Dynamic Design: Jay Hambidge, Mary Crovatt Hambidge, and the Founding of the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts and Sciences

Mary Crovatt Hambidge (1885–1973) was an aspiring actress and a professional whistler on Broadway when she met Canadian-born Jay Hambidge (1867–1924), an artist, illustrator, and scholar. They were from two different worlds, nearly a generation apart in age, and only together for ten years, but their lives intertwined at a pivotal moment in their development. They shared parallel goals to establish a place where they could integrate the arts and crafts around the principles of Dynamic Symmetry. The Hambidges prolific partnership and forward-thinking vision continue to aid and inspire generations of aspiring artists and artisans.

Format: Hardback
Length: 277 pages
Publication date: 15 January 2023
Publisher: University of Georgia Press

Mary Crovatt Hambidge, an aspiring actress and professional whistler on Broadway, met Canadian-born Jay Hambidge, an artist, illustrator, and scholar, in 1905. Their relationship blossomed into a romantic and artistic partnership, with Jay Hambidge formulating his artistic concept, Dynamic Symmetry. This concept applied the compositional rules found in nature's symmetry to art creation. Mary Hambidge pioneered innovative techniques of weaving and dyeing fabric, blending Greek methods with Appalachian weaving and spinning traditions.

In the mid-1930s, the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts and Sciences was established, providing an artists community nestled on six hundred rural acres in the north Georgia mountains. Here, hundreds of visual artists, writers, potters, composers, dancers, and other artists have pursued their crafts. Dynamic Design delves into Jay Hambidge and Mary Crovatt Hambidge's cross-cultural and cross-historical explorations, examining their lasting contributions to twentieth-century art and cultural history. Virginia Gardner Troy illustrates how Jay and Mary were both important independently and collectively, offering a broader understanding of their lives within the larger context of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century art and design.

Despite their differences in age and the short duration of their relationship, their lives intertwined at a pivotal moment in their development. They shared parallel goals to establish a place where they could integrate the arts and crafts around the principles of Dynamic Symmetry. Troy explores how Jay and Mary's ideas and artistic expressions have resonated with admirers throughout the decades, reflecting the trends and complexities of their time.

In conclusion, Jay Hambidge and Mary Crovatt Hambidge's partnership was a remarkable blend of romance, artistic innovation, and cultural exploration. Their contributions to Dynamic Symmetry, weaving techniques, and the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts and Sciences have left a lasting impact on the world of art and design. Through Dynamic Design, we gain a deeper understanding of their lives and the enduring resonance of their ideas, showcasing the power of cross-cultural collaboration and artistic expression.

Dimension: 267 x 216 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780820362724