August 2011 | Daily Art Muse

Monthly Archives: August 2011

sylvie rosenthal: kinetic sculpture steeped in the impossible

Written on August 26, 2011 by Susan Lomuto in Featured, Metal, Wood

“The everydayness of the human condition.” This is the subject of Sylvie Rosenthal’s art. “The everydayness of the human condition” – I like it. She expresses this condition in her work by relying on humor, metaphors and meticulous fine craftsmanship to tell the story.

Yes, Yes, Oh No
11″ x 27.5″ x 6.5″, mahogany, steel, plywood, milk paint, mixed media

Escape
30″ x 10.5″w x 6″, mahogany, poplar, steel, paint, mixed media

Cranks, pulleys and an element of surprise are what you get when you move in close to these sculptures. A fine furniture maker and sculptor, Rosenthal thrives on experimentation; she knows how to have fun with her art – and with us. Perhaps the work resonates with me because I am inspired by similar things: “passing cars, hard times, good feelings, dish washers and other angels, tight rope walkers, and feelings that are so deep down that you are not sure if they are yours or if you are supposed to have them all.”

Two Birdies, One Stone
25″ x 13″ x 9″, MDF, oak, steel, mahogany, mixed media

“I invoke birds and beasts as metaphors in this natural history of daily life.” Sylvie Rosenthal

Um Passaro para o Rei Pequeno (A Bird for the Little King)
mahogany, poplar, plywood, steel, milk paint, mixed media

A Confident Perch
33.5 ” x 8″ x 6.5″ deep, poplar, mahogany, paint, steel

“This work deals with transformation from the inside out, the slow and continual evaluation and re-evaluation of life, what is important, and how to get there from here. It is steeped a bit in the impossible. The impossibilities of getting there, a place within oneself that is balanced in a permanent way.

We must always change, evolve, fall, recover, remember and forget. It is our evolutionary heritage. We look for the balance in the imbalance and uncertainty, the ebbs and flows of our own personal gravity. My work approaches these topics with humor and playfulness.” Sylvie Rosenthal

Sylvie Rosenthal’s website – check out all of the galleries in her portfolio – giraffe as lighthouse, rabbits, furniture, snakes and more. Beautiful work.

Thanks to Kay Bonitz for the link.

A Break, A Hurricane, A Reminder

I’m taking a break from posting and will return here after the Labor Day Holiday. During my break I will to continue to work with 35 students in the Artist Online program. I also hope to spend some time sitting on the beach reading, relaxing, letting the ocean’s gifts wash over me, clearing the clutter in my mind as I get ready for the upcoming Fall season. However, if Irene has anything to say about it I’ll be cleaning up after a hurricane first – looks like we won’t escape her wrath on the East Coast. Wherever you are, stay safe, enjoy the last bits of summer and I’ll see you soon.

Out to See
49″ x 13″ x 29″, poplar, white oak, paint, mixed media

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sue gregor’s shadow necklaces

Written on August 25, 2011 by Susan Lomuto in Featured, Plastic

In this new collection of jewelry Sue Gregor combines her love of shadows and the disc shaped wedding necklaces worn by African Masai women. Interesting to see how these seemingly disparate inspirations work in concert to create unusual wearable art.

Shadows appeal to my playful, curious, mysterious side – adding color creates another level of interest and intrigue. I love the drama in these pieces.

Gregor developed a technique for dying and embossing plastic she calls ‘fossilized plastic’. She uses the actual plant in each piece and is able to achieve the very finest details such as the veins of a leaf.

I wanted to explore the interaction between the necklace and the body by looking at the way light casts patterns. The movement of the body in and out of different lighting will make them visually exciting to view and attract attention. The motion of the person wearing the necklaces will also mean that the shadows move over their body in interesting ways at different times. Sue Gregor

The Shadow Necklace Collection

Gregor’s full portfolio can be found on her website

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tom mccarthy: cement paves the path to bliss

Written on August 24, 2011 by Susan Lomuto in Featured, Metal

Mixing cement with diamonds, steel, rust, gold leaf and other unusual combinations of materials, Tom McCarthy found a way to “honor the beauty of surface as our constructed environment falls apart.”

Beth’s Pendant, sterling, concrete, steel, rust, diamond,ebony

Window Pendant, sterling, concrete, steel, rust, ebony, ink, acrylic

A jeweler for more than two decades, McCarthy majored in history in college. During his senior year he enrolled in a jewelry making class and “I became born again,” he says. “I found my hands knew what they were doing when I started working with these materials, and I wanted to do it the rest of my life.” Passion is a powerful thing. McCarthy chose the heart-centered path for his life – a reminder to all of us that it is possible and correct to follow our bliss.

Old Walls Pendant, sterling, concrete, housepaint, gold leaf, ink, rust

Melody Pendant, sterling, concrete, steel, rust

“I’ve spent a lot of time playing with cement recipes,” he says, taking a small molded brick and slamming it into the floor. “I did a lot of stress tests to find one that wouldn’t shatter when you do that.” From The St. Petersburg Times

Tom McCarthy’s website
More on his Flickr site
Read the full article referenced above in The St. Petersburg Times

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jeff soan’s articulated sculptures

Written on August 23, 2011 by Susan Lomuto in Featured, Recycled, Wood

You’ve probably seen articulated snake toys like these at some time in your life, but I’m fairly certain you haven’t seen what Jeff Soan does with the same articulation technique.

Elephant

Octopus

Soan’s sculptures, which he has been making for more than twenty years, are almost all made from found or reclaimed wood. His ambitious efforts have resulted in an array of creations including an elephant, octopus, camel and seal. Watch a short clip of the seal in action . The sinuous movement is captivating as the seal responds to touch, moving its head when stroked.

Seals

Torching the wood is one of the techniques he uses and enjoys, though he is quick to say that it doesn’t always work in his favor. He lost his entire studio several years ago to a fire that started when he torched a sculpture.

Camel

Border Terrier

Watch a three-part video of Soan creating a crocodile – the video quality isn’t great, but what a treat to watch the artist at work and listen to him explain the process. Here’s part one.

Jeff Soan’s website

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bart soutendijk undresses the object

Written on August 22, 2011 by Susan Lomuto in Featured, Metal

“Making a line drawing of an object is like undressing it. I ask myself: ‘What is it about this image that’s unique?’ Then I strip away the lines that aren’t required to convey that uniqueness. I use line to capture the feel of the image and wire emphasizes that line.”

C’est La Vie

When I read Bart Soutendijk’s description of his wire drawings I knew I wanted to share it. Seems to me that this way of thinking and acting – stripping away the things that don’t convey the uniqueness of our personality or our art – can serve us in making our lives sing as much as making our art sing.

Airport [click to enlarge]

Soutendijk re-examines each curve as he shapes the wire, not unlike, he says, the poet who carefully reviews every written word on a page. The artist’s murals are one solid line in front of a moving shadow – dramatic and effective.

Ballerina

Tubing [click to enlarge]

At first, wire seemed like a really great way to make large drawings on the wall without stretching yards of canvas or painting and framing big plywood panels. Then came the shadows and the way the wire bent – soft, not hard – and the drawings took on a personality. It’s that style – and wire is an integral part of it – that I’ve been growing for the past thirty years.

Jazz Funeral [click to enlarge]

Read about his process here.

Bart Soutendijk’s website

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