Craig Nutt’s first serious exposure to furniture occurred while working in antique period furniture restoration. His current work, though in his words “fairly radical,” still is functional. “Utility can … animate a work. The way you interact with a piece of furniture adds a dimension that a purely sculptural object may not have. A cabinet holds the mystery of what is inside … When you open it, is what you see unexpected?” Nutt also is inspired by his 45 years living in the South. “The South I have experienced is connected to its rural roots, even in the city. Everyone grows a garden. When I started growing a garden, about the time I started making furniture, I gained a way to connect with people here… the use of

vegetable images in my work is related to the role gardening played in connecting me to place.”

“I do value uniqueness and innovation, and try to find innovative approaches to my work. At the same time I try to keep my work grounded. So, I do not do things to be different, but to express things that are personal - that I think are interesting. From a purely personal point of view, I can say that I approach my work with an innovative and inventive perspective.”

“I have worked on a related body of work far longer than I would have imagined when I started – to the point that I developed a personal visual vocabulary. I think the work has achieved a certain refinement because of the time I have spent refining that vocabulary. Thirty-five years ago, I wanted everything to be new, shocking, and edgy. Now I want to see if I can get it really right.”