLOCK ILLUSTRATIONS, ALL PUT TOGETHER TO MAKE A VERY LUXURIOUS, VERY BEAUTIFUL PRODUCT.

I THINK I FELT A LITTLE BIT INTIMIDATED BY COMING UP AGAINST THE WHOLE TRADITION OF A FINE PRESS, ABOUT USING MY OWN CONTENT.

SO I WOULD LABOR OVER, YOU KNOW, IS MY WRITING UP TO STANDARD?

IS THE ILLUSTRATION GOOD ENOUGH TO BE IN A BOOK?

AND IT TOOK ME YEARS TO REALIZE THAT I COULD TAKE WHAT I NEEDED FROM THAT TRADITION, BUT THEN GO OUT AND TAKE IT TO PERHAPS A PLACE THAT NO ONE ELSE WAS TAKING IT.

"TIME AND MEMORY ARE ALWAYS MOVING, ALWAYS CHANGING.

"IT IS THE MIND WHICH INSISTS ON SOMETIMES STAYING IN ONE PLACE.

LIFE MUST BE INTERPRETED WHILE IT IS BEING LIVED."

I PRODUCE ONE BOOK A YEAR, AND I SPEND MAYBE 3 OR 4 MONTHS EVERY YEAR THINKING ABOUT THAT BOOK, STARTING TO DESIGN THAT BOOK, AND THEN PRINTING THE PIECES, AND THEN WE SPEND YEARS PUTTING THE REST OF THE EDITION TOGETHER FOR SALE.

WHY DON''’T YOU GO AHEAD AND PUT THE TEXT STRIPS ON THAT PIECE-- GIRL: [INDISTINCT] JULIE: YEAH, AND I''’LL TRIM THIS.

I FEEL LIKE SOMETIMES I HAVE A COMMITTEE OF VOICES IN MY HEAD FOR RUNNING MY BUSINESS.

AND IT IS A BUSINESS, BECAUSE I AM PRINTING 100 COPIES OF EVERY PIECE, AND THEN WE PUT THEM TOGETHER AND SELL THEM TO LIBRARIES AND COLLECTORS.

I''’M NOT AN ARTIST WHO STARTS WITH AN IDEA THAT''’S VERY CLEAR-- THAT I''’M GOING TO MAKE A BOOK ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AND IT''’S GOING TO HAVE X, Y, AND Z. I THINK THAT I DO, BUT VERY QUICKLY IT BECOMES CLEAR THAT IT''’S NOT GONNA GO THE WAY I THINK IT''’S GONNA GO, AND I HAVE TO CONSTANTLY ADJUST.

SO THIS IS THE PROJECT I''’M WORKING ON NOW.

AND THIS IS A MOCK-UP OF THE PROJECT.

SO I''’M TRYING OUT DIFFERENT DESIGNS ON MY COMPUTER IN PREPARATION FOR DOING IT LETTERPRESS.

YOU HAVE AN ONGOING TEXT THAT YOU READ THROUGHOUT THE PIECE.

THE TEXT STARTS OUT WITH THE PHRASE, "THIS IS TEST.

"YOU WILL NOT BE GIVEN ANY ASSISTANCE OR INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO PROCEED."

I WANTED TO FIND A TECHNICAL LANGUAGE THAT WOULD BE VERY HARD FOR MOST PEOPLE TO DECIPHER.

THE OBVIOUS CHOICE WAS MATH, BECAUSE MATH HAS ALWAYS BEEN A VERY DIFFICULT THING FOR ME, SO I HAD TO GET SOME HELP.

THIS WAS A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS WITH A COUPLE OF FRIENDS OF MINE WHO ARE REALLY INTO MATH AND VERY GOOD AT MATH.

I TOLD THEM WHAT I NEEDED, WHICH WAS MATHEMATICAL EQUATIONS THAT HAD A LOT OF REALLY INTERESTING DATA EMBEDDED IN THEM, BUT THAT MOST PEOPLE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DECIPHER.

MY WORK IS REALLY ROOTED IN THE PHYSICAL OBJECT.

SO I''’M USING THOSE TRADITIONAL BOOK ARTS, TECHNIQUES, TO DEVELOP AN OBJECT THAT IS BEAUTIFUL ON SOME LEVEL, BUT IT ALSO HAS TO HAVE A LOT OF MEANING.

EVERYTHING THAT GOES INTO THE PIECE SHOULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE MEANING OF THE PIECE.

WHEN I FIRST STARTED, I SPENT ABOUT 5 YEARS PRODUCING EDITIONS, GOING TO BOOK FAIRS, SHOWING THE WORK TO LIBRARIANS, BUT IT REALLY TOOK ABOUT 5 TO 7 YEARS BEFORE THE PRESS STARTED TO TURN ANY KIND OF PROFIT.

TRYING TO MAKE A LIVING WITH YOUR WORK IS A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD.

MAKE SURE THAT YOU''’RE DOING THE WORK YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU THINK ABOUT HOW YOU''’RE GOING TO MAKE A LIVING DOING IT.

MAN: NORTH BENNET STREET SCHOOL HAS 8 PROGRAMS.

IN A WAY, WE''’RE A UNIVERSITY OF CRAFT BECAUSE WE''’RE BRINGING TOGETHER SO MANY DISPARATE ELEMENTS THAT HAVE AS A CONNECTING TISSUE HAND SKILLS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE HAND.

[HAMMERING] CABINET AND FURNITURE MAKING IS A 2-YEAR PROGRAM WHERE STUDENTS ARE GIVEN PROGRAMS OF INCREASING COMPLEXITY AND INTRODUCED TO TOOLS AS THEY GO.

WHEN THEY LEAVE HERE, THEY CAN MAKE ANY PIECE OF FURNITURE THEY WANT.

THERE''’S NOTHING THEY CAN''’T DO.

WE''’VE BEEN HERE FOR 125 YEARS, BUT NOT AS LONG AS OUR NEIGHBOR, OLD NORTH CHURCH.

IF YOU LOOK OUT THAT WINDOW, YOU''’LL SEE THE "ONE IF BY LAND AND 2 IF BY SEA" CHURCH.

IT IS THE CHURCH THAT TRIGGERED PAUL REVERE''’S RIDE TO SAVE THE COLONIAL ARMY.

BOSTON IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 19th CENTURY WAS THE DESTINATION FOR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF IMMIGRANTS COMING FROM EUROPE.

AND IT WAS CHARACTERIZED, REALLY, BY POVERTY, BY UNEMPLOYMENT, AND BY CRIME.

SO A LARGE NUMBER OF SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMS WERE INITIATED.

NORTH BENNET STREET SCHOOL STARTED IN 1885 WHEN ITS FOUNDER PAULINE AGASSIZ SHAW RENTED THE BUILDING THAT WE''’RE IN TO HOUSE A NUMBER OF SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMS.

MAN: WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IS TIGHTEN THIS ONE UP-- STUDENT: OK. MAN: TIGHTEN THIS UP.

TIGHTEN THIS UP, AND THEN YOU KNOW WHERE TO MAKE THE KNOT, AND THEN PULL IT INSIDE, AND IT''’LL COME OUT RIGHT HERE.

OK. GOMEZ-IBANEZ: BOOKBINDING IS A PROGRAM THAT HAS EXPERIENCED A TREMENDOUS GROWTH IN THE LAST 10 YEARS.

WE ARE SO USED TO THINKING THAT WE''’RE ENTERING A PAPERLESS WORLD AND WITH ALL OF THE TECHNOLOGY, BOOKS ARE GOING TO BE IRRELEVANT.

WELL, I GUESS NOT, BECAUSE THE WAITING LIST TO GET INTO BOOKBINDING HAS NEVER BEEN LONGER.

LOCKSMITHING IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PROGRAMS HERE AT NORTH BENNET STREET SCHOOL.

LOCKSMITHING TRAINS OUR STUDENTS IN THE REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE AND INSTALLATION OF LOCKS.

WE DO FOCUS ON HISTORIC LOCKS.

MAN: HERE ON THE BENCH WE HAVE 3 17th-CENTURY ANTIQUE LOCKS.

THIS CAME FROM THE CHARLES STREET JAIL.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE LOCKSMITH THAT CREATED THIS LOCK, THE ONLY REASON FOR THESE HEART-SHAPED CUTOUTS IS REALLY FOR THE PRIDE THAT THE LOCKSMITH THAT BUILT THIS HAD IN WHAT HE WAS DOING.

THIS WOULD ONLY BE SEEN BY ANOTHER LOCKSMITH.

[TUNING PIANO] WOMAN: YEAH, A-4 IS STILL A LITTLE SHARP.

GOMEZ-IBANEZ: PIANO TECHNOLOGY IS A PROGRAM THAT LASTS 2 YEARS.

THE FIRST YEAR REALLY FOCUSES ON TUNING AND ALSO THE REPAIR OF PIANOS, ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE WITHIN A PERSON''’S HOME.

THE SECOND YEAR FOCUSES ON COMPREHENSIVE RESTORATION AND REBUILDING OF PIANOS.

WE TAKE THE ENTIRE PIANO APART, SAVING ONLY THE CASE AND THE CASTING.

SO IF YOU STAY FOR THE SECOND YEAR, YOU''’RE ABLE TO BASICALLY BUILD A PIANO.

MAN: THIS ONE FOR ME HAS SLIGHTLY MORE-- THERE''’S A LITTLE BIT OF A GAP HERE.

JUST REMOVE SOME MATERIAL SO WHEN WE CLAMP IT, IT WILL FIT MORE SNUG.

GOMEZ-IBANEZ: VIOLIN-MAKING AND REPAIR IS THE ONLY 3-YEAR PROGRAM WE HAVE HERE AT NORTH BENNET STREET SCHOOL.

MAN: SO THE CURVE WILL BE FITTING BETTER.

GOMEZ-IBANEZ: THEY START FROM SCRATCH WITH NO REQUIRED SKILLS.

THE FIRST SEVERAL WEEKS IS JUST ABOUT TOOLS, SHARPENING TOOLS, AND THE MATERIALS THAT ARE USED IN VIOLIN-MAKING.

STUDENT: I AM GOUGING OUT THE CHANNELS ON MY CELLO PLATE SO I CAN GET READY FOR PURFLING.

PURFLING IS THE WHITE AND BLACK INLAY THAT GOES AROUND THE EDGE.

IT''’S KIND OF A DECORATIVE FEATURE, BUT IT ALSO HELPS IF THE INSTRUMENT WERE TO GET A CRACK THAT STARTED ON THE EDGE.

THE CRACK WOULD STOP AT THE INLAY AND NOT GO INTO THE INSTRUMENT.

GOMEZ-IBANEZ: DURING THE COURSE OF THE 3 YEARS, THEY MAKE 6 VIOLINS, A VIOLA, AND A CELLO.

WE DON''’T TEACH BOW-MAKING.

WE REALLY STICK TO VIOLINS, VIOLAS, AND CELLOS, AND SIMILAR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS.

STUDENT: WE HAVE SCANS OF THE ACTUAL MOLDS THAT STRADIVARI USED.

IN DIFFERENT POINTS OF HIS LIFE HE USED DIFFERENT MOLDS.

SO THIS PARTICULAR MOLD IS ONE OF THE LARGER OF THE STRADIVARI MOLDS THAT HE USED.

AND IT''’S ACTUALLY THE EXACT SAME SIZE, AND WE WILL ACTUALLY TAKE A FINISHED MEASUREMENT OF THE BACK PLATE, WHICH IS A STANDARD WAY TO MEASURE A VIOLIN.

AND WE TRY TO GET IT TO WITHIN USUALLY A TENTH OF A MILLIMETER AS TO WHAT STRADIVARI HAD.

IT HAS A GREAT SOUND.

ALL THE RATIOS, YOU KNOW, AND PROPORTIONS ARE-- ARE VERY CLASSICAL, VERY--THEY''’RE REALLY GOOD.

DEVLIN: NOW I''’M PREPARING PURFLING TO FIT THE C-BOUT OF MY VIOLA.

YOU JUST USE A SMALL AMOUNT OF MOISTURE.

AND I''’M USING A BENDING IRON, BENDING THE PURFLING TO THE SHAPE OF THE C-BOUT.

YOU CAN SEE THE ONE I DID FROM A LITTLE BIT EARLIER.

I DID THIS C-BOUT AND THE LOWER BOUT HERE.

STUDENT: GROWING UP, MY FATHER OWNED A VIOLIN RENTAL SHOP.

WHEN I WAS 14, I STARTED WORKING FOR HIM IN THE SHOP IN THE SUMMERS AND SCHOOL BREAKS.

I ENDED UP DECIDING TO GO INTO MUSIC, AND I GOT MY BACHELOR''’S OF MUSIC IN PIANO.

IN THE MEANTIME, MY DAD PASSED AWAY AND I INHERITED THE SHOP.

AT FIRST I WASN''’T SURE IF I WAS GONNA KEEP IT OR NOT, AND HELD ON TO IT UNTIL I GRADUATED SCHOOL, AND THEN I TOOK SOME REPAIR COURSES, AND IT WAS AMAZING.

I FELL IN LOVE WITH IT.

THE SHOP''’S STILL OPEN IN NEW JERSEY.

HOPEFULLY I''’LL BE ABLE TO MAKE A GO OF IT AFTER I FINISH SCHOOL HERE.

TRIBBLE: MODERN VIOLIN-MAKING IS REALLY VERY GOOD, BUT THERE IS STILL A PREJUDICE IN THE PLAYING COMMUNITY THAT YOU CAN''’T GET ANY BETTER THAN THE OLD INSTRUMENTS.

PART OF WHY PLAYERS LIKE OLD INSTRUMENTS IS BECAUSE THE INSTRUMENTS HAVE HISTORY.

AND ESPECIALLY THE GREAT INSTRUMENTS, LIKE A PLAYER CAN SAY, WELL, IT WENT TO THIS VIRTUOSO AND IT WENT TO THAT VIRTUOSO, AND NOW I GET TO PLAY IT.

AND SO I THINK THAT PLAYERS PROBABLY REALLY LIKE THE ANCESTRY AND THAT THEY FEEL CONNECTED TO THE PAST WORLD OF MUSIC IF THEY HAVE A GREAT OLD INSTRUMENT.

[VIOLIN BEING TUNED] THERE IS SOME RESEARCH GOING ON ABOUT WHAT MAKES INSTRUMENTS GOOD INSTRUMENTS, AND THERE''’S A GROUP OF PEOPLE USING AN MRI MACHINE ON A VIOLIN TO TAKE A SCAN, AND THEN THEY HAVE MADE MOVIES WHERE YOU ARE WATCHING THEM AS THE CAMERA MOVES THROUGH THE INSTRUMENT.

YOU CAN SEE THE THICKNESSES OF THE PLATES AND HOW THEY VARY, AND YOU CAN SEE LIKE WHEN THE CORNERS COME IN, AND YOU CAN SEE THE SOUND POSTS, AND YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THESE THINGS.

IT''’S REALLY INTERESTING.

TRUSCOTT: NOW, THE PLACEMENT OF THE F-HOLES IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

THE SIZE OF THE F-HOLES IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

YOU CAN ACTUALLY TAKE THIS-- THIS SECTION HERE, AND WITH THE WOOD THAT''’S CUT AWAY, IT ENABLES THE-- THE WOOD TO FLEX.

AND THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE SOUNDING POINT OF THE INSTRUMENT.

GOMEZ-IBANEZ: IF THEY DON''’T HAVE A BACKGROUND IN VIOLIN OR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS, WE GIVE THEM LESSONS, BECAUSE WE FEEL THAT THEY NEED TO HAVE AT LEAST A RUDIMENTARY ABILITY TO PLAY THE INSTRUMENT FOR THEM TO BE GOOD MAKERS.

TRIBBLE: IN OUR MODERN WORLD, PEOPLE DON''’T THINK ABOUT WHERE THINGS COME FROM.

PEOPLE DON''’T THINK ABOUT HOW THEY''’RE MADE.

PEOPLE DON''’T THINK ABOUT EVEN WHERE THEIR FOOD COMES FROM.

AND IT''’S SO NICE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SOMETHING AND KNOW THAT I MADE IT FROM THE BEGINNING TO END, AND, LIKE, THIS IS WHERE IT CAME FROM, AND THIS IS HOW I GOT THERE.

AND I THINK THERE''’S A LOT OF VALUE IN THAT.

IT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT.

TRUSCOTT: VIOLIN-MAKING, FOR ALL THESE LITTLE THINGS, I THINK YOU HAVE TO BE... JUST INTUITIVE, YOU KNOW?

AND JUST KIND OF TAKE THINGS ON-- ON THE--TO WHAT YOU FEEL ABOUT THEM.

TRIBBLE: I HAD NO IDEA HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS BEFORE I STARTED SCHOOL.

YOU KNOW, YOU START WITH A CHUNK OF WOOD AND IN THE END, YOU END UP WITH A VIOLIN.

I MEAN, THAT''’S-- THAT''’S AMAZING.

[LAUGHS] HOW--HOW DOES THAT WORK?

I MEAN, IT''’S ALMOST LIKE MAGIC.

WOMEN: ♪ ''’TIS A GIFT TO BE SIMPLE ♪ ♪ ''’TIS A GIFT TO BE FREE ♪ ♪ ''’TIS A GIFT TO COME DOWN WHERE YOU OUGHT TO BE ♪ ♪ AND WHEN YOU FIND YOURSELVES IN THE PLACE JUST RIGHT ♪ ♪ ''’TWILL BE IN THE VALLEY OF LOVE AND DELIGHT ♪ ♪ WHEN TRUE SIMPLICITY IS GAINED ♪ ♪ TO BOW AND TO BEND WE SHAN''’T BE ASHAMED ♪ ♪ TO TURN, TURN WILL BE OUR DELIGHT ♪ ♪ TILL BY TURNING, TURNING, WE COME ROUND RIGHT ♪ CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY CRAFT IN AMERICA, INC.