This sculpture is an example of an artwork made specifically for the Kamm Teapot Foundation. As patrons of the arts, Foundation trustees Sonny and Gloria Kamm make a point to commission contemporary artists to make a teapot for the collection, and especially seek works from artists who do not normally make teapots. One artist commissioned for this purpose is the Oakland, CA furniture maker and designer Garry Knox Bennett (American, b. 1934). His sculpture is a visual pun based on the word “teapot.” It takes the literal form of the letter “T” and includes a vitrine-encased bunch of cannabis cigarettes, also called “pot”. The sculpture also makes reference to traditional silversmithing, with its hollow-form construction and mirror-polished silver surface.
Bennett is an award winning, internationally known furniture maker and designer, with works shown in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Montreal Museum of Art, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Mint Museum of Art, and many other museums and private collections. He is known for making furniture from unconventional materials and whimsical, inventive designs. He also does metal plating and makes jewelry.
Further Reading: