Earl Krentzin (1929-2021) was a gentle dramatist and consummate prop master. As a Detroit native and one of the city’s most accomplished artists in silver he created theatrical settings in the round with a wry sense of humor and an appreciation of the absurdity of life.

As a virtuoso silversmith who poured his considerable talents into figurative sculpture, Krentzin is an anomaly in the world of modern craft, and is referred to as the Faberge of Detroit .

This richly illustrated monograph Taming the Beast offers the breadth of his creations, their noble deeds, dangerous undertakings, and simple pleasures of domestic life based on his love of toys, movement, the relationship between balance and imbalance, and the mechanical arts. Readers will find both humor and pathos in his theatrical settings and verisimilitude in every tiny detail. All will discover a modern master who used amusements and daydreams to unlock the imagination.

Two essays provide a fascinating insight into the work of Earl Krentzin and establish an art historical connection to his creative surroundings in Detroit.