October 2011 | Daily Art Muse

Monthly Archives: October 2011

a new era for polymer clay

Written on October 21, 2011 by Susan Lomuto in Featured, Polymer Clay

The Racine Art Museum’s Terra Nova exhibit opens today – an exhibit that will long be remembered as the beginning of a new era for polymer clay.

Ford & Forlano, polymer, sterling silver

Cynthia Toops
polymer, shell, bone, glass beads, sterling

As Tory Hughes explains, Terra Nova “marks polymer’s recognition as a valid and valuable art medium, and establishes RAM as a museum to be watched.” Hughes is one of eight artists spotlighted this weekend by RAM as the Boundary Breakers in the medium – artists who have been recognized within the field and/or by other contemporary craft disciplines.

Dan Cormier
polymer, aluminum, aircraft cable, sterling silver wire, glass, photocopy on paper, transparent film, vinyl, rubber

Jeff Dever, polymer, wire

The exhibit features over 200 objects made of polymer and tracks the medium’s history. Read more about the exhibit here. Congratulations to everyone involved in bringing polymer out of the shadows and into the limelight. It’s time to shine.

Elise Winters

Learn how Elise Winters made her vision to elevate the medium a reality. Winters is the main force behind polymer’s new-found recognition as a respected art medium. RAM’s Bruce Pepich is the other driving force behind this project. Want more? Go see Terra Nova - it runs from October 21, 2011 – February 5, 2012.

4 Comments - Leave a comment!

flock it – zoe robertson isn’t afraid to make mistakes

Written on October 20, 2011 by Susan Lomuto in Featured, Inspiration

Zoe Robertson’s fascination with non-precious materials, especially those that have “a sensual and tactile quality”, led to her colorful exploration of plastics, rubber and flocking fibers. Robertson uses a wood turning lathe to further manipulate the materials and the results are BOLD.

Double Magnetic Brooches
cast resin, powder coated steel, flock fiber, magnets

“Within my teaching practice I often describe the design process as making a cake, for me this means bringing together different ingredients, mixing it all up and as a result a wonderful object is created. For me the ingredients can be visual research, various materials, a variety of processes, conversations, and ultimately a desire to make something different.” Zoe Robertson

Flocking Marvellous Neckpiece
cast resin, rubber, flock fiber, high density foam, sublimated ink, electroformed, silver plated

Connections
resin, powder coated steel, magnets, rubber, flock fiber, sublimated ink

“…This series of magnetic brooches is a visual response to the idea of two communities making a connection. This manifests itself through combinations of form, pattern, color and surface. Aerial maps were manipulated to generate bold dynamic patterns and then applied to the connecting forms by the process of sublimation thus creating a distorted reality. Contrasting surfaces of flock fiber add another dimension which overall establishes a vibrant visual aesthetic for each city…” Robertson on the Connections series of brooches.

Work In Progress

See more of her process here.

Zoe Robertson’s website

1 Comment - Leave a comment!

damuse is talking ’bout a revolution

Written on October 19, 2011 by Susan Lomuto in Apprenticeships

I’m starting a revolution. Want in? A $1 pledge is all it takes to join the revolution. $1. One. Uno. If you read DAM you are likely an artist, art student, art lover, art educator, art collector or someone who loves me. All good things. C’mon, let’s go – I only have 40 days to get this revolution started. I’m thinking BIG and I need artists everywhere (and everyone who loves me) to help me grow the revolution.

My revolution educates the public about what artists must do every day to move their ideas from sketch to finished artwork. The whole DAM(N) truth. If you’ve been following Daily Art Muse for awhile you know about The Apprenticeship Project - and many of you have helped me bring it this far (thank you!), but did you know I’m starting a revolution? Watch the video. Yup. There’s a video.

daMuse Launches Kickstarter Campaign

Told from the perspective of a beginner on the inside, The Apprenticeship Project shares what it takes to make art – to live and work as an artist today. Potential customers, collectors, gallery owners and DAM(N) near everyone needs a better understanding of what artists really do every day so that you can be compensated fairly, in a way that celebrates the importance of the contribution you are making to society.

I Am An Artist. This Does Not Mean I Will Work For Free. . .

This week on Facebook the quote on the tee shirt pictured below went viral. I am one of many people who re-posted it and watched as it struck a nerve. The reaction to the quote made me realize that The Apprenticeship Project needs to be a revolution.

You can do the passive thing and buy the tee shirt for TWENTY dollars or you can get involved in a revolution, pledge ONE dollar to my Kickstarter campaign and help me correct misconceptions, inform and educate everyone about art and art making.

But What Can One Dollar Do?

Imagine if every artist, art collector, art student, art teacher and art lover pledged just $1 – then it’s no longer one dollar, it’s tens of thousands of dollars. Those dollars send me all over the country to work as an apprentice to artists, document the experience through books (stories and images) and share with the world a myth-busting look at what it is like to work and live your passion.

The TAP artists to date

Let’s not just IMAGINE how big the revolution can be, let’s MAKE this revolution happen! You have the power to make the project go viral. Put your dollar in the hat, pass along the project link to everyone you know and keep The Apprenticeship Project alive. The Kickstarter campaign goal is modest – it will take me through one more apprenticeship – let’s exceed that goal with our revolution and send me to work with artists all over the country; help me tell more of the story – YOUR story.

Susan Lomuto, aka daMuse, aka The Apprentice

Together, we can show the world how valuable your contribution is to society and change the way people look at and value art. This project is for YOU! Join the revolution today.

Got More Than A Dollar?

Got a Dollar? Get in on the revolution. Got more than a dollar? There are some great Backer Rewards – including pre-orders of the books, art work donated by participating TAP artists, a really special unscripted photo shoot of you at work and play, a workshop led by me for up to 25 people (if you and your guild members need help with your websites, get your guild to back the project at this level and I will help you get your websites in shape so that you can show the world your art), and more.

Cast Glass Shoe by Tim Tate
A collection of four is one of the Backer Rewards up for grabs here

Talking ‘Bout A Revolution

Here’s something to think about: Over the last five years I have looked at more than 200,000 artist websites searching for great art to share with you. If every one of those artists gave one dollar this project would be HUGE. One dollar adds up when thousands of people are throwing that dollar in a hat. One dollar can make a difference, will make a difference, does make a difference.

I’m on my way to Washington, DC for a follow up visit with the artists I worked for during the first phase of The Apprenticeship Project and will post from there for the next few weeks.

Spread the news about the revolution. We can do this!

0 Comments - Leave a comment!

james grashow’s cardboard sculptures confront impermanence

Written on October 18, 2011 by Susan Lomuto in Featured, Paper, Wood

Bouquets of cardboard buildings masquerading as flowers, cardboard monkeys swinging from ceilings, cardboard and twist tie birds, a cardboard fountain inspired by Rome’s Trevi Fountain – it’s hard to pick a favorite work from James Grashow’s impressive collection.

Fountain, corrugated cardboard

Fountain, detail

“With each mistake you get closer and closer to the vision of what you are looking for…half of everything is being willing to make a mistake…even more than half. I’m very willing to make a mistake.” James Grashow

Houseplant Brooklyn, detail

Houseplant Atlanta, detail

Houseplant Atlanta, detail

Grashow credits access to a constant supply of cardboard as a child as the gateway to the purposefully impermanent structures he creates today.

Watch this video and see how witnessing the unintended decay of his sculptures changed the way Grashow makes art.

James Grashow’s website. Get ready to say WOW! He is also a well known woodcut artist. Grashow’s words about his relationship to wood had a powerful impact on me – they speak to the way so many artists feel about their materials, inspiration or compulsion to create:

“When I touched my first wood block, something amazing happened. While others found their tools sticking and their wood splintering, my wood yielded and my tools glided over the surface. Somehow I felt biologically connected to the process. I seemed to respond chemically to the feel of the wood and the richness of the line it produced. I fell in love with woodcuts on the spot. They would be part of my life from that moment on.” More here.

3 Comments - Leave a comment!

bg prodaniuk’s grade school promise pays off

Written on October 11, 2011 by Susan Lomuto in Ceramic, Featured

In her 25 year dialogue with clay Barbara Glynn Prodaniuk has used wheel thrown and slab construction techniques to build ceramic sculptures that give us a glimpse into the artist’s imagination (Roller Derby Chicks – yes!).

Roller Derby Chicks

Quails

Prodaniuk credits an elementary school field trip as the spark that started it all. It was on that field trip that she watched a potter at work and tried to get the potter to let her do it. Although she was unable to convince the artist to let her give it a try, she promised herself that someday she would find a way. That grade school spark lit a fire in college and she’s been working with clay ever since. Her story is a good example of why it’s important to expose children to art.

Transformation, side 1

Transformation, side 2

What If?

bgprodaniuk.com

4 Comments - Leave a comment!