Penland Part 2 - a magnificent co-lab

Collaboration is one of those things that people either love or loathe. I am firmly stationed in the former category. What is so great about a successful collaboration is the perpetuation of creative energy between two or more artists. One person gets excited about the potential of some object or material and suggests an idea that excites the other then it bounces back igniting light bulb after light bulb until there is really no choice but to get in the studio and work.

fancy brooch  - Erika Pahk and Amy Weiks  2009

industrial felt, antique Austrian glass beads, annealed steel, stainless steel, oxidized silver and 18k yellow gold solder

Pictured are a few of the brooches that Erika Pahk and I collaborated in making this past July at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. The collaboration was inspired by studio visits and a mutual admiration of work. I'm sure the clear mountain air didn't hurt either.  

double rabbit feet brooch - Erika Pahk and Amy Weiks  2009

industrial felt, cotton, annealed steel, stainless steel, oxidized silver and 18k yellow gold solder

Erika was working on several pieces at once and hanging on her wall was a lovely collection of her "rabbit feet" (see above brooch) made of cut industrial felt, cotton thread, and annealed steel wire. Being the metalsmith that I am I instantly wanted to transform these fascinating objects into jewelry. We discussed and sketched ideas and pretty much headed straight for the metals studio and started working. 

double rib brooch - Erika Pahk and Amy Weiks  2009

industrial felt, annealed steel, stainless steel, oxidized silver and 18k yellow gold solder

fan brooch - Erika Pahk and Amy Weiks  2009

ink and cut paper, annealed steel, stainless steel

fancy brooch - Erika Pahk and Amy Weiks  2009

industrial felt, antique Austrian glass beads, annealed steel, stainless steel, cotton

We made a total of eleven brooches. 

Hence came the phrase, "Make it a brooch!" 

Penland Part 1 - 'A Treasure Hunt'

Penland Session 4: Upper Metals

'A Treasure Hunt' with Mary Kanda



(image: Oak Leaf brooch by Mary Kanda)





I had the pleasure of being the studio assistant for a metals workshop at Penland School of Crafts for two amazing weeks this July. It was an all levels jewelry workshop that focused on mixed materials and color, including mosaic bead inlay with grout and encaustics. I think I was pretty lucky, we had a great instructor, a wonderful class dynamic, people with all levels of experience. Everyone was enthusiastic and more than willing to help each other out. And, of course, it must be mentioned that the metals studios at Penland are fantastic!

Below is the brooch I made that was inspired by the workshop.

Materials:

Oxidized sterling silver with a stainless steel pin mechanism. Czech glass beads (red) with dark red encaustic. Various glass and onyx beads strung on red silk.

I did make quite a few other things during the two weeks which were inspired by colaborations and trades. Look out for additional Penland posts.

defining material<>immaterial

An introduction to the author<>artist:

I am a visual thinker, an observer, a maker. I digest what I see, I filter, I make connections, however obscure, however esoteric, however disparate. If I deem these connections worthy I create objects and experiences. I have ideas that move fluidly from the immaterial to the material. I have ideas that never make it to the material, they remain immaterial in every sense of the word.

I believe I was born a maker, born to work with my hands. I believe they are my greatest strength. When the ability to move thoughts from brain to mouth evades me I choose the path of least resistance, from brain to hand. My need to manipulate, combine, and transform material leads me to making. This need to create evidence of my existence, evidence that these hands move, that these wheels, no matter how squeaky, continue to turn, this need is what fuels me. The desire to communicate is what moves me to observe, to obsess, to question, to consider, to accept, to reject.

There is a problem... I am my own worst critic. My standards are absurdly high. I am forever engaging in self-analysis and self-flagellation. I have an over-developed, highly acute guilt complex. If the proverbial tree falls in the proverbial forest I believe it is somehow my fault.


Objectives of material<>immaterial:

To get to the meat of it, I plan to use this blog as a forum for considering the importance of it, the everyday, the personal, the impersonal, the ins, the outs, the ups, the downs, the here, the there, the edible, inedible, the unthinkable, the beautiful, the ugly, the is, the was, the will be. For now, I'm leaving it wide open.

Perhaps I can overcome it, and make some keen observations that hopefully you, reader, will deem worthy of considering and answering the question:

Is it material or immaterial?


Something to chew on:

With a little help from Merriam-Webster, here's something to mull over while I collect my thoughts...

¹ma·te·ri·al

Pronunciation: \mə-ˈtir-ē-əl\

Function: adjective

Etymology: Middle English materiel, from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French, from Late Latin materialis, from Latin materia matter — more at matter

Date: 14th century

1 a (1): relating to, derived from, or consisting of matter ; especially : physical (the material world) (2): bodily (material needs) b (1): of or relating to matter rather than form (material cause) (2): of or relating to the subject matter of reasoning ; especially : empirical (material knowledge)
2: having real importance or great consequences (material to the investigation)
3 a: being of a physical or worldly nature b: relating to or concerned with physical rather than spiritual or intellectual things (material progress)

²material

Function: noun

Date: 1556

1 a (1): the elements, constituents, or substances of which something is composed or can be made (2): matter that has qualities which give it individuality and by which it may be categorized (sticky material) (explosive materials) b (1): something (as data) that may be worked into a more finished form (material for a biography) (2): something used for or made the object of study (material for the next semester) (3): a performer's repertoire (a commedian's material) c: matter 3b d: cloth e: a person potentially suited to some pursuit (varsity material) (leadership material)
2 a: apparatus necessary for doing or making something (writing materials) b: matériel

im·ma·te·ri·al

Pronunciation: \ˌi-mə-ˈtir-ē-əl\

Function: adjective

Etymology: Middle English immaterial, from Late Latin immaterialis, from Latin in- + Late Latin materialis material

Date:14th century

1 : not consisting of matter : incorporeal
2 : of no substantial consequence : unimportant