Kerianne Quick: Ballast

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November 4 – November 20, 2016

Artist’s Reception Friday, November 4, 2016, 6-8pm

Material foraged out of the Hudson River and Rondout Creek are shifted in form and used to explore the post-industrial landscape, regional histories, visibility and camouflage, the human impulse to adorn, and cultural substitutions/additions/deletions.

The brickworks that once occupied the shores of the Hudson River and its tributaries used the banks to discard failed fired bricks. These failures are the containers of the hope, pride, greed, labor, sweat, and process of a rich industrial culture. The now exhausted clay deposit, dug from these same banks, returns; a prodigal son, formed, hardened, humbled, repentant. Transformed from their natural state by fire but unusable as building materials, they exist as erratics, each possessing a characteristic naming it as aberration, odd, unsuitable. Slowly they transform again, this time by the tidewaters, breaking down not into what they were, but into something new. Added to the river ecosystem as discards they become a decorative surface–both coarse and fine. As remains of an exhausted resource and defunct process they become a finite material. As a material found in but not belonging to the landscape they become a way to examine place, history, and the ways we carry both with us. The fruits of the river–oysters, shad, sturgeon–replaced by brickworks, cement, mineral mines, and stone quarries. As European immigrants settled the land and displaced the native Algonquin speaking tribes, culture and its produce also shifted from hunter to farmer to industry. From shell, bone, and skin to pearl, metal, and silk.

The hand-cut and carved bricks are combined with pearls, shell, silk, silver and gold. Using stringing and pearl knotting techniques, the work plays between the adornment ideals of the Dutch Golden Age and the ceremonial adornment of the native Lenape Tribes of the Hudson River Valley. The resulting objects are hybrid artifacts that articulate a proposed series of cultural substitutions/additions/deletions.

Process info:

The work consists of both practical and theoretical jewelry objects, made from discarded bricks from the brickworks of the Hudson River Valley. All the bricks were hand cut and carved. Some were tumbled to appear as they would if they were washed for years in the waves of the river. Some were strung using traditional pearl knotting techniques on silk, while others required that the stringing material be steel cable in order to support the weight of the brick material. Aluminum crimps were used to connect the steel cable or in place of ‘knots’ to suspend the brick segments along the cable. Polyolefin shrink tube was used as a coating to protect the bricks from wear and the wearer from the rough surface of the steel cable.

About the Artist:

Kerianne Quick is Assistant Professor of Jewelry and Metalwork at San Diego State University. Her scholarly research mixes traditional and digitally driven making processes with material focused historical and ethnographic inquiries to consider how objects can be embedded with meaning.

Kerianne has produced several bodies of material specific work considering subject matters that range from communal sheep farming practices in the Orkney Isles to the derelict brickyards of New York’s Hudson Valley. She is currently researching contemporary forms of portable wealth among migrants seeking asylum/refugee status. With her creative practice, Kerianne aims to tell hidden stories through object making – by considering source, geography, and material specificity. Her research is rooted in exploring craft and materiality as cultural phenomena with an emphasis on jewelry and personal adornment.

Transmutations 15, 2016, foraged brick, inherited pearls, silk, sterling silver

Transmutations 15, 2016, foraged brick, inherited pearls, silk, sterling silver

Ballast Installation

Ballast Installation

Transmutations 4, 2016, foraged brick, inherited glass beads, silk, sterling silver, stainless steel

Transmutations 4, 2016, foraged brick, inherited glass beads, silk, sterling silver, stainless steel

Transmutations 8, 2016, foraged brick, inherited pearls, silk, gold clasp from an inherited necklace

Transmutations 8, 2016, foraged brick, inherited pearls, silk, gold clasp from an inherited necklace

Transmutations 20, 2016, foraged brick, inherited pearls, sterling silver, nickel silver, stainless steel

Transmutations 20, 2016, foraged brick, inherited pearls, sterling silver, nickel silver, stainless steel

Transmutations 14, 2016, foraged brick, inherited pearls, silk, sterling silver

Transmutations 14, 2016, foraged brick, inherited pearls, silk, sterling silver

Transmutations 10, 2016, foraged brick, inherited pearls, silk, sterling silver, nickel silver

Transmutations 10, 2016, foraged brick, inherited pearls, silk, sterling silver, nickel silver

Ballast Installation

Ballast Installation

Ballast Installation

Ballast Installation

Transmutations 6, 2016, foraged brick, inherited pearls, silk, sterling silver

Transmutations 6, 2016, foraged brick, inherited pearls, silk, sterling silver

Transmutations 5, 2016, foraged brick, inherited pearls, silk, sterling silver, stainless steel

Transmutations 5, 2016, foraged brick, inherited pearls, silk, sterling silver, stainless steel

Transmutations 18, 2016, foraged brick, inherited pearls, silk, sterling silver

Transmutations 18, 2016, foraged brick, inherited pearls, silk, sterling silver

 

Transmutations 17, 2016, foraged brick, inherited pearls, silk, sterling silver

Transmutations 17, 2016, foraged brick, inherited pearls, silk, sterling silver

Ballast Installation

Ballast Installation

Transmutations 19, 2016, foraged brick, inherited pearls, silk, sterling silver, nickel silver

Transmutations 19, 2016, foraged brick, inherited pearls, silk, sterling silver, nickel silver

 

Velvet in October

Hilary Pfeifer Lure Installation

Hilary Pfeifer Lure Installation

Kathleen Browne Spectacle Necklace

Kathleen Browne Spectacle Necklace

April Higashi Pendant

April Higashi Pendant

Kay Sekimachi

Kay Sekimachi

Erica Bello Pop-Up Bow Brooch

Erica Bello Pop-Up Bow Brooch

Junko Mori Nigella

Junko Mori Nigella

Jane Dodd Brown Bear Pendant

Jane Dodd Brown Bear Pendant

Tom Hill Preening Bird

Tom Hill Preening Bird

Junko Mori

Junko Mori

Boline Strand Earrings

Boline Strand Earrings

Tom Hill

Tom Hill

Adam Thorpe

Adam Thorpe

Zachery Lechtenberg Beaker

Zachery Lechtenberg Beaker

 

 

Demitra Thomloudis and Motoko Furuhashi: CrossPass

CrossPath_PR_1000September 8-October 9, 2016

Artists’ Reception: Friday, September 9, 6-8pm

CrossPass is a project featuring collaborative and solo works by artists Demitra Thomloudis and Motoko Furuhashi that examines place through expanded media and the intimate lens of jewelry and small objects. The project targets a distinctive stretch of the Interstate 10 corridor connecting the unique borderplex region of El Paso, Texas to Las Cruces, New Mexico. The objective of CrossPass is to allow site-specific locations and the artists’ shared personal inquiries along this route to initiate the collection of images, video and sound which directly influences the creation of jewelry and objects. The viewer is asked to join them in their investigation of this land awash with dramatic terrain, vernacular structures and a multitude of boundaries; and, to uniquely discover these sites through the body.

About the Artists:

Motoko Furuhashi was born in 1982 in Tokyo, Japan. While growing up in Tokyo, she received her introduction to art from her grandfather. Her recent works are inspired by her experiences traveling around the world and the road that takes her from one place to another. Motoko received her MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor at New Mexico State University. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally including at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, the Oakland Museum of California, and Nobana Art Works in Ginza in Tokyo. Publications include 500 Plastic Jewelry design by Lark Books, New Rings: 500+ Designs from Around the World by Nicolas Estrada, and Humor in Craft by Brigitte Martin.

Furuhashi Artist Statement:

“I am deeply fascinated with imperfection and the complexity of the natural cycle of growth, decay, and death as the processes that govern life. The overall intent with my work has been to slow the viewer down and make what goes unnoticed important. By highlighting what is viewed as imperfect my work can bring relevance to the object. My belief is that objects only gain importance when the artist draws attention to them. My work is a shift in the meaning of perfection, transforming our perception of reality to new perspectives.”

Demitra Thomloudis is a studio jeweler, visual artist, and an Assistant Professor in the Jewelry and Metalwork at the Lamar Dodd School of Art at the University of Georgia. Originally from the Philadelphia area, she received her MFA from San Diego State University and her BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art. Her work is recognized nationally and internationally and she has exhibited, lectured, and taught at institutions, fairs, and events such as SOFA Chicago, Athens (Greece) Jewellery Week, and the Penland School of Crafts. Artist residencies include a yearlong appointment at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft and Smitten Forum. Demitra is included in publications such as 500 Plastic and Resin Jewelry, 500 Enameled Objects, and The Art of Jewelry: Plastic & Resin: Techniques, Projects and Inspiration. Demitra’s work is represented by Charon Kransen Arts-USA, Alliages Organization-France, and Penland Gallery at the Penland School of Crafts-USA.

Thomloudis Artist Statement:

“My jewelry is influenced by the ve­­rnacular architecture and landscapes of site-specific locations. This interest has led me to identify particular aesthetic characteristics and construction techniques that I employ to create works to be worn on the body. As an artist using jewelry and objects as an artistic format for self-expression, my work intends to challenge the construct of the medium as a means to examine value, material sign systems, and extensions of personal and place identity. By relating to the aesthetics of architecture, landscape, and place in this way, I see jewelry having the potential to connect us closer to the world we are surrounded by.”

Demitra Thomloudis and Motoko Furuhashi, Site 1, 2016, Steel, enamel, silver

Demitra Thomloudis and Motoko Furuhashi, Site 1, 2016, Steel, enamel, silver

Demitra Thomloudis and Motoko Furuhashi, Site 2, 2016, Nickel silver, brass, silver, land segment, ink jet print, gesso

Demitra Thomloudis and Motoko Furuhashi, Site 2, 2016, Nickel silver, brass, silver, land segment, ink jet print, gesso

Demitra Thomloudis and Motoko Furuhashi, Site 3, 2016, Nickel silver, steel, sand

Demitra Thomloudis and Motoko Furuhashi, Site 3, 2016, Nickel silver, steel, sand

Demitra Thomloudis and Motoko Furuhashi, Site 4, 2016, Steel, sand, dry grass, acrylic, paint, land segment, silver

Demitra Thomloudis and Motoko Furuhashi, Site 4, 2016, Steel, sand, dry grass, acrylic, paint, land segment, silver

Demitra Thomloudis and Motoko Furuhashi, Site 5, 2016, Steel, sand, dry grass, acrylic, paint, land segment, silver

Demitra Thomloudis and Motoko Furuhashi, Site 5, 2016, Steel, sand, dry grass, acrylic, paint, land segment, silver

Demitra Thomloudis and Motoko Furuhashi, Site 7, 2016, Brass, powder coat, sand, found materials

Demitra Thomloudis and Motoko Furuhashi, Site 7, 2016, Brass, powder coat, sand, found materials

Demitra Thomloudis and Motoko Furuhashi, Site 8, 2016, Steel, brass, cement, resin, pigment, fibers

Demitra Thomloudis and Motoko Furuhashi, Site 8, 2016, Steel, brass, cement, resin, pigment, fibers

Demitra Thomloudis and Motoko Furuhashi, Site 9, 2016, Nickel silver, fabric, steel

Demitra Thomloudis and Motoko Furuhashi, Site 9, 2016, Nickel silver, fabric, steel

Demitra Thomloudis, Over the Fence, Installation, Cement, brass, paint, graphite pencil, steel, resin

Demitra Thomloudis, Over the Fence, Installation, 2016, Cement, brass, paint, graphite pencil, steel, resin

Demitra Thomloudis, Neighborhhood #4, Detail from the installation Over the Fence, 2016, Cement, brass, paint, graphite pencil, steel, resin

Demitra Thomloudis, Neighborhood #4, Detail from the installation Over the Fence, 2016, Cement, brass, paint, graphite pencil, steel, resin

Demitra Thomloudis, Neighborhhood #1, Detail from the installation Over the Fence, 2016, Cement, brass, paint, graphite pencil, steel, resin

Demitra Thomloudis, Neighborhood #1, Detail from the installation Over the Fence, 2016, Cement, brass, paint, graphite pencil, steel, resin

Demitra Thomloudis, Neighborhhood #2, Detail from the installation Over the Fence, 2016, Cement, brass, paint, graphite pencil, steel, resin

Demitra Thomloudis, Neighborhood #2, Detail from the installation Over the Fence, 2016, Cement, brass, paint, graphite pencil, steel, resin

Motoko Furuhashi, NMSU Parking Lot (New Mexico State University), 2016, Tape, road segments, brass, silver, powder coat, paint

Motoko Furuhashi, NMSU Parking Lot (New Mexico State University), 2016, Tape, road segments, brass, silver, powder coat, paint

Motoko Furuhashi, Mesilla, 2016, Tape, road segments, brass, silver, powder coat, paint

Motoko Furuhashi, Mesilla, 2016, Tape, road segments, brass, silver, powder coat, paint

Motoko Furuhashi, Baylor Canyon Path, 2016, Tape, road segments, brass, silver, powder coat, paint

Motoko Furuhashi, Anthony, Sculpture, 2016, Tape

Motoko Furuhashi, Anthony, Sculpture, 2016, Tape

Motoko Furuhashi, New Road, 2016, Tape, road segments, brass, silver, powder coat, paint

 

Motoko Furuhashi, Sonoma Ranch, 2016, Tape, road segments, brass, silver, powder coat, paint

Motoko Furuhashi, Anthony, 2016, Tape, road segments, brass, silver, powder coat, paint

Motoko Furuhashi, Baylor Canyon Path, 2016, Tape, road segments, brass, silver, powder coat, paint

NMSU (New Mexico State University), Sculpture, Tape

Motoko Furuhashi, NMSU (New Mexico State University), Sculpture, 2016, Tape

Motoko Furuhashi, Rio Grande, 2016, Tape, road segments, brass, silver, powder coat, paint

 

 

Junko Iijima: Migration

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September 8 – October 9, 2016
Artist’s Reception: Friday, September 9, 6-8pm

San Francisco’s Velvet da Vinci is proud to present Junko Iijima: Migration, a special installation by the Portland based artist.  The show will run from September 8 through October 9, 2016.  An opening reception with the artist will take place on Friday, September 9 from 6-8pm.

Iijima’s “Migration” installation represents an exploration of the melding and divergence of cultural signifiers from Japan with global popular culture. Created during her second Arts/Industry iron-casting residency at the Kohler Company in Wisconsin, this series of small iron and brass sculptures draws formal inspiration from the traditional Japanese Nanbu tea kettle, as well as American pop aesthetics. On her most recent body of work, the artist states:

“I am attracted to objects that retain their cultural identities, obvious stereotypes. I observe and investigate the mixing of cultures through their commodities; how objects from different cultures influence and impact one another, in particular, the intertwining of the contemporary culture of Japan, where I’m from, and America, where I live.

Through my work, I explore the cultural and social underpinnings of both decorative and functional objects. Recently I have been exploring traditional cast-iron patterning from Japanese Nanbu Ironware (best known as black iron tea kettle) while considering pop culture forms. Small bronze sculptures and the drawings demonstrate the melding of cultural signifiers through commodities, and are part of an on-going study and examination of visual languages; creating hybrids of the past and present, from the East and the West.”

Iijima came to the United States as a high school exchange student from Tokyo, Japan. Fascinated by the diversity of American culture and the US educational system, Iijima remained in the states and received her Masters in Metalsmithing from the University of Oregon. She currently teaches Metalsmithing and 3D Foundation courses at several colleges in the Portland, Oregon area.

 Junko Iijima, Migration (Detail), 2016, Iron, brass

Junko Iijima, Migration (Detail), 2016, Iron, brass

Junko Iijima, Migration (Detail), 2016, Iron, brass

Junko Iijima, Migration (Detail), 2016, Iron, brass

Junko Iijima, Migration (Detail), 2016, Iron, brass

Junko Iijima, Migration (Detail), 2016, Iron, brass

Junko Iijima, Migration (Detail), 2016, Iron, brass

Junko Iijima, Migration (Detail), 2016, Iron, brass

Junko Iijima, Migration (Detail), 2016, Iron, brass

Junko Iijima, Migration (Detail), 2016, Iron, brass

Brooke Marks-Swanson

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Brooke Marks-Swanson 
Baskets: Increase/Decrease

 

August 4-31, 2016
Artist’s Reception: Saturday, August 6, 6-8pm

 

Velvet da Vinci is proud to present Baskets: Increase/Decrease, Brooke Marks-Swanson’s first solo exhibition at the gallery.  The show will run from August 4-31, 2016.  An opening reception with the artist will take place on Saturday, August 6 from 6-8pm.

On her most recent body of work, Marks-Swanson states:

“Born from the human need to protect ourselves from the elements, knitting quickly became a common thread throughout Europe and the Middle East early in the common era. To me, it represents the human need, artistry in its variations, and a universal language.

I discovered knitting looking for a personal connection, which quickly led to an obsession with the discovery of variation in a simple stitch. Through knitting fine leather, I have discovered a familiar vocabulary of the rigid construction common in metal fabrication. Sensitivity and quietness stems from purposeful parameters.

I draw inspiration from antiquing, which provides a visual reservoir of objects loaded with content and hints of remembrance. I was attracted to a massive strand of colorful, miniature, woven grass baskets that evoked a distant memory of traveling to Mexico as a child.

Baskets are powerful objects. They have existed since the beginning of man and throughout history—and still today in many cultures—are essential for transporting and storing the necessities of life. Like us, baskets contain memories, secrets, and human experience.

Through the purposeful combination of knit leather and basket form, I have found meaningful connections sustaining my need to challenge and respond.”

– Brooke Marks-Swanson, 2016

Marks-Swanson earned an MFA from the School of Art and Design at the University of Illinois and a BFA from the School of Fine Arts at Indiana University. Her jewelry has been featured in numerous publications including three Lark Books: 500 Plates and Chargers; The Craft of Silversmithing: Techniques, Projects, Inspiration; and The Art of Enameling: Techniques, Projects, Inspiration. Works by Marks-Swanson have exhibited internationally and can be found in the collection of the Muzeum w Walbrzychu, Walbrzych in Poland.

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Basket#12, 2016, Neckpiece, Leather, horn, copper, 36”

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Basket #12, 2016, Neckpiece, Leather, horn, copper, 36”

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Basket#11, 2016, Neckpiece, Leather, silver, 18”

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Basket #11, 2016, Neckpiece, Leather, silver, 18”

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Basket #6,, 2016, Neckpiece, Leather, silver, 22k gold leaf, rare earth magnet, 24”

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Red Form Earrings, 2016, Leather, silver, 22k gold leaf

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Red Form Earrings, 2016, Leather, silver, 22k gold leaf

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Basket#10 Neckpiece, 2016, Leather, silver, 18k gold, 22k gold leaf, 6” diameter, 24” long

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Basket #10 Neckpiece, 2016, Leather, silver, 18k gold, 22k gold leaf, 6” diameter, 24” long

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Basket#17 Brooch, 2016, Leather, silver, 22k gold leaf, 4.25 x 1.5 x 1.5”

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Basket #17 Brooch, 2016, Leather, silver, 22k gold leaf, 4.25 x 1.5 x 1.5”

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Basket#5, 2016, Neckpiece, Leather, silver, 40"

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Basket #5, 2016, Neckpiece, Leather, silver, 40″

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Basket #18 Brooch, 2016, Sterling silver, 4 x 2.25 x 1.25

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Basket #18 Brooch, 2016, Sterling silver, 4 x 2.25 x 1.25

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Bundle Earrings, 2016, Leather, silver

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Bundle Earrings, 2016, Leather, silver

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Basket #14, 2016, Neckpiece, leather, silver, 22k gold leaf, 18”

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Basket #14, 2016, Neckpiece, leather, silver, 22k gold leaf, 18”

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Basket #7, 2016, Neckpiece, leather, silver, 66”

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Basket #7, 2016, Neckpiece, leather, silver, 66”

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Basket #1, 2016, Neckpiece, leather, silver, 28”

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Basket #1, 2016, Neckpiece, leather, silver, 28”

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Line, 2016, Earrings, leather, silver, 22k gold leaf

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Line, 2016, Earrings, leather, silver, 22k gold leaf

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Basket #9, 2016, Neckpiece, leather, silver, 36”

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Basket #9, 2016, Neckpiece, leather, silver, 36”

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Basket #2, 2016, Neckpiece, leather, silver, 32”

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Basket #2, 2016, Neckpiece, leather, silver, 32”

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Basket #8, 2016, Neckpiece, leather, silver. 22k gold, 66”

Brooke Marks-Swanson, Basket #8, 2016, Neckpiece, leather, silver. 22k gold, 66”

Amy Tavern: Trunk Show

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Amy Tavern: Trunk Show

Friday June 17, 5-8 pm

 

Don’t miss this special event!

“During the simple act of walking, I acutely observe my surroundings, take pictures, and form thoughts. Intuitive responses to my experiences follow, articulated through marks, repetition, accumulation, and layering. Using a variety of techniques, I respond to what I see through my work, designing and combining forms to represent my memories of places and their details.

The work presented in this trunk show includes new jewelry about place alongside pieces from my constant collections: Line Drawings, Borderlines, and Regal Graffiti.”

– Amy Tavern

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Shared Concerns

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Shared Concerns:  Melissa Cameron, Aran Galligan, Dan DiCaprio, Kaori Juzu, Jill Hermans, Caitie Sellers, Lynn Batchelder, and Vincent Pontillo-Verrastro

July 1-31, 2016
Artists’ Reception: Friday July 1, 6-8pm

 

An exhibition documenting the meeting of eight international artists, brought together to work in the Penland studios in the mountains of North Carolina.  As a group, the artists were asked to share a word that encapsulated the main concern of their practice. Words were then swapped at random so that each person received a different word, and used it as a part of the inspiration for their new work, by interpreting the ‘concern’ of another group member.

The pieces begun during their Winter Residency at Penland and were finished in studios across the United States as well as in Australia and Denmark, where this diverse group of jewelry artists call home. Shared Concerns is curated by Melissa Cameron and Aran Galligan.

Melissa Cameron
Shared word: Connection
Received word: Fuse

 

Aran Galligan
Shared word: Time
Received word: Connection

 

Dan DiCaprio
Shared word: Sexual
Received word: Inspiration

 

Kaori Juzu
Shared word: Inspiration
Received word: Sexual

 

Jill Hermans
Shared word: Fuse
Received word: Sprawl

 

Caitie Sellers
Shared word: Sprawl
Received word: Time

 

Lynn Batchelder
Shared word: Control
Received word: Analogous

 

Vincent Pontillo-Verrastro
Shared word: Analogous
Received word: Control

 

Vincent Pontillo-Verrastro, Tunne Brooch, PLA, decal, rare earth magnets, 2.5 x 2 x 2 in.

Vincent Pontillo-Verrastro, Tunne Brooch, PLA, decal, rare earth magnets, 2.5 x 2 x 2 in.

Vincent Pontillo-Verrastro, Purse Brooch , 2016, PLA, rare earth magnets, decal

Vincent Pontillo-Verrastro, Purse Brooch , 2016, PLA, rare earth magnets, decal

Lynn Batchelder, Stack Necklace, Steel, 2.5 x 2.5 x .25 in.

Lynn Batchelder, Stack Necklace, Steel, 2.5 x 2.5 x .25 in.

Lynn Batchelder, Crush , 2016, Steel, sterling silver

Lynn Batchelder, Crush , 2016, Steel, sterling silver

Aran Galligan, Connected #2 Brooch, Sterling silver, copper, steel 1.25 x 3 x 5 in.

Aran Galligan, Connected #2 Brooch, Sterling silver, copper, steel, 3  x 5/8 x 1 1/4 in.

Aran Galligan, Connected #2 Necklace , 2016, Fine silver, sterling silver, steel

Aran Galligan, Connected #2 Necklace , 2016, Fine silver, sterling silver, steel

Daniel DiCaprio, Barm Brooch, Ebony, 22k, 14k, 3 x 1.75 x 1.25 in.

Daniel DiCaprio, Barm Brooch, Ebony, 22k, 14k, 3 x 1.75 x 1.25 in.

Daniel DiCaprio, Cumulus , 2016 Ebony, sterling silver, 14k gold

Daniel DiCaprio, Cumulus , 2016, Ebony, sterling silver, 14k gold

Caitie Sellers, Renovation # 2 Bracelet, Argentium silver, copper mesh, 4.5 x 3 x 1.75 in.

Caitie Sellers, Renovation # 2 Bracelet, Argentium silver, copper mesh, 4.5 x 3 x 1.75 in.

Caitie Sellers, Renovation #3 Brooch, 2016, Argentium silver, copper mesh. Fabricated, fused, soldered

Melissa Cameron, Mirror Brooch (Body/Politic), Serving dish (chrome plated mild steel) titanium, stainless steel, 9.5 x 10 x 1 in.

Melissa Cameron, Fuse-Sun Mirror Brooch, Serving dish (chrome plated mild steel) titanium, stainless steel, 9.5 x 10 x 1 in.

Melissa Cameron, Fuse-Sun Mirror Neckpiece, 2016 Serving dish (chrome plated mild steel) titanium, stainless steel

Melissa Cameron, Fuse-Sun Mirror Neckpiece, 2016, Serving dish (chrome plated mild steel) titanium, stainless steel

Kaori Juzu, In Between #5 Brooch, Steel, silk, plastic, magnet, 5 x 4 x .75 in.

Kaori Juzu, In Between #5 Brooch, Steel, silk, plastic, magnet, 5 x 4 x .75 in.

Kaori Juzu, Inbetween #1, 2016 Steel, textile, silk, plastic, magnet

Kaori Juzu, Inbetween #1, 2016, Steel, textile, silk, plastic, magnet

Jill Hermans, Sprawl #3 Brooch, Shibuichi 5 x 5 x .75 in.

Jill Hermans, Sprawl #3 Brooch, Shibuichi 5 x 5 x .75 in.

Jill Hermans, Sprawl #5 Brooch, 2016 Shibuichi, 18kt gold

 

Florian Ladstaetter

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July 1-31, 2016
Artist’s Reception: Friday July 1, 6-8pm

 

A showcase of recent works by Vienna-based designer Florian Ladstaetter.  With designs that range from simple beaded necklaces to dramatic sculptural body adornments, Ladstaetter’s pieces bring several concepts together with a wealth of references, theories, contexts and inspirations.

 

The German born artist grew up in Austria, where he completed a Diploma in Advanced Metal Design from the University of Applied Arts Vienna, before returning to Germany to study Philosophy in Munich. His jewelry has been featured in numerous international publications such as magazine, San Francisco magazine, AnOther magazine, Japanese Vogue, Dazed&Confused and i-D. Ladstaetter’s work can also be found in the collections of the University and Museum of Applied Arts (Vienna), the Museum of Technique (Vienna), the Austrian Ministry of Culture and Education, and the Victoria & Albert Museum (London).

 

Florian Ladstaetter, Detail, Hand Painted Wood Bead Necklaces

Florian Ladstaetter, Necklace, hand painted wooden beads

FlorianCarvedWoodChoker

Florian Ladstaetter, Carved Wood Necklace, Walnut, Maple, sterling silver plated brass chain

FLorian16s_ASCENSION_Lookbook.pdf

Florian Ladstaetter, Sculpture Necklace (and inspiration), silver plated carved wood.

Florian Ladstaetter, Sculpture Necklace, silver plated carved wood. Featured in the June 2016 issue of San Francisco magazine, worn by Juanita More.

Florian Ladstaetter, Necklace, hand painted wooden beads, pearls

Florian Ladstaetter, Brooch, carved maple wood, pearls

FLorian16s_ASCENSION_Lookbook.pdf

Florian Ladstaetter, Large Sculpture Necklace (and inspiration), silver plated carved wood, polyester rope

Florian Ladstaetter, Necklace, hand painted wooden beads

Florian Ladstaette, Seedbead Triple Necklace, polyester cord wrapped in seedbead strands

Florian Ladstaetter, Seedbead Triple Necklace, polyester cord wrapped in glass seedbead strands

Florian Ladstaetter, Wood Bangle, Carved Walnut

Florian Ladstaetter, Pendant, acrylic and glass

Florian Ladstaetter, Rings, Brass with ruthenium plating

FLorian_Women_14w_Lookbook.pdf

Florian Ladstaetter, Detail, Glass, Plastic, Lave Bead Necklaces

Florian Ladstaetter, Pendant, acrylic and glass

Florian Ladstaetter, Large Sculpture Necklaces (Installation), Silver plated carved wood, polyester rope

Florian Ladstaetter, Multi Necklace (detail), Glass and acrylic beads

Florian Ladstaetter, Multi Necklace (detail), Glass and acrylic beads

Florian Ladstaetter, Necklace, hand painted wooden beads

Florian Ladstaetter, Wood Necklace, Painted pine wood, polyester cord

Florian Ladstaetter, Wood Necklace, Painted pine wood, polyester cord

 

Thea Clark: Cryosphere So Blue

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Thea Clark: Cryosphere So Blue
A special installation in Velvet da Vinci’s Elevator space.

 

May 13 – 26, 2016
Artist’s Reception: Friday, May 13, 2016, 6-8pm

 

Velvet Da Vinci is pleased to present Thea Clark’s Cryosphere So Blue, a site-specific installation in the gallery’s two-story elevator shaft. The show will run May 11 – 26, 2016. An Artist’s Reception will take place Friday, May 13, 2016, from 6-8pm.

 

The term cryosphere refers to the frozen water on the earth’s surface. The installation is inspired by the work of pioneering female Arctic explorer Louise A. Boyd of San Rafael, California who in the 1930’s conducted numerous expeditions to Eastern Greenland to do research on glaciers and geography. Boyd’s work included documenting the landscapes with hundreds of photographs made using state of the art cameras. Her collective research from over 80 years ago is still used today as a reference point for climate change studies.

Boyd’s black and white images capture amazing surface detail but we know the true glowing blues of icebergs and glaciers were only possible to see in person. Thea Clark’s sculpture and jewelry installation is influenced by these captured images, Boyd’s actual seen experience, documented scientific findings, and the nautical aspect of the exploration. Through the use of color, texture, and materials Clark pays homage to the natural wonder of the Arctic. Clark focuses on the pioneering spirit of Boyd through the lens of today’s knowledge of man’s responsibility for the rapid loss of our cryosphere.

Thea Clark: Cryosphere So Blue, Installation View (detail)

Thea Clark: Cryosphere So Blue, Installation View

Thea Clark: Cryosphere So Blue, Installation View

Thea Clark: Cryosphere So Blue, Installation View (detail) featuring Narrative Brooch

Thea Clark, Narrative Brooch, Tinted plaster, resin, brass, wood, anthracite coal, 4.5" x 2.5" x .25"

Thea Clark, Narrative Brooch, Tinted plaster, resin, brass, wood, anthracite coal, 4.5″ x 2.5″ x .25″

Thea Clark: Cryosphere So Blue, Installation View (detail) featuring Echo Soundings Pendant

Thea Clark, Echo Soundings Profile Pendant, Sterling silver, cotton cord, 3.5" x 3.75" x .25"

Thea Clark, Echo Soundings Profile Pendant, Sterling silver, cotton cord, 3.5″ x 3.75″ x .25″

Thea Clark, Echo Soundings Profile Necklace, Rope, sterling silver, leather, 3" x 7" x 28"

Thea Clark, Echo Soundings Profile Necklace, Rope, sterling silver, leather, 3″ x 7″ x 28″

Thea Clark: Cryosphere So Blue, Installation View

Thea Clark: Cryosphere So Blue, Installation View

Thea Clark, Hisinger Glacier Brooch, Tinted plaster, resin, hemp, rutilated quartz, brass, 3" x 3" x 2"

Thea Clark, Hisinger Glacier Brooch, Tinted plaster, resin, hemp, rutilated quartz, brass, 3″ x 3″ x 2″

Thea Clark: Cryosphere So Blue, Installation View (detail) featuring Morainless Glacier Necklace

Thea Clark: Cryosphere So Blue, Installation View (detail) featuring Morainless Glacier Necklace

Thea Clark, Head of Josef Franz Fiord Brooch, Tinted plaster, resin, brass, sterling silver, nickel silver, hemp, tinted plastic, rutilated quartz, 3" x 3.25" x 1.5"

Thea Clark, Head of Josef Franz Fiord Brooch, Tinted plaster, resin, brass, sterling silver, nickel silver, hemp, tinted plastic, rutilated quartz, 3″ x 3.25″ x 1.5″

Thea Clark: Cryosphere So Blue, Installation View (detail) featuring Head of Josef Franz Fiord Brooch

Thea Clark: Cryosphere So Blue, Installation View (detail) featuring Head of Josef Franz Fiord Brooch

Thea Clark, Walterhauser Glacier Brooch, Resin, stones, wood, Antarctic coal, silver, 4" x 2" x .25”

Thea Clark, Walterhauser Glacier Brooch, Resin, stones, wood, Antarctic coal, silver, 4″ x 2″ x .25”

Thea Clark: Cryosphere So Blue, Installation View (detail) featuring Walterhauser Glacier Brooch

Thea Clark: Cryosphere So Blue, Installation View (detail) featuring Walterhauser Glacier Brooch

Thea Clark: Cryosphere So Blue, Installation View

Thea Clark: Cryosphere So Blue, Installation View

Nikki Couppee: Hologems

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VdV_Card_NikkiCouppeeCard

Nikki Couppee: Hologems

May 11 – June 19, 2016

Artist’s Reception: Friday, May 13, 2016, 6-8pm

Nikki Couppee’s recent work talks about the different functions jewelry performs in society. Objects of personal adornment have the ability to define a person’s social statues, serve as a redeemable investment and perform on a psychological level. Working with everyday materials like Plexiglass, brass, and found objects in place of precious gems and metals she intuitively creates her own versions of gemstones, hand cast and faceted in luminescent plastics. In the series Hologems, Couppee combines holographic and synthetic materials with resins, creating fantastical frozen corsage brooches, lustrous, glow-in-the-dark gems, and collaged ornaments that are at once over-the-top and elegant. The work is further inspired by growing up on the beach in Florida, the 90’s, Crown Jewels, and costume jewelry

Nikki received an MFA in Jewelry/Metals from Kent State University, Kent, Ohio (2011) and a BFA from the University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia in Jewlery/Metals (2007). Her work has been featured in publications such as American Craft, Metalsmith Magazine, Modern Magazine, Vogue BrazilDailycandy, and Lark Book’s 500 Enameled Objects. Couppee has taught enameling and jewelry/metals techniques at Kent State University, The Cleveland Institute of Art, and The Crucible in West Oakland, CA. Originally from Pensacola Beach, FL, Nikki currently lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

Nikki Couppee, Hologem Flower Drops, 2016, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, faux pearls, vinyl, found objects

Nikki Couppee, Hologem Flower Drops, 2016, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, faux pearls, vinyl, found objects

Nikki Couppee, Corsage Brooch, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, found objects

Nikki Couppee, Corsage Brooch, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, found objects

Nikki Couppee, Red Earrings, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, found object

Nikki Couppee, Red Earrings, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, found object

Nikki Couppee, Corsage Brooch III, (glow in the dark) found objects, rubber, steel

Nikki Couppee, Corsage Brooch III, (glow in the dark) found objects, rubber, steel

Nikki Couppee, Corsage Brooch III (Glow in the dark, as seen in the dark), Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, found objects

Nikki Couppee, Corsage Brooch III (Glow in the dark, as seen in the dark), Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, found objects

Nikki Couppee, Hologem Fringe Necklace, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, found objects

Nikki Couppee, Hologem Palms, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, found objects, vinyl

Nikki Couppee, Hologem Palms, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, found objects, vinyl

Nikki Couppee, Hologem Heart Studs, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver fine silver, found object$

Nikki Couppee, Hologem Heart Studs, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver fine silver, found object

Nikki Couppee, Corsage Brooch IV, Found objects, rubber, steel

Nikki Couppee, Corsage Brooch IV, Found objects, rubber, steel

Nikki Couppee, Emerald Wreath Brooch, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, steel

Nikki Couppee, Emerald Wreath Brooch, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, steel

Nikki Couppee, Shell Valentine Earrings, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, found object

Nikki Couppee, Shell Valentine Earrings, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, found object

Nikki Couppee, Hologems with Red Leather, Plexiglass, brass, found objects, leather

Nikki Couppee, Hologems with Red Leather, Plexiglass, brass, found objects, leather

Nikki Couppee, Emerald Cocktail Earrings, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver

Nikki Couppee, Emerald Cocktail Earrings, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver

Nikki Couppee, Diffraction Drops, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, film

Nikki Couppee, Neogem Necklace, Plexiglass, brass, found objects

Nikki Couppee, Neogem Necklace, Plexiglass, brass, found objects

Nikki Couppee, 4th of July Drops, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, found object

Nikki Couppee, Glow Gems Brooch, Plexiglass, brass, found objects, steel

Nikki Couppee, Glow Gems Brooch, Plexiglass, brass, found objects, steel

Nikki Couppee, Sweetheart Earrings, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, found object

Nikki Couppee, Sweetheart Earrings, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, found object

Nikki Couppee, Large Corsage Brooch, Plexiglass, brass, found object, steel, (glow in the dark)

Nikki Couppee, Large Corsage Brooch, Plexiglass, brass, found object, steel, (glow in the dark)

Nikki Couppee, Neogem Crystal Drops, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, film

Nikki Couppee, Turquoise Shell Brooch, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, found object

Nikki Couppee, Turquoise Shell Brooch, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, found object

Nikki Couppee, Diffraction Necklace, 2016, Necklace Plexiglass, brass, leather, film

Nikki Couppee, Diffraction Necklace, Necklace Plexiglass, brass, leather, film

Nikki Couppee, Fringe Earrings, 2016, Plexiglass, brass, found objects, 11 x 7.5 x .5 inches, photo

Nikki Couppee, Fringe Earrings, Plexiglass, brass, found objects

Nikki Couppee, Beach Kid Brooch, Plexiglass, brass, found object, steel, 5 x 5.5 x 1.5"

Nikki Couppee, Beach Kid Brooch, Plexiglass, brass, found object, steel

Nikki Couppee, Glow Gems Necklace, Plexiglass, brass, found objects

Nikki Couppee, Glow Gems Necklace, Plexiglass, brass, found objects

Nikki Couppee, Glow Gem Studs, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, found object

Nikki Couppee, Glow Gem Studs, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, found object

Nikki Couppee, Midnight Cocktail Earrings, 2016, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, found objects

Nikki Couppee, Troll Hair Fringe Earrings, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, found objects

Nikki Couppee, Troll Hair Fringe Earrings, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, found objects

Nikki Couppee, Wall Corsage, Found object, plexiglass, rubber, steel

Nikki Couppee, Wall Corsage, Found object, plexiglass, rubber, steel

Nikki Couppee, Dichromatic Studs, Plexiglass, brass, found object, sterling silver, fine silver

Nikki Couppee, Dichromatic Studs, Plexiglass, brass, found object, sterling silver, fine silver

Nikki Couppee, Glow Brooch, Plexiglass, brass, found objects

Nikki Couppee, Glow Brooch, Plexiglass, brass, found objects

Nikki Couppee, Glow Brooch, 2016, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, film

Nikki Couppee, Glow Brooch (as seen in the dark), 2016, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, film

Nikki Couppee, Heart Drops, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, found objects, vinyl

Nikki Couppee, Corsage Brooch II, Found objects, rubber, steel

Nikki Couppee, Corsage Brooch II, Found objects, rubber, steel

Nikki Couppee, Legends Glow Gems Necklace, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver

Nikki Couppee, Legends Glow Gems Necklace, Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver

Nikki Couppee, Legend Glow Gems Necklace (as seen in the dark), Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, found object

Nikki Couppee, Legend Glow Gems Necklace (as seen in the dark), Plexiglass, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, found object