synergy: polymer clay’s giant leap

Thoughts About Synergy I, NPCG’s 2008 Conference

THE CONVERSATION: THEN

As a medium, polymer clay is relatively new. We’ve spent the last twenty-plus years discovering and exploring its versatility, learning techniques and building our skill sets. We’ve been seduced by tools and workshops and the opportunity to learn from the BIG names. Until now our conversations centered more around the question of how we create art and less around why we create art or what we expect/need/want from the experience.

The larger conversation – about art, integrity, craftsmanship, design, history, originality, the business of art, influence and intention – took place in private conversations between small groups of people: the medium’s innovators, ardent enthusiasts, serious professionals (or more casually, and in my opinion less effectively, on internet message boards worldwide).

THE CONVERSATION: NOW

With Synergy I, The National Polymer Clay Guild helped the medium take a graceful, giant leap forward. At the conference, this larger conversation took center stage in each 90-minute seminar, in the Big Room panel discussions and in keynote speeches delivered by Kathleen Dustin and Cynthia Tinapple. The excitement was palpable. “I can’t wait to get back into the studio” was a popular refrain. Not because they had just seen the latest-best-next technique (although Cormier’s spin on the Skinner Blend made our hearts beat a little faster). They were eager to get back into the studio because the conference nourished them in a very different way. Informed by articulate conversation that was aimed at elevating the medium and all who embrace it, one of the things that Synergy did was address our desire for a sense of purpose in our art and belonging in our world.

THE WELL-PLANNED GARDEN

The lush, life-affirming garden overflowing with a ripe, juicy harvest is usually a result of countless hours of hard work, dedication, education, flexibility, the ability to change course when necessary and a little bit of luck. What we witnessed at Synergy was the planting of a well-planned garden. And like the seeds in a garden, it will take time and careful nurturing before we enjoy the bounty.

POST SYNERGY – WHAT DO I THINK? Seven from Susan

1. I think we will enter our studios with renewed energy and commitment to become better ambassadors for our medium
   
2. I think more of us will shift our focus away from ‘How did she/he do that?‘ to ‘What message do I want my art to convey to the larger community?’
   
3. I think we will be more mindful about intention: Why am I making art? What do I want from this experience, medium, artwork?
4. I think we are now armed with a larger vocabulary to further the discussion
5. I think the organizers of this event are brilliant, passionate, hard-working, dedicated artists and we are forever in their debt
6. I think we will mark this conference as a pivotal moment in the growth of the medium and our growth as individual artists
7. I think know I’m delighted to be part of this tribe

WHAT ABOUT THE PICTURES?

You will notice that this post is pretty much ‘Synergy Unplugged’ – no pictures. I’ll leave that to Cynthia Tinapple, who will continue to bring you pictures of the abundant talent that surrounded us during the conference. The eye-candy was almost too much stimulation – I’m eager to see it again on PCDaily, where I will have the chance to slowly digest the work.

For those of you who couldn’t be with us, you were there in spirit and we couldn’t wait to come back home to include you in the conversation.

Tomorrow – Come back for shorter snippets from the conference.

[If you attended the blogging seminar at the conference presented by Cynthia, Alison Lee and I, you might have noticed that I broke several of my 'rules' in this post. This is probably a good time to mention that in my world, rules are meant to be broken!]