A family emergency has my attention at the moment – I hope to get back to my regular routine in a couple of days. I’m holding on to this sentiment from Ralph Waldo Emerson and thought you might find some peace from it too:

“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” 

keep on keepin’ on by jon.allen on flickr

While I’m away please do visit the DAM archives where there are over 2,500 posts to inspire, motivate and delight you (you can find the dropdown menu for the archives in the sidebar, right under Tidbits).

Fold Bracelet, silver, stainless steel

Slide Ring, titanium, 18kt gold rivets, blue topaz

Spin Ring, gold, platinum, diamond

Fung’s engagement rings with diamonds that spin in their settings are interesting – but wouldn’t you be afraid of what might happen if the pin that holds the diamond in there became compromised? Worrying about that would be enough to make me fidget!

Glide Ring, stainless steel, 18kt gold rivets, garnet

Fold Necklace, stainless steel, silver

“Angela has always been drawn to movement, interaction between jewellery and wearer. The function, adaptability and an element of surprise play a very important role in her designs.”From the artist’s website

Kinetic objects are a continuing source of captivation and joy for me. Get comfortable and be prepared to smile – you are in for a treat this week as we celebrate several artists who create work meant for you to move and meant to move you.

Joanna Hemsley, pendant

There is an element of playfulness in kinetic jewelry that brings out the carefree child in me. We start the week with a jolt of color, a play on words and a few ‘creature’ comforts, beginning with the aptly titled series, ‘Inter{action}’ from England’s Joanna Hemsley. Her large collection of colorful, accordion-like rings, bracelets and necklaces can be worn closed if you are in a quiet mood – but be sure to open the pop-up centers if you are looking to start a conversation.

Joanna Hemsley, bracelet, ring

Joanna Hemsley, ring

“I am intrigued by creation and the beginning of life; plant shoots breaking through concrete, and creating a pocket of life from nothing. I am also inspired by the magic of pop-up and the playful transformation of three dimensional forms growing from a flat plane before disappearing again.” Joanna Hemsley

I find it impossible to look at Sarah Doremus’ kinetic jewelry without laughing out loud. She skillfully plays with us, plays with words, and laughs with us at our human limitations.  Love it.

Sarah Doremus, Self Congratulatory Ring

Sarah Doremus, Self Fanning Ring

Sarah Doremus, Queen Elizabeth Wave Ring

“I like to use my work to create a sort of tongue in cheek play on the human condition. Using words, puns or expressions in combination with physical representation of form I want to poke fun at our collective angst-ridden human condition: Not to minimize or diminish its impact but rather put it in perspective and by doing so remove the perceived anxiety; Basically, to render it impotent.” Sarah Doremus

Japanese born Rie Taniguchi makes lighthearted articulated pins, rings, pendants and objects. Some do double duty, all bring smiles. Taniguchi’s site has an extensive portfolio dating back to 1995. Spend some time browsing through the archives to see many more gems.

Rie Taniguchi, Peagons

Rie Taniguchi, Penguin Chick Pin and Pendant

Rie Taniguchi, Donkis

Rie Taniguchi, Donkis Dismantled

Rie Taniguchi, Fairy Pin

“She finds jewellery and poetry have a similar essence. They are both small and concentrated, so that can be carried with you mentally and physically. They are full of metaphor and very personal.” From Rie Taniguchi’s Website

Previous kinetic jewelry posts from DAM here and here.

Later this week kinetic meets geometry meets industrial meets…you. And Synergy2, Part2 (nope, I didn’t forget – and here’s Synergy2 Part1 in case you missed it).  Time for me to go play – see you soon!

Out To Lunch, oil, sculpture, fabric, paper, found objects on canvas, 30″ x 40″

Sculpting high relief faces and other details on her Peoplescapes allows Calef to literally add depth to the characters she paints as she addresses cultural, political and spiritual issues facing society today. The last image on this post gives you an idea of scale – I wonder if she is using polymer clay or an air dry clay for the sculpts?

Check, Please, oil, sculpture, fabric, found objects, jewelry on canvas 36″ x 36″

“By juxtaposing people in recognizable places and situations, each painting weaves together a story about contemporary life, filled with layers of detail, symbolism and humor.” Nancy Calef

Live Show, oil, sculpture, fabric, found objects, leather on canvas 24″ x 36″

Read an interview with the artist on The Art List

Invisible Cities, cut Tyvek, 9 yards long (click image to see it large)

The scale of the paper cuttings (she uses Tyvek for its durability) is almost impossible to capture in pictures – you really have to see them in person or look closely at the many detail pictures on her website of the many different parts of each cutting. The work is stunning not just because of the intricacy of the cuts, but the ideas and stories that she develops through these silhouettes.

Invisible Cities, detail (click image to learn more about this papercutting)

“My “Invisible Cities” are three nine-yard long papercuttings completed in 2008. I cut the three layers together, then separately. While the skylines are similar, the papercuttings show different versions of a world in transition. The “whole nine yards” format requires viewers to discover the territories as in an atlas, where every place is connected.” Bèatrice Coron

Heavens , cut Tyvek
(part of an installation titled “Hells and Heavens” – see more about this piece below)

“My silhouettes are a language I have developed over the years; my point of view is both detailed and monumental. Cutting from a single piece of material, the profusion of individual stories creates a coherent universe.” Bèatrice Coron

Heavens, detail

“In my graphic style, windows are used not to see out but in, placing the spectator in an outsider/insider situation. Shadows, reminiscent of film noir and voyeurism, leaves room for multiple interpretations.” Bèatrice Coron

This 2 minute video was shot by the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD), where Coron’s “Heavens and Hells” is part of the exhibition “Slash: Paper Under the Knife” (until April 4, 2010). She cut the piece during a three-week residency at the museum last year and in the video she is shown cutting part of the Tyvek installation as she talks about the meaning behind the work.  There is also a mind boggling time-lapse sequence of the work. More about “Heavens and Hells” here.

Born and raised in Austria, Kaiser spent many years in Hong Kong after college, eventually settling in England where she maintains a studio. Dramatic. Bold. Dynamic.

Spires
hand dyed metallic organza, cable ties, threads, velvet

Twist
hand dyed silk/viscose velvet & metallic organza, silk dupion, linen loom cord, electrical cable, copper pipe, threads, sprung wire

Yellow Pod
hand dyed silk/viscose velvet, & metallic organza, electrical cable, silk dupion, threads

Orange Form
hand dyed silk/viscose velvet & metallic organza, silk dupion, linen loom cord, threads

Trilogy in Blue
hand dyed silk/viscose velvet & metallic organza, linen loom cord, threads, electrical cable

Salutation, brooch

Salutation, detail

La Passion, sculpture

Brooch

Douxpiquants, brooch

Promenadebucolique, sculpture

“Diverting them from their usual context, they take a new direction. They take shape in unlikely juxtapositions, sometimes to the verge of collapse, calling or referring to an absent body, dreamed, fantasized. Traces of life, steeped in contradiction, oscillating between strength and weakness, attraction and repulsion, pain and stroke, sacrifice and offering.”

More of Lemaire’s work at Galerie-Orfeo

The Conference

Synergy2 offered many things including a rich learning environment; a feast of vivid, well-executed art; an exciting, sophisticated conversation between passionate, intelligent, experienced master level artists and a variety of other equally passionate interested parties.  At the end of this post you will find links to images of the work that was on display and further commentary from others about what resonated with them. Today I want to focus on one area of discussion that speakers touched on during the conference and that I believe is critical at this point in the history of the medium: The pursuit of excellence.

Jeff Dever, Nestled Repose, polymer clay, 2010 Niche Award Winner

The Commitment

Bruce Pepich joined the crowd of more than 250 people as both a guest speaker and a panel participant.  As Executive Director and Curator of Collections for the Racine Art Museum (RAM), Pepich has assembled one of the most significant contemporary craft collections in the nation.  Elise Winters, who has persevered in her efforts to elevate polymer as a credible art medium, describes the relationship with RAM, explaining that “Bruce is currently planning a major museum exhibition complete with hardcover catalog to accompany the establishment of a permanent collection of polymer art at RAM. When his vision is realized, RAM will become the national center for the elevation, exhibition, and academic study of our chosen artistic medium.”

Elise Winters, Red Cascade RUFFLE Neckpiece, polymer clay

Winters and Pepich make a formidable team and we should be deeply grateful for this level of commitment from Winters, the Racine Art Museum and several other museums who have followed Pepich’s lead, acquiring smaller collections of polymer art for their permanent collections. It is indicative of just how far the medium has come in a relatively short period of time, but read on – we have an obligation to ourselves, to RAM, to the medium – we still have work to do.

Bruce Pepich, Rachel Carren, Kathleen Dustin

The Lesson

Pepich compared polymer’s journey with another medium that shared a similar journey as it sought its rightful place in the world of fine craft. The glass art movement was, at one point in its history, where we are today. Pepich talked about the undeniable fact that the glass art movement’s successful evolution has culminated in an important body of “competent, respected work that has broken boundaries” in the fine craft world. He went on to say that it is time for us to “think much broader than the medium”; time to “pull as many resources and references as possible outside of the techniques.” What I heard is that if we want to be taken seriously, we must first take ourselves seriously and rise to the challenges that lie ahead.

The Challenge (maybe two…)

Pepich boldly challenged us, saying “Don’t be afraid of excellence.” A glorious challenge, perhaps matched only by Kathleen Dustin’s when she asked the polymer artists present to consider making a museum quality piece as a way of elevating their own work and assisting the medium on its journey. Dustin was ultimately encouraging artists who are using this medium to think differently about their work; to think bigger than the medium; to think on a higher level – reminding us that it’s not just about selling.

A valuable conversation, but these challenges raise some questions:  How do we begin the process of thinking bigger than the medium? How does one go about making work that is museum quality? And heck,  isn’t the pursuit of excellence SCARY?

Kathleen Dustin, Nature Fix, polymer clay
3’h x 3’w x 9”d [yes, you read that right, each pod is 3 FEET high]

The Example

This brings me back to Pepich’s reference to glass art.  As I listened to him speak I was reminded of an artist who was part of that important journey many years ago.  Paul Stankard is one of the world’s master glass artists and “a member of the pioneering generation of glass artists in America.” He was both witness to, and a participant in, the history of the studio glass movement.  In his book, No Green Berries or Leaves, he writes about the importance of seeing and experiencing great works of art if one hopes to make good art.  A champion of commitment, exposure to great art, practice and perseverance, Paul is passionate about the necessity of growing in artistic maturity and his views on the long-term value of a focused education and how one achieves excellence in art making are compelling and worth noting – regardless of your chosen medium.

Paul Stankard, Mountain Laurel Bouquet Orb,
flameworked elements encapsulated in clear glass

“Excellence transcends categories and whether a piece is glass sculpture in the fine arts tradition, a murrini, a marble, a goblet, a paperweight or a bead, if one’s work is personal and is made well, it will be respected by informed art enthusiasts and other artists.” Paul Stankard

The Formula

Bruce Pepich challenged us, asking us to put aside our fear of excellence and I think Paul Stankard, who has been in pursuit of excellence in glass art for almost 50 years, has a valid formula that can assist us as we move forward. The pursuit of excellence requires a commitment of time, effort and resources. Many people think the artists who rise to the top do so because they have talent, and I agree with Jeff Dever’s theory that “90% of talent is seat time and sweat equity.” However, I maintain that first you must move away from the familiarity and comfort of your ’seat’ and educate yourself about Art with a capital A and Craft with a capital C.

You are reading Daily Art Muse, which has become a rich, global resource for examples of handcrafted excellence accessed by art students, makers and collectors, so you have some understanding of what I mean. Paul Stankard helps his students (and anyone who is serious about making good art) mature as artists by encouraging them to develop an informed artistic vocabulary. His message is clear: Study art in museums, galleries, art history classes, lectures. Become a student of nature, one of the most powerful sources of inspiration for artists. Consider pursuing graduate level education in art.  Maintain a steady, consistent reaching and stretching outside of your artistic comfort zone. Continue regular practice and experimentation with your medium. Marry all of this to your voice, your message, your expression and you will be well on your way to creating art that is authentic and substantive. If you follow this formula, you benefit, your work benefits, your medium benefits and the larger community benefits.  And perhaps, somewhere along the way, you might even make that museum quality piece.

Synergy Sound Bytes

“Talent is 90% seat time and sweat equity” Jeff Dever

“We have matured to the point that we know we need master level work, we need to promote master level work.” Kathleen Dustin, artist

“A master is somebody who is using the medium as a form of self expression and not only has great skill, but also has something to say.” Rachel Carren, Art Historian, Ph.D. (Art History)

“This is a golden moment in the history of polymer clay and NOW is the time.” Jeff Dever, artist

“Researching and documenting the history of polymer clay creates validation and credibility.” Bruce Pepich, Executive Director and Curator, Racine Art Museum

“Fine artists have a voice – the material is transparent.” Jeff Dever

More

For more about Bruce Pepich, read Woody Rudin’s article about the man, the curator, the Superhero.

Read my review of Paul Stankard’s book for more sage advice from a master.

It’s not too late to make a donation to the RAM collection. Here’s the link.

Cynthia Tinapple shares thoughts and many images from Synergy2 – here is a collection of posts – click on each one to see the images and to discover links to thoughts from other attendees.

Next week: Synergy2, Part 2 from DaMuse.