Hurry up and Apply! CraftTexas 2012 Call for Artists Closes March 15th!

The CraftTexas 2012 call for artists will soon be coming to an end. All of us at HCCC encourage every one of you procrastinators out there to hurry up and submit your applications before March 15th.

The CraftTexas series began in 2002 and is one of the most significant exhibitions in the Texas craft community. For HCCC, it is an event deeply rooted in the core mission of our organization, and it serves as a starting place for the general public to appreciate the depth and breadth of craft being made in our own communities and across the state. To me, the excitement comes in seeing the incredible variety of work being created across Texas. Every craft medium is represented, and the show includes both functional and non-functional work. The historic traditions and legacy of craft can be seen along with works that exemplify contemporary conceptual craft.

When I was thinking about writing this blog post, I began to wonder about the artists who participated in CraftTexas 2010 and where their careers have taken them. So, I sent an email to a few of the artists who participated two years ago, asking them for an update and a photo or two of new work. Although my request was a little last minute, I received three responses! Catherine Winkler Rayround, Kira Kalondy and Rebekah Frank sent me brief statements summarizing their current artistic endeavors and accomplishments. Keep reading below to learn more about these artists, and, if you’re an artist, we hope you’ll apply for Craft Texas 2012!

Catherine Winkler Rayroud, Award of Merit winner for CraftTexas 2010, practices the art of paper cutting. In an email response to me, she wrote:

“Winning the merit award at CraftTexas 2010 was very important for me and led to some other wonderful opportunities. The same year, I won a juror’s award at CraftForms 2010, taking place at the Contemporary Craft Center in Wayne, PA, which was followed by another merit award at the 25th International Juried Show taking place at the Visual Arts Center in Summit, NJ. These two shows had jurors coming from the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and the Guggenheim Museum in New York. The interesting thing with my paper cuttings is that I seem to constantly be able to cross the fine line between craft and contemporary art, and I feel very privileged to have found a medium that enables me to express my feelings, but also allows me to be a mirror of what is happening in our world today.”

“I also have a passion for the history of paper cuttings, and so I have been invited to give lectures and talks about this intricate art, which crosses borders and is practiced in many parts of the world. Last year, a museum in Germany asked me to organize a juried exhibition for the Guild of American Papercutters, and this show should start in June of this year if all goes well. Last year again, June Woest, from Urban Artists (www.junewoest.com), asked me if I would like to make a billboard, which would be exhibited along Bellaire Boulevard during the summer of 2011. The billboard was called ‘Enjoying the Rat Race???’ and was a wonderful experience and a completely new field for me.  Recently, I was invited to have three of my paper cuttings in the show, The Art of Seduction, taking place at the Rouse Company Foundation Gallery at the Howard Community College in Maryland, and curated by Gail Brown, who was one of the jurors of CraftTexas 2010. So lots of good things have happened to me, and it is very humbling to be able to do what I love most--paper cutting--and be able to get some recognition for it. I also started ‘cutting’ a book about women, and we will see where this new journey takes me.”

To read more about Catherine, visit http://www.catherinewinkler.com/Catherinewinkler/Home.html

Catherine Rayroud. Mama Rebel Biker.  26" x 18.5". Photo by C. Winkler Rayroud.

Catherine Rayroud. Billboard: “Enjoying the Rat Race??? Photo by C. Winkler Rayroud.

Kira Kalondy, is a ceramic artist and metalsmith, who responded:

“After 2010, when I was selected to be included in Craft Texas 2010, I was also selected for the juried show, Texas National 2010, and was awarded an honorable mention by juror Judy Pfaff. Also, I was part of the 5th Annual Intercollegiate Metals Exhibition held by Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ, and was awarded fourth place in the sculpture category. Besides this, I had a solo show called New Ceramics at Mary Hardin Baylor University in Belton, TX.”

“In 2011, I participated in some group shows, to name a couple: Sculpting Space at Goldesberry Gallery, in Houston, TX; Emerging Artists in Texas at College of the Mainland in Texas City, TX; and I also taught a two-day ceramic workshop at College of the Mainland.”

“Right now I am about to finish a Museum Studies Certificate from Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) in Nacogdoches, TX, and I work as the Event Coordinator for the SFASU Art Galleries (The Cole Art Center and the Griffith Gallery). This month of March, I have a solo show called Fusion at Lone Star College – Montgomery County in Conroe, Texas. The show runs from March 5-30, with a closing reception on the 29th.”

Be sure to check out her webpage at www.kirakalondy.com.

Kira Kalondy, Génesis. Ceramic, 9” x 22.5” x 12.5”, 2012. Photo by Christopher Talbot.

Kira Kalondy, Amanecer. Ceramic, 15” x 22” x 18”, 2012. Photo by Christopher Talbot.

Kira Kalondy, Lapislázuli. Ceramic, 10” x 22” x 23”, 2012. Photo by Christopher Talbot.

Rebekah Frank, a jeweler and metalsmith from Wimberly, TX, shared the following:

“I am currently at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, graduating in May with an MFA in Metalsmithing. I am working on a body of work, Catenate Collection, that will be shown at the Cranbrook Museum as part of the Degree Show exhibition. I will have work in the traveling exhibition, Mirror, Mirror, which will be shown at Espace Solidor in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France, and Velvet da Vinci in San Francisco, California.”

You can find more of Rebekah’s work on her website: http://rebekahfrank.com/home.html

Rebekah Frank. Catenate Collection, Various Necklaces, 2012.
Steel, 18 karat gold or silver solder. Photo Credit: Rebekah Frank

--Ashley Powell, HCCC Curatorial Assistant

Soundforge: In Process (Updates # 4 & #5)

This fall, HCCC will premier a work two years in the making. In the fall of 2009, while still in residence, metalsmith Gabriel Craig began collaborating with Houston-based music composer, Michael Remson. Their project, Soundforge, will be an interactive, multimedia installation that explores forging metal as both a means of fabrication and an act of percussion. Gabriel Craig has graciously agreed to give us regular updates from his studio on the fabrication of the project.

The feet were cut from 1/8 in. steel sheet in a pyramidal pattern, tact welded together,
seam welded on the inside, then welded cosmetically on the outside corners
before being ground. They were then welded to the armature at right.

Update #4

In my artistic process, there are several galvanizing moments in each project that energize me and allow me to proceed in what is an otherwise difficult and trying vocation. The first of these moments is always the conception of the project, that initial spark of an idea. “Hey, what if I …” In Soundforge, I am well past that now. The second moment usually occurs well into the fabrication of a work and is the realization that, yes, the initial idea can, and is currently, being realized. Call it a moment of actualization.

Welding the first foot onto the armature newel.

I had that actualizing moment recently, as I completed fabricating the feet of the armatures for Soundforge. After some fitting and situating, I welded them on and, behold, Soundforge can stand! Having no previous large-scale steel fabrication experience, this was trying. With silver, I could just force the thing into place; however, plate steel has a much stronger will. The fact that, structurally, the work functions is boon to confidence and more generally a milestone in the creation of the project. I can see it coming together, and I know, finally, that it will work.

It is these energizing moments – where vision meets reality, where the hand approximates the imagination – that make being an artist worth the doldrums. Yes, I know that is a bit cliché, but it is true. I had one of those moments, and I am sharing it. Soundforge stands!

A shot of the first free-standing armature just inside my studio,
adjacent to my lush mid-western garden.

Update #5

Since my last update, I have welded three-inch vertical supports onto the armature cross
braces. This has increased the overall sturdiness of the armatures and
also created a logical space for decoration.

The past few weeks have been among my favorite on the project. A lot of the tedious and trying fabrication is done, and now I am at the anvil all day – every day. I am making small forgings, listening to music and books on tape, losing myself for hours as I sweat in the near-hundred-degree heat of my shop. It’s not Texas-hot to be sure, but 90 degrees with 90-percent humidity, plus a forge running, is not exactly mild.

After forging 36 three-inch ornamental finials, I worked on
their layout within the 3 x 12 inch frames on the armature.

My interest and love of moving metal is at least in part why I got into this project, and I have been able to watch myself improve in strength, stamina and toughness everyday. Manual labor, in any form, can be a meditation, but aside from enjoying the work, I am intermittently aware of the battle between the work and my body. Hard labor has a decidedly penal connotation in my mind, but I think there can be no other way to describe forging such thick material, by hand, for such durations. Don’t mistake this for a complaint, because I do not loathe the work, but rather it has caused me to consider labor as more than simply a romantic extension of my idyllic principals.

I have also been meaning for a while to sneak in a shot on my studio assistant,John Eagan.
A recent graduate of the metals program at Wayne State University in Detroit, John has been a
huge help working with me two days a week since June. John has helped me with a lot of the heavy forging,
wielding a sledge, since I don’t have a power hammer. He is also meticulous, as any respectable
metalsmith should be. Here, he is drilling holes in a newel for the cable that will suspend the keys.

There is a cost to smithing – beyond the material and the tools, that is. Smithing is bought in scale burns, calluses and stinging hands in the morning. The cost of 36 finials is that of aching joints, tired feet and singed arm hairs. But for each hammer blow, I am more tenacious, sinewy and graceful in my work. Forging might cost more physically than most other forms of manual labor, but there is something compelling about the hammer, which makes it perhaps the most revered tool throughout human history. It draws people in. Most people think wielding a hammer is about power – the sledge in the carnival game where one tries to ring a bell. Yes, power is the hammer’s attraction; it is a tool that reflects our aspirations of strength. It is also, perhaps, the simplest of all hand tools. However, this is deceiving because anyone worth their salt with a hammer knows that strength does not matter if you miss your target. To watch someone experienced with a hammer is nearly always a moment of wonder. Everyone can understand the simplicity of the hammer--you swing it, and you move something. In the hands of an expert, we can see skill personified; we recognize an unpretentious tool performing extraordinary work. The hammer is the ultimate vernacular tool, and it is the efficient use of it, as an action or performance, which allows us to see skill manifest.

Here are a few of the ornaments welded onto the armature. It really does
give a visual weight to the work. Once the newel finials and keys are in place, the armatures
will have a much more substantial feel. Compositionally, I feel like I am doing a line drawing in iron.

When Michael Remson and I set out on this odyssey, I think that we wanted to capture forging as a performative action that both embodies and demonstrates skill. In itself, this is a complete thought. However, no matter the efficiency or inexperience of the person wielding the hammer, striking will always make a sound. Hammering is a multivalent action in this way. I think we are just a few short weeks away from demonstrating this and also seeing how far that idea can be pushed. On one level, hammering aspires to extreme skill, but on another level, it participates in a much different conversation. But that is for another post…  

--Gabriel Craig

What are the current AIRs up to?

This week, we stopped by the Artist-in-Residence studios to find out what they’re working on. Next time you visit us, make sure to stop by to meet the artists and learn about their current and upcoming projects! 


After a great feature in the Houston Chronicle last month and the jewelry she displayed at our Martini Madness! Kickoff Party at ROAK, metalsmith and mixed-media artist, Kristi Rae Wilson, has been very busy.  Recently, we caught her carefully soldering an armature for the piece pictured below.

Kristi Rae Wilson working in her studio at HCCC.




Kristi Rae Wilson soldering silver.


Part of Kristi Rae Wilson’s studio at HCCC.

The soldered armatures above are attached to the pink piece in the
middle.

Ceramic artists, Marcia Erickson and Jamie Diaz, have been with us for just a couple of months, but they have jumped on board quickly and are busy making martini glasses for our upcoming Martini Madness! 10th Birthday Bash on September 22! Marcia told us she has been implementing new patterns and colorful glazes into her work, and every time we walk by Jamie’s studio, she’s working on the wheel!

Ceramic artist Marcia Erickson 
in her studio at HCCC,
showing us 
her handmade martini glasses.
Look at the colors and textures!

Jamie Diaz in her studio at HCCC, working on the wheel…




Jamie Diaz making martini glasses for Martini Madness!
We’re looking forward to seeing the finished pieces!

We found metalsmith and jewelry designer, Lisa Wilson, working on one of her latest pieces outside, in the Craft Garden.

Lisa Wilson finishing up a commissioned 
piece made of copper.




Jessica Dupuis has been working on a new piece for this fall’s Artist Hall show, In Residence 2010, in which 2010 artists-in-residence will display new works.  Join us on September 30 for the opening reception, where you’ll see all of our new fall exhibitions, including Beyond Useful and Beautiful: Rethinking Domestic Craft and Soundforge.

Jessica Dupuis working on her latest piece.

To learn more about our current Artists-in-Residence and the AIR Program, click here. To find out more about our Martini Madness! 10th Birthday Bash, follow this link.

All photos courtesy of HCCC.

Soundforge: In Process (Update #3)

This fall, HCCC will premier Soundforge, a work two years in the making. In the fall of 2009, while he was an artist-in-residence at HCCC, metalsmith Gabriel Craig began collaborating with Houston-based music composer Michael Remson. Their project, Soundforge, will be an interactive, multimedia installation that explores forging metal as both a means of fabrication and an act of percussion. Gabriel Craig has graciously agreed to give us regular updates from his studio on the fabrication of the project. You can read update #1 here, and update #2 here. 

Still image from Soundforge Preview Clip

While work continues in the studio on the armatures, I thought in this installment I would share a sneak peek at the video component that will be part of the work. Click here to see the video.

Soundforge: In Process (Update #2)

This fall, HCCC will premier Soundforge, a work two years in the making. In the fall of 2009, while he was an artist-in-residence at HCCC, metalsmith Gabriel Craig began collaborating with Houston-based music composer Michael Remson. Their project, Soundforge, will be an interactive, multimedia installation that explores forging metal as both a means of fabrication and an act of percussion. Gabriel Craig has graciously agreed to give us regular updates from his studio on the fabrication of the project. Click here to read update # 1.

In creating the physical work for Soundforge, the first problem to solve was how to assemble a portable armature that could support the musical keys. The original concept renderings I did called for gate-like structures with curvilinear ornaments, influenced by 18th- and 19th-Century European ironwork. In early 2011, as I began to listen to Michael Remson’s early drafts of the musical score, it became clear that I would need to redesign the ornamentation to fit with the sharp, pulsing, rhythmic soundscape he was creating.

The design featured in this early concept rendering has been
overhauled to mirror the aesthetics of the soundscape more closely.  

For both logistical and aesthetic reasons, one of the first changes I made was to make the armatures modular and able to be disassembled to allow for easy transport and installation. I solved this problem by giving the cross braces of the three armatures threaded tenon ends, by drilling the newels and forging, drilling, and tapping custom pyramidal nuts.

Threaded tenons allow the armatures to come apart for easier transport.

Forging those tenons by hand seemed like a good idea at the time, but it took almost two weeks, even with the help of my studio assistant, John Eagan. It took another workweek to thread the uneven hand-forged tenons, not to mention the fact that I went through five cutting dies! The nuts were a bit easier, though hand forging one-inch steel stock is no picnic either—I am not big, nor particularly strong, just tenacious. The result is very functional, though, and, upon seeing the first armature assembled, I am beginning to get excited as the project comes together.

These tapered ends were cut off…

…chamfered, drilled, tapped, and countersunk in order to
transform them into fastening nuts for the armature.

A close-up image of the armature’s mechanics.

The armature standing for the first time!
It still needs feet and ornaments, but that is for another post.

Soundforge: In Process (Update #1)

This fall, HCCC will premier Soundforge, a work two years in the making. In the fall of 2009, while he was an artist-in-residence at HCCC, metalsmith Gabriel Craig began collaborating with Houston-based music composer Michael Remson. Their project, Soundforge, will be an interactive, multimedia installation that explores forging metal as both a means of fabrication and an act of percussion. Gabriel Craig has graciously agreed to give us regular updates from his studio on the fabrication of the project.

Artist rendering of the proposed installation in HCCC’s Small Gallery, 2010.

Soundforge is physically and logistically the largest project I have ever undertaken. That, in itself, makes me anxious. However, I have heard it said that if you are comfortable in what you are doing, you are not growing. The ambitious scale of the physical work, along with the deep involvement of other collaborators, is a challenge in the truest sense. I hope, at the end of September, we can all see how this challenge was met.

After living in Houston, I moved to Savannah, Georgia, for three months to be the Artist-in-Residence at the Savannah College of Art and Design, and then returned to my native Detroit after nearly a decade away. Over the harsh, cold winter, I set up a small iron shop in my garage that is now only just equipped to handle the task at hand. I built the shop from the ground up for this project. I started by buying a welder, a 200 lb anvil (affectionately named Bernice for my deceased grandmother), and fabricating a forge. With these tools, I knew I could build the rest of the tools I would need to actually start building the project.

Left: the fabricated steel structure of a propane forge with a foam mold being prepared for insulation.
Right: the cast refractory in interior and painting completed.

Test firing the forge.

Bernice, a 200 lb. anvil from 1903,
remilled, refinished, repainted, and stenciled as
the Art Deco beauty she was. Be still, your beating heart.

The Shop, finally put together, and featuring: a Mig welder, an abrasive chop saw,
anvil, welding table, drill press, forge, shelving, hand tools, etc.

My training as a jeweler, my dedication to exploring the margins of craft, and my somewhat limited exposure to blacksmithing techniques allowed me to dream my way into this project, but I am constantly struggling to prove I am technically equal to the challenge. After 10 years as a metalsmith and several summer flings with blacksmithing, any naivety I had about the difficulty of blacksmithing has now been dispelled. Summer is here in Michigan, and I find myself every day in the shop, no longer building tools, but finally building the work. Let the pain (work) begin…

Six (of 30) hand-forged tenons.
These will eventually act as lateral braces for the armatures.

What is your favorite piece in the exhibit "Lisa Gralnick: The Gold Standard"?

With the closing of Lisa Gralnick: The Gold Standard at the end of the month, we decided to ask the staff to share their favorite pieces from this expansive exhibition, which is comprised of Gralnick’s work from the past seven years. The show is up through Saturday, May 28, 2011. If you’ve visited the show, please share your favorites in the comments below!

Julie Farr, Executive Director, writes about enjoying the works in Part I: Commodification and the Sensible Economy. She loves that Gralnick honors the original intent of the gold by preserving people’s sentimentally charged objects as plaster artifacts of emotion.

Communications Director, Mary Headrick, is fascinated by all of Part I: Commodification and the Sensible Economy. "I like the dual effect of first seeing a piece that is visually intriguing and then reading the text, which gives each piece a deeper meaning. After you see a few pieces, the whole concept really clicks. They're all so clever. My favorites are probably Rhinoplasty, Zoloft, and the Italian Shoes.

Education Director, Carol Klahn, chose the Coin Collection Picture Gallery in Part III: Transubstantiation and the Historicized Object as her favorite because of her love of art history. She loves the ambiguity of the tiny paintings and that many of them seem to be variations on historical designs. She enjoys that there are many things that are familiar about the designs of the miniature gouache paintings, but that it is hard to pinpoint all of the influences. She also likes these because she is a fan of gouache paintings and loves the way they contrast with their gold frames.

An avid coffee drinker, Volunteer Coordinator, Marina Lewis enjoys Lisa Gralnick's #7 Starbucks Coffee. It reminds her of how expensive coffee can be and to enjoy it.

Lisa Gralnick, The Gold Standard Part I: #6 Zoloft (detail)
Plaster, gold and acrylic, Photo by: Jim Escalante

Curatorial Assistant, Ashley Powell, chose #6 Zoloft in Part I: Commodification and the Sensible Economy. She found the piece to be clever and a bit humorous because the artist has managed to put a price or value on happiness / mental health. She also likes the way Gralnick used only a portion of the gold needed to equal the monetary value on the medicine bottles, and with the rest of the gold she made a beautiful necklace with beads in the shape of Zoloft pills.

Asher Gallery Manager, Suzanne Sippel’s favorite is #4 Violin in Part I: Commodification and the Sensible Economy. She appreciates this piece because it was cast from Gralnick’s own violin and the investment the artist has in this piece because of that incredibly personal touch. She also identifies with this piece because Gralnick is displaying herself as not only an artist but a musician as well.

Lisa Gralnick, The Gold Standard Part I: #4 Violin
Plaster, gold, violin strings and acrylic
Photo by: Jim Escalante

Asher Gallery Sales Associate and Gallery Attendant, M’kina Tapscott, chose # 3 Cell Phone in Part I: Commodification and the Sensible Economy as her favorite because this piece works on multiple layers. It is a historical account of technology because of its dated and antique look, resembling a home phone of today more than a cell phone. The work is also a documentation of the price of gold at that time and how it has increased over the years.

Asher Gallery Sales Associate, Zoya Tommy, likes the #1 Sink in Part I: Commodification and the Sensible Economy because it is the focal point of the show. She is interested in the way it’s positioned in the show and the way it stands out because of its isolation. She also appreciates this piece because of its domesticity and she has seen other works that use sinks and finds it interesting to see how different artists work with this subject.
 
#17 Duncan Painting in Frame in Part I: Commodification and the Sensible Economy is Curator, Anna Walker’s favorite. She appreciates that it is a reference to an art object, a painting in this case, and how the value would usually be based on the image. However, Gralnick has removed the image, causing the viewer to confront how we value art. Walker also likes how well executed the gold corner of the piece is, from transitions in texture from canvas to frame.

Jenny Lynn Weitz, Web and Marketing Assistant, likes every single piece from Part II: Phenomenology and Substantialism because of the heavily personal stories behind each melted item. “I think that Lisa did a great job cataloguing the owner’s reasoning for selling their valuable gold belongings to her to melt, and then create the pieces for Part III. Through the label descriptions, we can see that some of the items in Part II are there because of broken marriages, deceased relatives, economic hardship, all of which are incredible emotional, intriguing… it makes me want to know more about all the previous owners, see pictures of them or know how they feel about this exhibition.”

View of Part II: Phenomenology and Substantialism
Photo by Jack Zilker

Nyala Wright, Associate Director of Fundraising, chose the Fourteen Unusually Small Rings in Part III: Transubstantiation and the Historicized Object because of their delicateness and beauty. They make her wish she had tiny fingers so she could wear them.

If you've had a chance to visit the exhibition share your favorite below. We hope you will stop by to see this great show before it closes May 28!

Insight into Commonplace Artist Barbara Smith’s Keys

Barbara Smith has work in the current Artist Hall exhibition, Commonplace: Objects by Barbara Smith & Ryan Takaba, which ends Sunday, April 3, 2011. Smith recently received her MFA in Metal from State University of New York-New Paltz. She was gracious enough to take the time to explain her thoughts and process behind her works, which use a very common object: keys. 

Barbara Smith, TR47 USA, SC4, DO NOT DUPLICATE, Brown, (blank), Master, 622, DO NOT COPY SC9 (J&L), Chicago, Illinois, COO68, (blank), (blank), Master, DO NOT DUPLICATE, J, 23, AR4, USA1, GM, E71.
Brass, steel, masonite, pine, paint. 2010.
Photo by Ashley Powell, HCCC.

What do we do when a key becomes obsolete? When we move, get a new car, or buy a new padlock? Keys are familiar and intimate objects.  We carry them in a pocket or a bag. When we are not in transit, we set them aside in a special place.  We search for them when they are lost.  We give or share a key with someone we trust. The keys on a key ring are given order based on function. They are grouped based on place or frequency of use. They get me where I need to go and to where I should be. My key ring contains a narrative that only I can decode.

Barbara Smith, TR47 USA, SC4, DO NOT DUPLICATE, Brown, (blank), Master, 622, DO NOT COPY SC9 (J&L), Chicago, Illinois, COO68, (blank), (blank), Master, DO NOT DUPLICATE, J, 23, AR4, USA1, GM, E71.
Brass, steel, masonite, pine, paint. 2010.
Photo by Ashley Powell, HCCC.

To make TR47 USA, SC4, DO NOT DUPLICATE, Brown, (blank), Master, 622, DO NOT COPY SC9 (J&L), Chicago, Illinois, COO68, (blank), (blank), Master, DO NOT DUPLICATE, J, 23, AR4, USA1, GM, E71, I purchased a box of discarded keys.  The box came from Joplin, Missouri, marked “Rattle OK, keys.”  The contents of the box provoked a melancholic adoration.  Organized on rings, the keys were intensely personal assemblages of potential.  For two days I simply looked at the various configurations and reflected upon the individuals who had once used them. To who, where, and what did these keys belong?  Key chains told me about interests, travels, donations, brand loyalty, and banking preferences.  I looked at them long enough to know which set of keys gained two or more people access to the same places.  Here were people’s lives.  These lives were faceless, nameless, and timeless. While these keys could tell me a great deal, there was even more that I could never know. The history contained within them was both strange and familiar. Removing them from the key rings felt like dismantling a life.  The act of disrupting the order was accompanied by an acute sadness.  In touching them, I touched drawers, locks, and hands; in touching them, I did not know what I touched.

Untitled shots of work in progress, photo courtesy of the artist.

Keys are quiet carriers of intimate, personal narratives.  This latent information scattered as I removed the keys from their assigned places on the key rings.  Individual keys became absent and unknowable bodies and spaces. After cutting the blade away from every key, these fragments were recombined to give them a collective life.  I repetitively cut the keys apart and soldered them blade to blade. Progress was measured in small increments: the length of a line grew an inch at a time, and a pile of key heads on my bench grew to be a mound. Hundreds of keys combined to create a new, yet recognizable, form.  People and places met in a linear archive of tactile data.

Untitled shots of work in progress, photo courtesy of the artist.

When I sit down to make, my intention is to account for existence. Keys are intensely personal artifacts of this existence.  In TR47, each blade is a point along a timeline of thought and experience. Time, place, loss, and memory are reconsidered on both an individual and a collective level. When I gather, remake, and recombine keys, I participate in a fiction to both understand my own moment and express an understanding of my eventual absence.


Barbara Smith
http://www.borderlinebarbie.com/

Metalsmith Lisa Gralnick Speaks about “The Gold Standard”

Earlier this month, Houston Public Radio, KUHF, broadcast Bob Stevenson’s interview with artist and metalsmith, Lisa Gralnick, on their daily arts show, “The Front Row.”  Stevenson interviewed Gralnick when she was in town for the opening of her exhibition, The Gold Standard, which is on view at HCCC through May 28. This interview provides a wonderful overview of the exhibit, and we encourage you to listen to the extended version.

Also, if you want to hear a few one-to-two minute “sound bites” about some highlights from the show, Bellevue Arts Museum has been kind enough to provide audio clips of Lisa Gralnick discussing some of her works. Whether or not you are able to see the show in person, you have a chance to listen to the artist talk about her work and learn a little bit more about the ideas behind this impressive show.

Below are images of the pieces she talks about with an audio file below each image.

Lisa Gralnick, The Gold Standard Part III: Tool, Medical Device or Implement.
Recycled gold, and acrylic, 2007. Photo: Jim Escalante.

Lisa Gralnick, The Gold Standard Part III: Military Brooch, 1940.
Recycle gold, garnets and fragments of gold chain, 2007. Photo: Jim Escalante.

Lisa Gralnick, The Gold Standar Part III: Fourteen Unusually Small Rings.
Recycled gold, gemstones (amethyst, aquamarine, citrine, emerald, green amethyst, moissanite, morganite,
peridot, ruby, sapphire, sunstone, tanzanite, tourmaline), pearls, enamel, and acrylic, 2009. Photo: Jim Escalante.

Lisa Gralnick, The Gold Standard Part III: Foucault’s Panopticon.
Recycled gold, leather, mirror, and acrylic, 2010. Photo: Jim Escalante.