Polymer Art Archive

Celie Fago, Mokume Gane Cuff

Just as Tory and Lindly built upon Nan’s original concept of polymer mokume gane, others followed and added their own variations to the process.  The approach to “stack and distort” kept evolving.

Celie Fago combined Tory’s and Lindly’s techniques.  Celie used slightly tinted translucent polymer layered with metal leaf,  which was adapted from Lindly, as well as layers of black and pearl opaque polymer, but then pushed down into the stack from above as in Tory’s approach.   Her results achieve a fluid, organic look. Continue Reading »

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Victoria Hughes, Dory, 2008, 2.25″ x 1.5″

For a time in the early 1990’s Nan Roche, Tory Hughes and Lindly Haunani were all living in the Washington, DC area. Shortly after the publication of Roche’s The New Clay, Tory Hughes and Lindly Haunani each developed their own version of the mokume gane technique. Continue Reading »

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Jody Bishel, Mokume Gane Earthstar Vessel, circa 2002

Mokume Gane creates the illusion of irregular knothole-like configurations on the surface.   Today, mokume gane is integral to the established repertoire of polymer techniques.  Many artists use some variation or derivative of the concept.   However, mokume gane is a centuries old Japanese metals technique devised to reproduce the wavy grain patterning of certain steels used for Samurai swords; so how did it become incorporated into the polymer vocabulary? Continue Reading »

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Elise Winters, Garden Esprit Brooch, 2010
5.5″h x 5.5″ w x 3″d
polymer, acrylic, maple, brass

This past weekend at SOFA:NY, my new Esprit Brooches were exhibited for the first time on maple stands.  Brooch forms have always been my favorite.  I approach them as small scale sculpture.  After making these larger ruffle brooches I felt they should be on display when not in use. I love that the stand allows the brooch to float in space.

Also on view at Snyderman-Works Gallery were Continue Reading »

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Steven Ford and David Forlano, Figure #2 detail, 2010
27 x 20 x 4″. polymer clay, wood, brass, paper

Over the course of time, artistic ideas often phase in and out of artists’ work.  Sometimes an idea will emerge, take form and recede only to re-appear a number of years later in a related but distinct interpretation.  Such is the case with F/F’s three sculptural wall pieces:   Figure1, Figure 2 and Figure 3. Continue Reading »

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Steven Ford and David Forlano, Diamond Pin #6, 2006
18k gold, sterling, polymer clay, diamonds
1.25 x 2.25 x .5″

After 20 plus years of working together Steven Ford and David Forlano’s artistic relationship is one of inherent trust and respect.  However, it also is very much about each man’s individuality and what he uniquely brings to the process.   In the past few years, Maryanne Petrus, their metals artist, has been invited into in their collaborative mix, but the primary interaction is always between Ford and Forlano.

Recently Ford and Forlano spoke about the nature of their collaborative experience.  Listening to them talk about the process of working together, while simultaneously watching an historical overview of their oeuvre, I was struck by the many manifestations of duality in their work.  Each has a distinctive voice and yet as a team they successfully create art with a single, unified statement.  Ford’s interests tend to focus on dimensionality, line and form whereas Forlano generally concentrates his attention on surface effects, patterning and color.   Finished work embodies both approaches and often seems to address issues of contrast though balancing design and materials. Continue Reading »

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Barbara Sperling and Michael Sakash, Koi Bowl with Lilac Stand, 2006
polymer, lilac twigs, stain, tung oil
13″ h x 16″w x 12″d

The Polymer Collection at the Racine Art Museum will make its debut in an exhibition scheduled for the fall of 2011. This recent acquisition of more than 180 pieces of jewelry and sculpture by RAM represents the first comprehensive collection of polymer art to be accessioned by a major national museum.

To make possible a full-color hardback catalog to accompany this show, Bruce Pepich, Exec. Director of RAM, and I made fundraising presentations at the International Polymer Clay Association Synergy2 Conference a week ago in Baltimore. Those speeches elicited donations of more than $17,000 from 111 generous and committed attendees. Continue Reading »

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Loretta Lam, Laughing Corn, 2009

Loretta Lam’s Neckpiece appeared in CraftForms 2009, the 15th International Juried Exhibition of Contemporary Craft at the Wayne Art Center, Wayne PA from Dec 4, 2009 - Jan 23, 2010.  The exhibition which was curated by Bruce Pepich, Executive Director and Curator of Collections at the Racine Art Museum included more than 100 works in all media.  Loretta comments about her piece: Continue Reading »

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Dan Adams and Cynthia Toops, Sleepless in Seattle Necklace detail, 2010
glass, polymer, silver

Dan Adams and Cynthia Toops have new work in the upcoming exhibit called Glass Quake Again 2010.  The show opens on March 12th and runs thru April 24th at Mobilia Gallery in Cambridge MA.

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Elise Winters, Denim Cascade RUFFLE Neckpiece, 2010

as seen on models during Cynthia Rowley’s Fall 2010 runway show last Friday during NY Fashion Week. Continue Reading »

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