Sign up here to receive the DAM newsletter.
These painterly vessels appear to be delicate translucent porcelain with surface designs akin to burnt velvet, raku and nuno felt.
[nonmember]The remainder of this archived post is for Members Only. Click here to become a member or to get a one day pass. If you are a member, please login to view the post. [/nonmember]
[private_archives]
Clever Caroline Saul tricks the eye with her weightless sculptural containers, which are actually made from recycled plastic milk bottles. Saul melts and fuses the plastic into sheets she tints, cuts and shapes to create small bowls, large plump orbs and installation sized vessels. I was pulled in by the colors and quickly caught in the net of shadows cast by the lacy structures.
My passion lies with the creation of new materials from objects that might otherwise be thrown away. The development of my recycled plastics leads to the creation of sculptural bulbous vessels.
[/private_archives]
Sign up here to receive the DAM newsletter.
Colorado’s David Nittmann has mastered the art of optical illusions. What appear to be intricately woven baskets are actually turned wood bowls, platters and bodydrums (a hollow vessel that can be used as a musical instrument or as an art object).
[nonmember]The remainder of this archived post is for Members Only. Click here to become a member or to get a one day pass. If you are a member, please login to view the post. [/nonmember]
[private_archives]
Nittmann turns, burns and dyes the wood used in his internationally renowned Basket Illusion series. Photographs don’t give the secret away – my guess is that you have to see these in person to fully believe that they are wood.
A Single Twist of Fate, 16″ diameter, American Holly
Large platters have 40,000 separate burned marks. This hatch work of concentric lines and radial lines creates a circular grid pattern, the “wooden canvas”, and gives the impression of a woven basket.
Bodydrum, 14″ diameter, Honduras Mahogany
If you have a hankering to try this yourself, the artist explains the process in detail here.
[/private_archives]
Sign up here to receive the DAM newsletter.
I had a visceral reaction to these empty chairs seated inside knitted copper cages. The vessels transported me back to teenage years filled with adolescent angst. While the smoky translucent glass might remind us that memories can be cloudy and uncertain, for me the empty chairs symbolize feeling invisible and the cages bring back memories of feeling trapped and alone. Carol Freve’s work stirs emotions…as all good art should. Haunting. Powerful.
This transformation can be seen as a symbol for the passage of time, when memories become indistinct and reality is distorted. The copper, electroplated onto the glass surface, reinforces this aspect. Most recently, little copper chairs make an appearance, hinting at memories, happy or sad, which leave their mark on our lives.
