Metalsmithing

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https://hdl.handle.net/10217/180170

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Open Access
Jasara Simon: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Simon, Jasara, artist
The artist's statement: Much of my inspiration comes from the world that surrounds me. I explore physical wonder of natural forms, as well as my own immersion into spirituality and spiritual art forms. Through my art I aim to connect these two concepts, incorporating natural imagery in both my jewelry and photographic work in conjunction with the human form. By doing so I convey my own belief in our physical and spiritual connection with our earth. In my metal work I do this through incorporating stones and crystals, which I believe to have healing and metaphysical properties, into the natural flow of my designs. In my "Moon-Phase" piece for example, I use the phases of the moon as well as a moonstone to illustrate phases of change and growth; just as our moon goes through phases of change, so do we. The metaphysical properties of moonstone are said to be extremely powerful, especially for women, aiding in intuitive sensitivity as well as helping to increase one's ability to be flexible and flow with life. By connecting both material and imagery I express my desire to flow with the changes and phases of my life, experiencing more balance and harmony with myself and the world. This same idea can be found in my photographic work, in which I have merged the female form with close up nature scenes. By blending these images together I want to directly express my feelings of unity with our earth and the spiritual bond that all humans have with our universe. Throughout all my work I remind the viewer of this deep connection which often tends to get lost in the bustle of everyday life. In doing so I create an understanding that we are not separate from our earth; thus we must develop a greater sense of responsibility in taking care of our home and preserving its natural beauty.
Open Access
Katelyn Woodhamms: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Woodhams, Katelyn, artist
The artist's statement: I explore the intersection between jewelry that engages with the body and the formal and conceptual solutions that make them into works of art. The tactile nature of my pieces lures the viewer in, helping to construct an intense personal relationship with each piece. By focusing on the relationship between jewelry and the body I challenge myself to design both visually seductive and highly technical work. There is something in the way it feels to solve these problems that gives me a passionate fulfillment. My recent works facilitate a wide range of interpretations because of their uniquely abstract nature. Through exploration of the intersection of form and technique and by emphasizing balance, I seek to create a harmonious aesthetic that is both unique and visually seductive.
Unknown
Haley Ruybal: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Ruybal, Haley, artist
The artist's statement: Throughout my life I have made it my goal to make beautiful things for people to enjoy, but I have come to realize that beauty alone does not get anyone very far. Along with my passion for the arts, I am very aware of the privileges and disadvantages that I have both as a woman, and more specifically as an indigenous woman. I am intrigued by the ways that my two passions collide and have a much farther reach than simply focusing on just one or the other. By bringing my desire for social justice and my skills as an artist together, I hope to bring greater awareness to the issues facing both Indigenous peoples and communities that are not generally talked about or taught. My sincere hope is to be able to start a conversation about tribal sovereignty, race and commonly held misconceptions that permeate American society. In my most recent series Colonization, I discuss the ways in which individual objects can be used to describe specific spaces in time in relation to the colonization of Indigenous populations in America. This three-piece series highlights pre-, post- and de-colonial ideas and ways of thinking to shed light on the issues of historical trauma and invisibility of Indigenous issues and people in the larger American society. These works are a tactile representation of the effects of colonization on individuals as well as on broader, societal ideology.
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Kyle Mandeville: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Mandeville, Kyle, artist
The artist's statement: In my art I enjoy taking objects that have been mass-produced or extensively used and transforming the quality, style and personality of that object. Through the thoughtful combination of materials and techniques I create visual complexity that accentuates the role of each piece. I enjoy working in series because of the continuity between one piece and another. My current work focuses on paying homage to my college career using aspects of my experiences and focusing on elements of my future. To express the turning of a new page in my life I use feathers and the image of a phoenix to express a new birth, while the shot glasses and enameled Colorado State symbols represent my time in college. Each element is positioned symmetrically to provide visual balance and make for a pleasant user experience.
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Shannon Talian: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Talian, Shannon, artist
The artist's statement: Hans Christian Anderson once said, "Every man's life is a fairytale written by God's finger." If my created life is my own fairytale, then the works I create are the stories that fill up the book of my life. To me, all my artworks weave their own tales. Storytelling is the main conceptual drive behind most of my works and often the main inspiration for my creations. Personal experiences, legends, myth, fairytales, and superstitions all act as a jumping off point, but once the ground is left, wings of individuality spread and the object becomes unique unto itself. Just as every single person has a story to tell, objects weave tales also, waiting for someone to listen. Through imagery and material choice, I infuse symbolism and meaning into every one of my pieces. Each stone is carefully selected and each image is thus as well. There are no accidents, everything chosen has meaning. The initial origin of some works are blatantly clear, while others are hidden in layers of ambiguity; some tales have been told many times over, while others are coming to light in this world for the very first time. As with every story, details make it reveal character and plot, and I to wish to emulate this in my works as well. These narrations are meant to be enjoyed by those who wear them and by those who might catch a glimpse of them as they are displayed upon the human body. By using high end natural elements such as silver and copper, I am able to mold the metal into a product that whispers my foreseen vision. By using detail oriented techniques such as fabrication, lost wax casting, repoussé, enameling, and stone setting I am able to give each work a specific beauty that shines with quality and infuses the wearer with a certain elegance. I pour my soul into each creation, breathing a new, unique life into all I construct. Every work of mine is a story handcrafted with care making the journey just as important as the end result.
Unknown
Grace Roh: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Roh, Grace, artist
The artist's statement: My desire for art making has everything to do with my need to make a mark, an imprint, or an impression. I find my peace within the physical act of art making and through the process in which an object is created. The process of meditation through repetition is one of the ways that I have learned to come to terms with the rest of the world. My practice is selfish. I am constantly creating artifacts of myself, whether they are tangible or purely metaphysical. These artifacts serve as a portal to connect myself with the rest of the world, and are used in my performances of ritual and ceremony.
Unknown
Angela Grenga: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Grenga, Angela, artist
The artist's statement: There is movement in every aspect of life. Movement is the essence of life, from the smallest atoms in our bodies to our planet functioning as one living organism. I am influenced by movement in the elements and how it relates to the world that surrounds us. I explore movement in the element of water through aquatic themes, specifically water dwelling creatures and the fluid motion of water. Through the use of kinetic elements in my work I connect the fluidity of movement to explore the element of air. The element of air is also evident in the study birds and flight. I explore the element of earth through the use of my materials, metal and stone. Specifically, I am interested in unique stone settings and fabrication of settings designed around the stone. The element of fire appears in various hot fabrication techniques, and in themes of fire and heat. My work captures the experience of these four elements as we move through the world around us.
Unknown
Kinszia Erickson: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Erickson, Kinszia, artist
The artist's statement: I have always been fascinated by the reactions that can be elicited through art, and I strive to draw a reaction from my own viewers. Much of my previous work relied on morbid or repulsive materials in order to shock the viewer, such as ashes, blood, and spiders. Though this work elicited a strong response, it was intense but quickly faded. Currently, I am pursuing a new series of work, one that still compels my audience to react to these pieces, but in a way that lasts and challenges the way they think of these items. Instead of revulsion, I am looking to fill my viewers with a sense of curiosity, nostalgia, loss, and honesty. The items that I have chosen to use are family keepsakes. These images and objects inspire me to question their history. I need to know why these photographs were taken and what made these moments worth capturing. I need to know how people felt when they held these items in their hands. These are the questions and thoughts that compel me to keep exploring these personal artifacts. It is my goal to successfully communicate the power and mystery that surrounds these items. I am memorializing people and memories by permanently placing them in my work, with the hope that my audience will be as moved by them as I am.
Open Access
Brandisrose Hughes: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Hughes, Brandisrose, artist
The artist's statement: My work is about exploring color and form to create jewelry that is functional, fun, and sophisticated. Specifically, my interests lie in creating pieces that combine child-like color and pattern with forms that are organic and biomorphic in nature. Through the use of specific color combinations and patterns, my work creates a dialogue that speaks to the bold, more playful side of the wearer. In contrast, my organic forms and use of dramatic curves and shapes give each piece a very clean, sophisticated feel. My process involves both the exploration of physical and visual aesthetic along with the intentional use of precious and semi-precious materials to help create a visual experience that is evocative, playful, and tasteful. These pieces are intended to engage the wearer's senses in multiple ways while bringing attention to the relationship between color and form.
Open Access
Virginia Clay: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Clay, Virginia, artist
The artist's statement: I began my creative pursuits with the desire to become a metalsmith. Jewelry has fascinated me my whole life and it only seemed natural that this passion should manifest itself in my creative endeavors. However, I had not counted on a love for textiles that took me the first moment I applied thickened dye to fabric. It is the meeting of these two fascinations that has created the framework for my pieces. My inspiration comes from a variety of sources, but the natural world is the central theme for these works. Specifically, I focus on the forms related to foliage. Leaves, flowers, and stems are the shapes from which I create the patterns and objects in my work. Nature has spent thousands of years perfecting the elegance of its plant life; and in my work, I continue to explore and glorify it through these interpretations.
Open Access
Leena Hibbert: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Hibbert, Leena, artist
The artist's statement: As an artist I delight in the exploration of form in all its incarnations. I appreciate the versatility of metal as it takes its shape, and the possibilities are only limited by my skills and imagination. Much of my work to date has been sculptural jewelry that functions as wearable art. However, most recently my work has turned toward experimentation with form. I am drawn to nature which inspires this organic work. Through this exploration, I find the satisfaction of melding soft form with the perceived rigidity of metal. I feel a deep connection with the metalsmiths of the past. It is amazing to me that the techniques employed by the earliest artisans have lasted through the millennia with minimal change. This knowledge ties me to history in a way that I really appreciate. My fascination allows me to draw inspiration from historical artifacts from both recent and ancient history. This appreciation for history also inspires me to explore my own heritage. My newest work is informed by my Irish - Celtic lineage because I know so little about that side of my family. My work is my way of connecting with the ancestors that I cannot possibly know through the largely unchanged processes of metalsmithing.
Open Access
Patrick R. Duncan: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Duncan, Patrick R., artist
The artist's statement: My metalsmithing pieces are inspired by the everyday ordinary. Whether it be at home or in the mountains, I find happiness in simplicity, function and natural beauty. When creating new pieces, I strive to re-create what is seen in everyday life into a piece of simple sophistication that serves its rightful function. My pieces are clean and deliberate, leaving little room for chance. Being an artist in Colorado, I find motivation in nature to create organic and elegant pieces that can be found on a stroll in the park. I rely on nature to tell the story of my piece as I fashion representative pieces into one. My mission is simple: to turn the ordinary into something extraordinary and further serve its destiny in function.
Open Access
Hayley Josephs: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Josephs, Hayley, artist
The artist's statement: My whole life, I have been a maker. Creating art has never been my hobby or simply a way to pass the time. Rather, giving physical form to ideas is something that I cannot help but do and it is through metalsmithing and the fabrication of my own jewelry pieces that I am able to find self-expression. I am precise and mathematical while simultaneously having a fascination with organic forms. Metal is the ideal medium to allow me to work with these two sides of myself in harmony. Jewelry has a power that no other art form possesses; its central purpose is to be worn. The result is that the value and meaning of a jewelry piece is fluid, changing based on the wearer's experiences as the piece is carried over time. In my art, I create narrative pieces that help me understand and come to terms with the things I experience. The way I feel about a piece at its completion is only the beginning of what it may come to mean as time passes. When placed into the context of another wearer's life, the works may digress even further from the ideas that originally inspired their creation. The result is that the pieces begin to gather histories of their own that transcend my life as their maker. Ultimately, my jewelry functions as daily reminders of my own stories, whose effects are still shaping and influencing the person I am becoming. My current work springs from a need to stay connected to the natural world as I increasingly find myself viewing nature and seasonal changes from a distance. By trying to capture the sun's trajectory throughout the growing season, and the subsequent effects on the organic and inorganic objects found in my own backyard and the surrounding Colorado landscape, I am attempting to reconnect myself to the earth. By documenting seasonal growth and natural imagery, in combination with imagery from the Western heritage of Colorado itself, I am creating a new visual language to discuss my need to retain ties to my homeland as I begin to forge my own path into lands unknown.
Open Access
Theresa Pucci: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Pucci, Theresa, artist
The artist's statement: Growing up in an environment where I was taught that family is to be cherished, I am not surprised to find that much of my artwork revolves around them. I hold my relationships and interactions with my family with the highest regard and I am influenced by them frequently. I make artwork that celebrates and memorializes these shared family bonds. As my family and I grow older, so do my pieces. Bodies degrade. Metal tarnishes. This natural aging process also affects memories, which become less clear over time. My pieces age, as do my memories of them, and both are then tarnished. Recently I have been influenced by what is passed down genetically through my family. These "genetic heirlooms," both positive and negative, are something that each owner must face, recognize, and deal with in their own manner. For example, in "From Them, to Us, to Our Own," this series of lockets originates with my maternal grandmother and follows her genetic line through to new generations. I use hair from specific family members to bind and connect not only our genetic makeup, but to strengthen the bond we share as four generations of women. In "A Gift from Mom," I explore a family history of migraines through medical imagery and pattern disruption. "Gentle Reminders" expresses that even though mental states, such as depression, show less brain function in scans, medical documentation alone does not define a person. These pieces have allowed me to better understand myself as an individual, but also to help identify my place within a strong family of women. Personal identity and family relationships drive my work. At one point I will be the beginning of a chain of shared memories, just as I am a link in an ongoing genetic chain. I will pass my work down as heirlooms, along with the stories that belong to them, just as my genes will be passed down as well. This is biologically what creates family, but personal history and shared loving bonds bring those relationships to life. By honoring those bonds, not only does my work come alive, but the stories connecting each piece persevere.
Open Access
John Sullivan: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Sullivan, John, artist
The artist's statement: My most recent work questions the role of technology in our lives and its effects on human civilization. We are living in an era that will dramatically affect all future generations. Technology in general is advancing at such an exponential rate that maybe we, as living and constantly evolving creatures, aren't growing at an equal one. Through my work, I question and evaluate the overabundance of technology within our daily lives. It's hard to find a time when we aren't being exposed to some form of technology, even at a young age. We have no way to predict how this is going to affect childhood development because no generation before has experienced this level of technological impact. Even as adults, technology has become so oversaturated in so many aspects of our daily lives that it becomes suffocating. Odds are technology will soon be incorporated into our physical selves. It has occurred to me that our generation, and ever generation to come, will never encounter the problem of being lost to time. We currently live with so many ways to document our lives that future generations will know who we were and what we did. At the end of our lives we will live on through a digital afterlife. This is an experiment on a global scale in which the human race is the constant and technology is the variable. We have become lab rats and all we can do is document and study ourselves as technology continues to affect our lives. We can hypothesize and try to guide our future, but we can never truly know where this will lead us.
Open Access
Chelsea Moller: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Moller, Chelsea, artist
The artist's statement: As both a textile and metal artist, I see a special relationship between these two materials that, at first appearance, both seem vastly different. Metalwork and textiles have a shared history of ornamentation and body adornment, as well as being a part of everyday life. All of us use metal on a daily basis from the utensils we eat with, the cars we drive, to the jewelry we wear. I am passionate about the transformations that metalwork and fiber art goes through to create a variety of textures, shapes, curves and lines; the way they can be crafted to appear delicate and fragile yet are strong. I enjoy the processes required to turn raw material into recognizable items; for example, the process of raising a flat disk of copper into a rounded vessel. I show this in my work by using pattern and structure to create narratives that honor this process. Many of my metalwork functions as tools that facilitate transformations within my fiber work. In this way, I use metals as a conduit to facilitate changes in other materials. For example, this is both seen and accomplished in my drop spindle called The Three Fates. This narrative shows the cycle of wool being transformed into cloth; it displayed on a drop spindle that functions to create yarn. This symbiotic relationship is an overall theme in my work. I make beautiful tools that tell the story of the transformations of fiber while also functioning as a contemplative object that reflects the work that it creates as well as a piece to be admired by the maker who uses them.
Open Access
Nelligan Brown: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Brown, Nelligan, artist
The artist's statement: I believe that there is a strong correlation between balance within both nature and humanity. In this series of crowns I explore power divisions based on nature's elemental forces. The tranquility of water, the growth of flora, the regeneration from fire, the solidity of the earth, and the movement of wind all work together to keep the equilibrium of life steady. They also represent different necessities in human life in order for humanity to function peacefully. In water we find peace and serenity, in flora there is growth of the mind, earth gives us steadfastness and strength, wind shows us mobility, and fire gives us needed destruction and regeneration. My crowns embody these traits, and bring elemental forces to life through the unique designs of each piece. Crowns are an indicator of power and strength, but such power must be tempered by sensitivity, knowledge, and patience, traits that are seen as more delicate within a leader. Metal is a very diverse medium that can show both great power and great delicacy. Through different techniques, I am able to convey both the strength that is inherent within the material, but also the fragility and ephemeral qualities that it can embody as well. Within each piece I seek an ideal equilibrium that is inherent in nature but sought after in humanity.
Open Access
Colin Smith: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Smith, Colin, artist
The artist's statement: My works are details. They are the objects that bring a story to life, and story is something I engage in depth. My work is sited in a land of fiction, and I want my viewer to explore that fiction; to allow themselves to be immersed and excited about a world, and a story within that world. Through fiction, viewers will feel a connection and want to know more about each object that is before them: what is it, what is it used for, who uses it? I want them to ask questions. For the viewer to be curious. I am also interested in the concept of culture itself. What is needed to create a culture and how can I clearly present that? This body of work serves to help define a fictional society through the lens of the artifact. I provide the viewer with a glimpse into the world that these objects came from. These cultural artifacts are paired with written context in order to better explain each piece as well as the culture I have created for them. In this way, I provide the viewer with a glimpse into the world that these objects inhabit. Through these objects the story becomes more inviting and the viewer is more likely to investigate it further. Writing and making are two processes that I use to express my imagination and creativity. Separately, each can result in beautiful work, but when they are combined they create something more. I am able to breathe life into my pieces by providing them with a world to live in through writing. My stories, too, are made tangible by being paired with a physical object. For me, writing and making enhance one another and allow me to present my work in a complete form.
Open Access
Adeline Gavin: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Gavin, Adeline, artist
The artist's statement: Life without emotion does not exist. Love without passion is not love. For me, art has become a deep and constant affair with materials and meanings. Sometimes I create with a clear purpose and I make exactly what I desire to create. Other times, I create for the pure joy of exploring materials. I enjoy constructing pieces that have meaning and substance but also beauty and elegance. The process of exploration, growth and struggle all play into my constant desire for this process in my daily life. Recently, I have been focusing on embracing personal independence and strength. I believe that finding acceptance and peace in solitude is important as an artist and an individual. Growth has always been an overarching theme that I have been drawn to. The idea of cherishing every stage of growth and existence is not always easy. However, I believe we should embrace each unique moment. Passion has led me as an artist to see the unique beauty within every stage of life, even failure and loss. Growing from such situations is where true beauty and strength lies.
Open Access
Kayla Schwartz: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Schwartz, Kayla, artist
The artist's statement: I have always loved jewelry and learned about metalsmithing when I took my first metals class in high school. I continue my metal education throughout college and my work has been through many phases. Recently, I have become intrigued with the idea of incorporating precious materials like sterling and fine silver with cheap materials such as plastic. I am also intrigued by the material contradiction of using silver and plastic together. The transitions from mass produced toys to melted puddle to "stone" elevate the pieces. The silver, in turn, elevates the cheap plastic by making it look like a rare stone. My pieces are organic looking and focused around the organic shapes the melted plastic has formed. The melted ends of the fused links are organic in their own ways as well because they go against uniformity by being individual from one another. These pieces of jewelry that you see are organic, resistant to uniformity in every way, and show the clear contradiction between cheap and precious materials.