Modern Twist to an Age-Old Idea
The Washington Post, December 16 2007
By Benjamin Genocchio

A spiral-shaped vessel made of interlocking sections of reddish-brown mahogany flooring catches the eye in “Enclosures,” a new exhibition at the Grounds for Sculpture. Beautiful in appearance, innovative in its use of materials and skillful in its execution, this intriguing-looking object by Foon Sham stands as a symbol for the more than two dozen artworks in this delightful group show.

It could also stand as a symbol for a strand of contemporary art. Though it has no name, its chief characteristics are familiar: artwork exhibiting skill and careful hand finishing. Everywhere you look these days, artists are returning to the idea of craftsmanship as the foundation for art. It is an encouraging sign after years of formless conceptual nonsense.

At any rate, “Enclosures” offers many beautiful and well-made sculptures by four mid-career artists — Jon Isherwood, John Ruppert, Wendy Ross and Mr. Sham — who deal in one way or another with ideas of enclosed spaces. This is a modern twist on an old notion, for sculptural vessels and containers of various kinds have been at the heart of art-making since the dawn of time.

Mr. Sham patterns and layers the surface of his sculptures using woods of contrasting stains, textures and natural colors. That is clever, for it renders visible something we often take for granted in art: it makes us understand structure as material, or how surface and form connect.

This may seem like a small thing, but it is part of what makes Mr. Sham’s artworks stand out.