Catch-up Part Three: A Pin for a Favorite

"Keep it in the Can" was an exhibition of the work of Bob Ebendorf at Equinox Gallery in San Antonio, TX in May. Months before that I was invited, along with many other wonderful artists, to make a pin for a Commemorative Pin Exhibition in honor of Bob. It was a surprise for Bob, unveiled at the opening of his show, and participants were asked to keep it a secret until then.

my pin for Bob
photo by Tara Locklear

I admire Bob very, very much. He's an incredible artist, a generous teacher, a wonderful person, and has taught me much in our all too brief moments together. He gave me one of my first critiques as a new resident artist at Penland and he was my partner when we juried "Hot Under the Collar," my first foray into curating. I felt truly privileged to be included in the pin exhibition.

one of Bob's mixed-media brooches

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Ache, A Work-in-Progress

the finished installation, "Ache"

My participation in "Off the Wall" at the ECU Metals Symposium couldn't have come at a better time. I've been moving an idea around in my mind for some new autobiographical one-of-a-kind work. I'm not going to detail the concept yet as I'm still figuring it out, but in the meantime here are a few pictures of the piece I made for the show as well as the statement. I used the opportunity to begin the process of working out the idea and also documenting where I am at right now.

The wall before I started...I marked the space with blue tape, then began hanging a collection of items, moving them around, adding and subtracting until it felt complete. I did not photograph every move because I felt it would take away from the process.

detail of drawing on a photocopy of a Victorian bustle

"I see my work as more than just jewelry, I see it as objects that tell the story of my artistic process. I work through ideas and problems and learn about the meaning of my work by collecting, arranging, and processing tangible visual cues, works-in-progress, and finished pieces. I like to place these things in a specific arrangement on a wall in my studio. These pieces from a paper doily to a maquette to a partially made brooch to a complete necklace is evidence that can be studied. Hanging these items on the wall allows me to process the collection every time I walk by it both consciously and subconsciously. Through deliberate and unintentional analysis I am able to recognize patterns, discover visual definitions, self-edit, and develop new ideas. This differs from off the wall study simply because the perspective is physically different. When the work and its accompanying inspirations are grouped together on a wall they create a visual map and further establish the basis for a visual dialogue as they are seen as a whole. I can see how they relate to one another far easier than if they are separate and laying on a table."

the show postcard

Participating artists were asked to create a piece for the wall under the confines of a 2' x 4' space. My piece includes several one-hour exercises I made in the spring, a paper doily, some free-writing, a few chains, a button, a brass teardrop, a drawing on a photocopy, a piece of patterned metal, and some twisted steel wire. Once the piece was done, I took photos and made a diagram so the arrangement could be easily duplicated during the install. You can see more pictures including ones from the opening and the other works here.

Thanks to Tara Locklear and Bob Ebendorf for inviting me! 

Thanks for reading.

Hot Under the Collar Revisited

I was looking through my photos the other day and realized I never posted these: a few images from jurying "Hot Under the Collar" with Bob Ebendorf. The image at the top shows us with pictures of the final pieces. We printed them so we could see how they worked together as a group side by side. It was hard to tell how the would look together just by looking at pictures on a screen. The prints proved to be a very helpful tool. I have also posted some pictures of the green chairs in the room--I loved them! Again, jurying this show was a great experience. It was fantastic to work with Bob and Liz Steiner, the organizer. It was a fascinating challenge to choose only 30 pieces from a rather large pool of about 400. I do hope I get to jury a show again.

Thanks for reading.

Hot Under the Collar Update

Bob Ebendorf

Hot Under the Collar, the exhibition I am co-jurying with Bob Ebdendorf at this year's SNAG conference, now has insurance AND the deadline for entries has been extended to February 1! Please follow this link to the call for entries. I would love to have a large selection of entries to choose from--the more the better in my opinion.

"Choker, collar, lariat, torque, pendant, the necklace is one of the most diverse formats available to metalsmiths today. Whether cascading down the front, or draped down the back, the possibilities are nearly endless. The human torso provides us with one of our largest canvases, while still keeping body as site.

From comments on the classic strand of pearls to contemporary takes on armor, this juried exhibition seeks to showcase how metalsmiths today interpret this incredibly versatile object.

Jurors: Robert Ebendorf (Belk Distinguished Professor at the East Carolina University Metal Design program) and Amy Tavern (studio artist and instructor).

"Hot Under the Collar" will be shown May 24-27, in conjunction with the 2012 SNAG conference. The exhibition will take place at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts (SCPA), in a large atrium, and is located just steps away from the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. Please note that SCPA will provide insurance.  Accepted works must arrive at SCPA on or before May 23, 2012. Return shipping costs must be covered by the artist either by pre-paid shipping label or by credit card. Work may also be picked up from SCPA at the end of the conference." (Necklace to right: Liz Steiner)

Email entries to Liz Steiner at hotunderthecollarshow@gmail.com subject "Necklace Show."

Thanks for reading.

Hot Under the Collar: SNAG Week Part 2

 

"Save Me From Myself" by Liz Steiner

I will jury an exhibition with Bob Ebendorf for the 2012 SNAG conference in Phoenix, AZ. The show, titled "Hot Under the Collar," will feature contemporary necklaces and was created by Liz Steiner, a recent MFA grad from East Carolina University. I am thrilled to be a part of this exhibition! Jurying has been in the back of my mind for some time now and I am excited that my first experience will be working with Bob. I think we will complement each other during the process and I look forward to working with him and Liz in the coming months. I am also excited to be involved with my community in this way. It is a opportunity to participate, to give back, and to promote the field and the work of my peers. There is an issue regarding the lack of insurance at the venue and steps are being taken to remedy the situation. Despite the controversy, I believe this troubling problem has come to the forefront for a reason and I truly hope that only good things will result in the end. If you are interested in reading about this, please visit the SNAG Facebook page.

Here is a description of the show followed by a link to the call for entry:

"Choker, collar, lariat, torque, pendant, the necklace is one of the most diverse formats available to metalsmiths today. Whether cascading down the front, or draped down the back, the possibilities are nearly endless. The human torso provides us with one of our largest canvases, while still keeping body as site.

From comments on the classic strand of pearls to contemporary takes on armor, this juried exhibition seeks to showcase how metalsmiths today interpret this incredibly versatile object."

You can find the call for entry and more information here. 

Thanks for reading.

Now THAT was good! ECU Symposium, Pt 1

There is so much to say about the ECU metals symposium "Material Topics: Shifting Traditions" which I attended over the weekend. In one word: fantastic. The event began Friday evening with two different openings including 20_3_20, an exhibition in which 20 different rings can be handled and tried on. My favorite rings were by Laura Wood and Joe Churchman. "Tin: The Element of Surprise" was also on view--alongside some great jewelry by Kat Cole, Marlene True, and Jane Wells Harrison, were several wall pieces by Margaret Couch Cogswell. Margaret just finished her Penland residency and since I have been missing her, I loved seeing her pieces. I also enjoyed the exhibition of student work. One of my favorite pieces was an enameled brooch by ECU grad student Tina Lazzarine. (Sorry I don't have a better image!) Finally, the display of Bob Ebendorf's spoon collection was fascinating to study.

Rings by Laura Wood and Joe Churchman from 20_3_20

student work exhibition

Brooch by Tina Lazzarine

Bob Ebendorf's spoon collection

I am still collecting my thoughts on the demonstrations and lectures and will write about them tomorrow.

More images on flickr.

Thanks for reading.

studio visitors

i've been really lucky to have had some amazing guests in my studio over the past few weeks since the penland summer sessions began. we've had some interesting conversations about jewelry and art, penland happenings, and they were also kind enough to talk about my work and my residency plans. i'm won't go into detail; there is just too much and i might bore you, but i will say these conversations gave me lots to think about and have made me even more excited to make my work. i want to say thanks to all of these wonderful people for sharing their precious and valuable time with me. the above photo is in my studio before one of these visits. i usually set up my table with things i've been working on so my guests can see what i've been up to. in brief...

leslie noell, a mixed media artist - we talked about my new life at penland and how i am adjusting to my surroundings, the busy/unpredictable/strange schedule, and the multitudes of new people i meet. we also talked about drawing or making marks on paper, something i am very interested in. leslie suggested some exercises to get my ideas going and advised me to start by working with what i know.
mary lee hu, my former jewelry professor from the university of washington - we talked about what "one-0f-a-kind" means because i am having a hard time defining it within my work. she suggested going bigger, for one. she also noted i need to find my "thing" and run with it.
anika smulovitz - this was my first time meeting anika and i really enjoyed getting to know her. we talked about things we are struggling with in our work and traded suggestions on pushing through, motivation, and idea generation.
bob ebendorf and jim meyer - we talked about trends or themes in jewelry and the overlap that can occur among artists. we discussed how important it is to know who's making what and the pros and cons of keeping up with what others are doing versus not looking at others' work to steer clear of overlap. it's tricky...
most recently susie ganch and christina miller were here teaching radical jewelry makeover. we talked about making jewelry, susie's experience as a penland resident (i met susie as a resident in 1999), and radical jewelry makeover. these two are some of my favorite people and i loved spending time with them!

thanks for reading.