Author Archives:

linda raynsford: scrap metal sculpture

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Metal doors and other scrap metal – cut up and woven together to create forms – are the foundation for Linda Raynsford’s sculptures. Their scale is grand, their colors bright, their forms pleasing and familiar. Raynsford also shows a whimsical side with her much smaller found-object bras, bikinis and shoes. Yes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“My work is referential, every day objects speak to me. I take these familiar shapes and weave them into conceptual and abstract sculpture. I explore time and space, blending concept with form. Many of my pieces scrutinize society and explore its decay.”

 

Linda Raynsford’s website

 

 

 

ofra lapid: broken houses

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I don’t share the work of many photographers because DAM is largely about contemporary fine craft, but Israeli photographer Ofra Lapid found an interesting way to mix craft and photography in her Broken Houses series of photographs.

 

Lapid created models of decaying houses from photographs found on the Internet of real broken down structures, then photographed the models.

 

It looks like she built three dimensional panels, attached the original photograph to each panel and then assembled the panels to create a 3D effect. Here are several pictures that should give you an idea of the actual process.

 

I like the concept – finding photos of the real thing then replicating the objects in the photo using your material of choice, then returning it to a photograph. It opens the door to many possibilities.

 

 

 

 

“The series Broken houses is based on photographs of abandoned structures neglected by man and destroyed by the weather. I find these photos on the web while pursuing an amateur photographer from North Dakota who obsessively documents the decaying process of these houses. His photographs are used to create small scale models. Afterward, in the studio, the models are photographed again, omitted from their background and placed in gray. Eventually these are digital pigment print size 30×36 cm (16”x18”).” From Lapid’s website

Ofra Lapid’s website

 

amber cowan’s recycled glass sculpture

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She might only be 30 years old, but Amber Cowan has been working with glass consistently for more than ten years and it shows.

Peach Blow Away
recycled peachblow glass melted  and pulled into rods used to flamework

Peach Blow Away, detail

Cowan, who recently completed an MFA in Glass from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, flameworks recycled or found glass from the 1940′s-1970′s.

Basket, flameworked recycled Fenton glass, mixed media
36″x36″x14″

In Basket, the flameworking process creates a flesh-like texture and feel to the Fenton glass, which was originally designed for Easter candy dishes with rabbit and chicken lids.

Basket, detail

Prop In The House Of Livia
flameworked recycled American pressed “Milk” Glass, mixed media
In the permanent collection of The Studio of The Corning Museum of Glass

Cowan’s work is being recognized on a national level and she was recently awarded the prestigious international Stephen Proctor Fellowship in Canberra, Australia.  Cowan is one to watch.

Grotta
hundreds of pieces of flameworked soft glass and recycled Fenton Glass

Grotta, detail

Milk, flameworked soft glass, recycled Fenton glass

Amber Cowan on the cover of the latest issue of Glass Line magazine

“My work involves process driven creation using repetition and manipulation of simple forms. Through delicate and natural transactions during the glass making process, I create painterly compositions by manipulating minimal forms. The forms selected subtly reference femininity but through viral repetition create compositions that reference natural phenomenon, tension, and accrual.”

Amber Cowan’s website

 

 

tine de ruysser: metal/wood folded fabric sculpture and wearable art

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Trained as a jewelry designer, with undergraduate and graduate degrees in jewelry from the Royal Academy of Fine Art in Antwerp and the Royal College of Art in London, Tine De Ruysser is also an inventor and innovator.  Take a look.

 

Bracelet turning into bag, copper and polyester

While working on her MA she invented a material using a combination of metal and textiles. De Ruysser furthered her research and development of this material, making it the subject of her PhD program at the Royal College of Art, creating fashions and jewelry in addition to sculptural objects.

Double Walled Bowl, plywood and polyester

Metamorphosis I, plywood and polyester

 

Cone, plywood and polyester

Anemone V, plywood and cotton

Shoulder Cape, copper and polyester

Shoulder Cape, detail

 

Tine De Ruysser’s website

revisiting baldwin & guggisberg

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The last time I shared Baldwin & Guggisberg’s work was April 2009, in a post that focused on the lovely Guardian series, full of movement and joy.

First Memories

Their most recent body of work, Boats, is worthy of revisiting this long-time couple and collaborative team.

Headed Round The Cape

Sealed For The Future

Anecdotes In Mauve

Anecdotes In Laughter

What is a boat if not a vessel to carry one on a journey? Baldwin and Guggisberg created this collection of boats from glass, metal and wood, assembling glass objects in each boat. A beautiful depiction of life journeys – both real and inner.

Baldwin and Guggisberg’s website

Even more boats from Baldwin and Guggisberg here