Delirio y Cordura (Delirium and Sanity): Chilean Contemporary Jewelry

Walka, T-Oro Sagrado Bull horn, gold plating brass, steel 6 x 6 x 4.5 cm

Carolina Gimeno, Encounter IV, Brooch Birch, sterling silver 13 x 11 x 5 cm

Nicolas Hernandez, Este colgante no te traerá suerte, Pendant: oxidizad copper, silver 999, fire enamel, 9 x 8 x 0.5 cm

María Eugenia Muñoz, Ring: Delirium Tremensdoscópicos, Sterling silver, copper, acrylic, mirror, Swarovski crystal, 4.5 x 2.5 x 3 cm

María Ignacia Walker, Rings: Corales de Madera, Wood

Valentina Rosenthal, Brooch: De Lirios session 3, Enamel, polyurethane, silver, 12 x 6 cm

Carolina Hornaüer, Brooch: Ismos #1 Rigid polystyrene foam, japanese lacquer, silver, enameled stoneware ceramic 7 x 6 x 7 cm

Gabriela Fissore, Cor, Silver, copper, japanese lacquer, 19cm

Paola Raggo, Necklace: Caos al viento, Sterling silver, stainless steel, resin, impression, 6.7 x 4 x 4 cm, chain length: 37 cm

Pía Walker, Pendant: Rotamiento, Steel, copper, acrylic, aluminium

Claudio Pino Ring: Tactus Sterling silver, brass, copper, moonstone, pink tourmaline

Rafaella Pruzzo, Necklace: Molindore, Oxidized silver, book pages, 21 x 18 x 5 cm

Claudia Correa, Necklace: Rochard 1, Sterling silver, copper, brass, patina, 20 x 12 cm

​Francisco Ceppi, Hands Up This is a Jewelry, Sterling silver, resin, plastic, 6 x 3.5 cm

Verónica Pérez Artigas, Brooch: silver 970, gold 18, pearl, 3.5 x 2.2 cm

Yessica Bordon, La Templanza, oxidized silver with murano glass drops

Additional Credits:

Project Coordinator – Director / María Eugenia Muñoz Curbelo

Guest Collaborator – Project Coordinator/ Claudio Pino

Producer – Designer / Verónica Pérez Artigas

Assistant / Rafaella Pruzzo

Photographer / Karen Clunes

To download the full press release for the exhibition, please click here: PRESS RELEASE

Joanna Gollberg’s most recent body of work considers the experiences of travel, observation, and enlightenment through the form of jewelry.  Inspired by her own personal collection of coral, shells, and other keepsakes gathered while traveling the world, the exhibition will feature an exciting new series created from precious and semi precious materials, as well as found objects.  Found in Mexico, Western North Carolina, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam, these tokens serve as a physical reminder of the place from which they came, their histories, and the artist’s connection to each experience.  The exhibition will also include a selection of documentary photographs, taken by the artist on each trip.

On this pivotal new body of work, Gollberg writes:  

“I had never before given myself permission to use (these elements) in my jewelry, because they were physical objects that kept me connected to places that made my whole heart feel crushingly full…  I chose to use techniques that I rarely employ in my day to day jewelry making life—mold making, wax carving, casting, enameling which gave me deep pleasure. I freely used gemstones and materials that suited each piece,disregarding any pre-planned price structure… The results are twofold: I am spiritually refreshed and ready to re-enter my work life anew, and I have created a body of work that is personally meaningful, yet still beautiful and true to my aesthetic.”

With a Jewelry Design degree from FIT in New York City, Gollberg has been creating and exhibiting unique wearable objects since 1997.  A well-known and respected author, she has written four books on handcrafted jewelry: Making Metal Jewelry, Creative Metal Crafts, The Art & Craft of Making Jewelry, and The Ultimate Jeweler’s Guide.  Her work has been included in gallery and museum exhibitions across the US and has been featured in international publications such as Art Jewelry Magazine, Lapidary Journal, Ornament Magazine, 1000 Rings, 500 Wedding Rings, 500 Enameled Objects, and 21st Century Jewelry.   Currently based out of Asheville, North Carolina, the artist also teaches at noted craft institutions such as the Penland School of Crafts and Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts.

CLICK HERE to download a full press release for the exhibition.

Highlighted Works:

Joanna Gollberg, Azul y Shell pendientes moldeados (Earrings), Sterling Silver, Blue Topaz, Shell (Mexico), Concrete (Mexico), Plastic (Mexico), Beads: Turquoise, Iolite, Green Turquoise

Joanna Gollberg, Wng thxng kạb khelụ̄xb s̄ī f̂ā læa h̄æwn muk วงทองกับเคลือบสีฟ้าและแหวนมุก (Ring), 18K Yellow Gold, Sterling Silver, Freshwater Pearl, Blue Enamel (on cast shell from Mexico)

Joanna Gollberg, El collar de citrino amarillo y otras cosas (Necklace), Sterling silver, Yellow rock (Mexico), brown glass (Western NC), citrine, coral (Mexico), yellow enamel, Citrine beads

Joanna Gollberg, El Grande Collar de los Coralinos (Necklace) Sterling silver, Coral (Mexico), Hydro Peridot, Peridot, Apatite, Turquoise, Lab Sapphire, Topaz, Chalcedony

Joanna Gollberg, pendientes de cristal verde, ópalo, y coral fundido (Earrings), Sterling silver, Green Glass (Mexico), Sunstone, Peridot, Emerald, Opal

Joanna Gollberg, Red Pop Top & Coral Earrings, Sterling Silver, Aluminum (Western NC), Garnet, Coral, Simulated Ruby

Joanna Gollberg, Sithrin læa pelụ̄xk h̄xy t̀āng h̄ū Teo k̄hā ซิทรีนและเปลือกหอยต่างหูสองข (Earrings), Sterling Silver, Citrine, Shell (Thailand)

Joanna Gollberg, S̄ām t̀āng h̄ū h̄in thī̀ mī pelụ̄xk h̄̂xy สามต่างหูหินที่มีเปลือกห้อย (Earrings), Sterling Silver, Blue Chalcedony, Green Glass (Mexico), Concrete (Mexico), Blue Sapphire

Joanna Golberg, Mrkt læa s̄r̂xy khx ngein bāth มรกตและสร้อยคอเงินบาท (Necklace), Black Acrylic, Yellow Diamond (.10 ct), Green Enamel (On cast Thai Baht), Green Onyx, Rough Emerald, Peridot, Shell (Mexico), Lemon Quartz, Malachite, Beads: Emerald

Joanna Gollberg, हरे कांच और लाख झुमके Harē kān̄ca aura lākha jhumakē (Earrings), Sterling Silver, 18K Gold Bi-metal, Citrine, Green Glass (Mexico), Green Onyx, Lac Jewelry Pieces (India)

Joanna Gollberg, गम और खोल ब्रोच Gama aura khōla brōca (Brooch), Sterling Silver, Blue Pottery Shard (Western NC), Lapis, Amethyst Crystal, Amethyst, Dried Gum (Mexico), Pink Opal, Concrete (Mexico), Turquoise, Green Enamel (On cast shell from Mexico), Green Onyx

Joanna Gollberg, el collar de la garra del cangrejo (Necklace), Sterling Silver, Blue Chalcedony, Crab Claw (Mexico)

Joanna Gollberg, Nīṇṭa civappu rattiṉa puttar kātaṇika நீண்ட சிவப்பு ரத்தின புத்தர் காதணிகள் (Earrings), Sterling Silver, Garnet, Shell (Mexico), Pink Tourmaline, Ruby, Antique Carved Ivory (India)

Joanna Gollberg, Rosa Shell Circulo Pendiente (Earrings), Sterling silver, 18K gold Bi-metal, blue topaz, pink opal, shell (Mexico), Rubelite

Joanna Gollberg, El Anillo de coral fundido y Turmalina (Ring), Sterling silver, Pink Tourmaline

Joanna Gollberg, रूबी और कोरल हार Rūbī aura kōrala hāra (Necklace), Sterling silver, Coral (Mexico), Lab Ruby, natural faceted flat ruby, natural faceted rubies, Natural ruby rough, Carnelian

Joanna Gollberg, புத்தர் போதி மரம் நகையை Puttar pōti maram nakaiyai (Necklace), Sterling silver, Green Chalcedony, Blue Chalcedony, Sapphire

Joanna Gollberg, புத்தர் வளையம் Puttar vaḷaiyam (Ring), Sterling Silver, Ruby

Joanna Gollberg, Hathi Broca हाथी ब्रोच (Brooch), Sterling silver, 18k gold bi-metal, freshwater pearl, Larimar, Shell (Mexico), Blue diamond (.10 ct)

Joanna Gollberg, புத்தர் போதி மரம் நகையை Puttar pōti maram nakaiyai (Necklace), Sterling silver, Green Chalcedony, Blue Chalcedony, Sapphire

Joanna Gollberg, Blue Rock Necklace, Pottery shard (My mom’d driveway), Stone (Western NC), Lapis

Joanna Gollberg, de color rosa pendientes de concha y rubí (Earrings), Sterling Silver, 18K Gold Bi-Metal, Lab-Created Rubies, Shell (Mexico), Pink Opal, Rubies (India)

Joanna Gollberg, Klùm xạỵmṇī læa krnglĕb s̄r̂xy khx h̄̂xy กลุ่มอัญมณีและกรงเล็บสร้อยคอห้อย (Necklace), Sterling silver, 18K Gold, Peridot, Carnelian, Malachite, Chrysoprase, Citrine, Shell

Mayfly, 2014, Wood, brass, sand, beads, paint, copper-plating, bronze-plating, paint, 11”h x 8”w x 6”d.  Photo: Hap Sakwa

Garry Knox Bennett: Full Circle 
October 1 – 31, 2014
Opening Reception: Friday October 3, 6 – 8pm

American furniture maker, woodworker, and metal artist Garry Knox Bennett has been celebrated for his innovative sculptural and functional objects for over 40 years. Garry Knox Bennett: Full Circle marks the California native artist’s 80th birthday this October, highlighting a body of new works made in the spirt of the 1960’s. Inspired by his background as a jeweler and metal plater, the show will feature 50 sculptural roach clips, a popular item sold at the artist’s historic San Francisco shop Squirkenworks almost 4 decades ago. For one time only, Velvet da Vinci turns from gallery to head shop, in honor of Bennett’s important historic and contemporary contributions to the Craft field.

Bennett’s work can be found in the permanent collections of the Museum of Art and Design in New York, the De Young Museum in San Francisco, the Mint Museum of Arts and Design in Charlotte NC, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Oakland Museum, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and Washington DC’s Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery. A graduate of the California College of Arts And Crafts, Bennett was featured in a solo retrospective exhibition at the Museum of Art and Design in New York City in 2001 and has been the recipient of numerous awards such as the Smithsonian Museum’s Renwick Alliance Award (2011), the Furniture Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award (2004), the American Craft Council College of Fellows (1996), and the Merit Grant National Endowment for the Arts (1984). The artist has lived and works in Oakland, CA for nearly 40 years.

To download a full PDF Press Release for the exhibition, please CLICK HERE.

A Selection of Featured Works:

Post-Modernist Dung-Beetle, 2014, Wood, brass, Tagua nut (vegetable ivory), beads, paint, sand copper, 8”h x 8 1/2”w x 4 1/2”d.

Take Your Medicine, 2014, Antique bottle, silver spoon, cork, wood, paint, 6 1/2”h x 6”w x 4 1/2”d.

Untitled (Carved Rattle-snake on Gold Ball), 2014, Wood, carved bone, Nevamar, brass, gold-leaf, 7″h x 4 1/2″w x 2 1/2″d.

Oozer, 2014, Wood, aluminum, brass, epoxy, wing-nut, washer 6 3/4”h x 3 1/4”w x 3 1/4”d.

Black Snake, 2014, Wood, brass, bead, 23kt gold-plating 5”h x 8”w x 3 1/2”d

Dung Beetle with Red Ball, 2014, Wood, Tagua nut (vegetable ivory), brass, straw, sand, rocks, 6 1/2”h x 7”w x 5”d

Dripping Fawcett, 2014, Brass, aluminum, lucite, ColorCore 7 1/2”h x 4”w x 4”d.

X Ball, 2014, Wood, ColorCore, aluminum, brass, bolt 5 3/4”h x 5”w x 5”d.

Untitled, 2014, Wood, brass, bronze – silver and 23kt gold-plating 8”h x 9”w x 4”d.

Coral Snake, 2014, copper, Bond-O, paint, 10 1/2”h x 4 1/2”w x 4 1/2”d.

Untitled, 2014, Wood, brass screws, 23kt gold-plating 7 1/4”h x 3 1/2”w x 3 1/2”d.

Dracula, 2014, Burger King plastic Simpson character, brass, silver-plating & 23kt gold-plating, 9”h x 3 1/2”w x 3 1/2”d. Photo: Hap Sakwa

Making More Dung-Beetles, 2014, Wood, Tagua nut (vegetable ivory), copper, beads, sand, bronze-plating, 8”h x 10 1/4”h x 6 1/4”d. Photo: Hap Sakwa

Untitled (Clip and Stash), 2014, Brass, bronze-plating, 23k gold-plating, 7 3/4″h x 4 1/2″w x 4 1/24″d.

Multi-axis Spindle Twirling with Gizmo, 2014, Wood, brass, paint 8”h x 3”w x 1”d.

Golgatha, 2014, Wood, Nevamar, brass, copper, 23kt gold-plating 13”h x 8”w x 7”d.

Cluster-f– 2, 2014, Wood, brass, 23kt gold plating, 6 1/2″h x 4 1/8″h x 4 1/8″d.

Untitled (Painted Twirling), 2014, Painted twirling wood, brass, copper, 9 1/2″h x 4 1/8″w x 4 1/2″d.

Arachnid Attack, 2014, Wood, brass, beads, sand, copper, paint, flocking, bronze-plating, 23kt gold-plating, 10 1/4”h x 7”w x 4 3/4”d.

Garry Knox Bennett in his Oakland, CA studio, with the original sign from his Union Street SF shop, Squirkenworks.

October 18 – 31, 2014

Artist Talk: Saturday, October 18, 7pm

Opening Reception: Saturday, October 25, 6-8pm

In conjunction with her artist residency at the California College of the Arts, Velvet da Vinci is proud to present Amy Tavern’s recent body of work “I Live Here Now” and a site specific installation “In Between” at Velvet da Vinci.

I’ve been without a home by circumstance and by choice for several years. In 2012, I began traveling in the US and abroad for my work, rarely spending extended periods of time in any one location. This new lifestyle made me realize I don’t know where I want to live, and I find myself searching for this seemingly elusive place today. While I am content to be without a home, I long for that one place where I feel most myself, a place where I want to stay. In an effort to find what I’m looking for, I was compelled to define and redefine home through research, writing and object making, as well as examining my past, my present and my future. 

Artist Statement:

Over the past year, I have explored ideas of home in three distinctive places. Arriving in Iceland for the first time, I felt attune with myself and with my surroundings in a way I had never felt before. The pieces I made in a two-month residency there illustrate feelings of belonging and of being found. In my childhood home in New York, I reflected on my relationships with my family as well as relationships with the places I’ve lived in the United States. The foundation of my artistic sources and countless other details were revealed as I considered individual people and locations. Further, through all the places I have traveled, I have become keenly aware of my ability to find home in the unknown. In all of these places, Iceland, the US and countries abroad, I examined memories and focused on things that carry emotional weight. I also relied on the language of jewelry, looking to a variety of historical forms for guidance. 

“I Live Here Now” represents what home means to me as well as the memories and emotions associated with the different places that are a part of my collective home. Jewelry, objects, text, photographs, ritual, arrangements and installation serve to demonstrate my ideas and to establish a unique narrative. Ultimately, I know my home is the place where I am truly myself, and, essentially, I know now that I don’t need a physical location to call home; my home is me and it is wherever I am.

– Amy Tavern

Featured Images:

Amy Tavern, I Can Only Stay Away for So Long No. 1-7, 2014, Icelandic wool

Amy Tavern, Since 1882, Since 1976, 2014, Stones from the foundation of my childhood home, sterling
silver, vintage velvet jewelry box

Amy Tavern, Since 1882, Since 1976, 2014, Stones from the foundation of my childhood home, sterling silver

Caroline Gore, Revenir (performed), Tintype 2013, Photo: Mary Whalen

Caroline Gore …mercurial silence…

November 5-30, 2014

Artist’s Reception: Friday, November 7, 6-8 pm

To read a recent Art Jewelry Forum interview with the artist, CLICK HERE.

Caroline Gore’s recent series …mercurial silence… is the culmination of an investigation of how grief and loss manifest in society.  This body of work considers comparative meanings sought through the multidisciplinary research of historical jewelry, Roman myth, photographic materials, and functional/sculptural objects as they relate to commonalities across human experience.

With an undergraduate degree in Crafts (jewelry focus) from Virginia Commonwealth University and a graduate degree in Metal Design from East Carolina University, Gore is known on a national level for her expansive and thought provoking studio practice.  Ranging from small-scale wearable pieces to multimedia sculptural installations, large scale drawings, and conceptual photographic objects, Gore’s work be found in the permanent collection of The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, the Racine Art Museum, and numerous private collections.  Her jewelry has been featured in group and solo exhibitions across the US, in addition to publications such as Metalsmith Magazine and the 500 series books published by Lark Books.  The artist currently lives and works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she serves as an Associate Professor of Jewelry/Metals in the Craft & Material Studies program at The University of the Arts. 

To download a full PDF Press Release for the exhibition, please CLICK HERE.

A Selection of Featured Works:

Caroline Gore, Detail of Collide (performed), Tintype, brass, 8 x 10 inches, 2013, photo: Mary Whalen

Caroline Gore, Detail of Collide (performed), Tintype, brass, 8 x 10 inches, 2013, photo: Mary Whalen

Caroline Gore, Detail of Collide (performed), Tintype, brass, 8 x 10 inches, 2013, photo: Mary Whalen

Caroline Gore, Detail of Collide (performed), Tintype, brass, 8 x 10 inches, 2013, photo: Mary Whalen

Detail of: Collide (performed in three successions), Tintype, brass, 8 x 10 inches, 2013 , Photo: Mary Whalen

Caroline Gore, Brooch, 2014

Caroline Gore, Chorus, 2013, Reclaimed wood (cherry) from inherited furniture, brass
, overall dimensions of groupings are variable

Caroline Gore, Revenir, for Niobe (performed), 2014, Tintype (Mary Whalen), oxidized sterling silver, brass, leather

Caroline Gore, Seven Dresses, 2014

Installation View

Holidays at Velvet da Vinci 
The 24th Annual Holiday Celebration 

Including ornaments from our gallery artists and a wide variety of special holiday gifts. Continue reading →

Tom Hill: Buckle

January 21 – February 28, 2015

Opening Reception: Friday January 23, 6-8 pm

Tom Hill is a sculptor, draftsman, and jeweler whose work is an exploration of the natural world, most notably in sculptural objects depicting birds and animals in motion.  Utilizing materials such as mild steel wire, copper, enamel, pigments, and most recently hand-dyed and found textiles, the artist creates objects that often imply, in effect, a three-dimensional “sketch.”  His most recent series of wearable pieces examines a commonly underappreciated object – the belt buckle.  Both ornamental and operational in nature, the belt buckle simultaneously serves as a clasp for fastening two ends and a personal statement of individuality.  Hill’s one-of-a-kind buckles play with this notion of form vs. function, exploring aesthetic and functional methods of binding, stitching, and joining. From the summation of many parts, one individual object is fastened. Keeping your pants up, artfully.

Born in Rochford, Essex, England, Hill studied at Ipswich School of Art and Middlesex University, London and currently lives and work in San Francisco.  His work has exhibited at museums and galleries on an international level; highlights include solo exhibitions at ARTspace at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center (Sheboygan, WI), the Fuller Craft Museum (Brockton, MA), and the De Morgan Centre, (London, UK).  The artist’s pieces can be found globally in corporate, public, and private collections; notable commissions include projects for the Hyatt Regency Hotel (Tampa, FL), the BBC Symphony Orchestra (London, UK), and the John Lewis Department Store (Southampton, UK).  His work has been included in numerous publications such as Metalsmith magazine (US),CRART Magazine (South Korea), as well as Lark Books’ 500 Broches and 1000 Rings.  Hill has been represented by Velvet da Vinci for nearly two decades.  

Tom Hill, Enamel Grid, 2014, Brass, copper, vitreous enamel, gold leaf

Tom Hill, Blue Moon, 2014, Carved basswood, brass, enamel paint , acrylic paint , gesso , gold leaf

Tom Hill, Stitched White Canvas Oval, 2014, Block Printed Canvas, hand dyed cotton lawn, polyester thread, mild steel

Tom Hill, Stitched Vertical Bars, 2014, Hand dyed canvas, cotton lawn, polyester thread, mild steel

Tom Hill, Large Owl Head, 2015, Mild Steel

Tom Hill, Six Squares, 2014, Carved basswood, brass, acrylic paint, white gold leaf

Tom Hill, Wire Oblong, 2014, Mild Steel

Tom Hill, Spiral Pair, 2015, Mild Steel, gold leaf

Tom Hill, Red Square, 2015, Carved basswood, copper, brass, gesso, acrylic paint

Tom Hill, Stitched Hoops, 2015, Hand dyed cotton, found denim, polyester thread, mild steel

Tom Hill, Studio View, 2015

Tom Hill, Buckle Sketch 1, 2014

Tom Hill, Buckle Sketch 2, 2014

Tom Hill, Buckle Sketch 3, 2014

To download a PDF of the full press release, CLICK HERE.

January 21- February 28, 2015

Opening Reception: Friday January 23, 6-8 pm

Inspired by a recent tour of European museums, palaces, and treasure houses, Jane Dodd: Rococo Revolution illustrates the artist’s simultaneous experience of seduction and repulsion to the sumptuous and decadent housing of these elite collections. Referencing a contemporary interpretation of the late Baroque aesthetic, Dodd’s meticulously carved bone and wood pieces take the form of wearable objects, each representing symbolic elements drawn from the natural world.  According to the New Zealand based artist:

“Rococo Revolution… illustrates my discomfort with the way we hoover up wildlife and environment for our own frivolous ends. With these pendants I want to honor the simple, elegant forms of the animal world. The subject of the brooches is the battle between nature and culture. The collection of works pays homage to the crazy and rich craft traditions of the Rococo Age.”

Prior to studying 3D Design/Jewelry at the Unitec Institute of Technology in Auckland, Dodd earned a BA in the Phenomenology of Religion with additional papers in Anthropology, Art History, Maori Language and Philosophy from the University of Otago. Her jewelry has appeared in publications such as the book 21st Century Jewellery: the best of the 500 series and can be found in the permanent collections of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, The Dowse Art Museum (NZ), and Hawkes Bay Museum (NZ).  With a background in both music and the arts, Dodd is also known on an international level for her role as a bass player in influential punk bands such as The Chills and The Verlaines.  She presently lives and works in the city of Dunedin, New Zealand.  

To read a recent Art Jewelry Forum interview with the artist, CLICK HERE.

Jane Dodd, 14 Bits #1. Tails and paws and teeth and… Relics of martyrs, 2014, Pendant: Lignum vitae, beef bone, ebony, boxwood, dye, sterling silver

Jane Dodd, 14 Bits #2. Tails and paws and teeth and… Relics of martyrs, 2014, Pendant: Lignum vitae, beef bone, ebony, boxwood, dye, sterling silver

Jane Dodd, A Jungle Incident, 2014, Brooch: Lignum vitae, ebony, 18k gold, ruby, sterling silver

Jane Dodd, Fuchsprellen, 2014, Brooch: Lignum vitae, beef bone, marcasite, sterling silver

Jane Dodd, Wrestling, 2014, Brooch: Mother of pearl, sterling silver, pearls, garnet

Jane Dodd, Roast, Cook fast at 200°, or slow at 140°, Ebony, beef bone, 9k gold, sterling silver, marcasite

Jane Dodd, 14 Bits, Pendant:, Wing, Ebony, sterling silver, 7 x 8 x 1.9 cm

Jane Dodd, An Eagerly Awaited Arrival, One Day Soon Fish Will Be… Lignum vitae, beef bone, marcasite, sterling silver

Jane Dodd, 14 Bits, Pendant: Tooth, Boxwood, sterling silver, 8.6 x 3.4 x 2.1 cm

Jane Dodd, 14 bits, Pendant: Tongue, bone, dye, sterling silver, 110 x 37 x 24mm

Jand Dodd, 14 Bits, Pendant: Paw, 2014, Ebony, sterling silver, 52 x 31 x 22mm

Jane Dodd, 14 Bits, Pendant: Black/White Tooth, 2014, Lignum vitae, dye, sterling silver, 8.8 x 5.8 x 2.2 cm

To download a PDF of the full press release, please CLICK HERE.

March 25 – April 26, 2015

Opening Reception: Friday, March 27, 6-8pm

Adam Thorpe’s Flowering, a 25ft installation on the gallery’s atrium wall, draws inspiration from the roadside memorial, where flowers are placed on a chain-link fence.  Working with basswood (Tilia americana), hand tools, chisels, and gouges, the artist has carved an intricate series of wilted blossoms and flowers in full bloom, each unique in its own ornate and commemorative nature.   Against the backdrop of the everyday chain-link fence, these elaborate objects become meditative manifestations of very idea of memorial.  Created using techniques beyond the confines of traditional woodcarving, the work also considers a meeting of the ornamental and sculptural, evoking a sense of intricacy and movement that is a commonly found in nature, as well as the artists hand.

Thorpe, an elected member of the UK’s Master Carver’s Association, started woodcarving at an early age in his father’s home workshop in England. He apprenticed with British Master Carver Ian Agrell, before studying drawing and modeling at the City and Guilds of London Art School. Since moving to the United States in 1992, he has worked on carving, restoration, and ornamental design for private residences and national museums, including the spectacular Salon Doré restoration project at the San Francisco Museum of the Legion of Honor.  He presently lives in Oakland, California.

Flowering, Installation View, 2015, Carved basswood (Tilia Americana), chain-link fence

Flowering, Installation View, 2015, Carved basswood, chain-link fence

Head 1 and Wilted Series 1 (detail), 2015, Carved basswood, chain-link fence, sizes vary

Wilted Series 1, 2015, Carved Basswood, Approx. 13 X 4” each

Wilted Series (detail), 2015, Carved Basswood, Approx. 13 X 4” each

Wilted Series 2 (detail), 2015, Carved basswood, chain-link fence, sizes vary

Daisy Chain (detail), 2015, Carved Basswood (Tilia Americana), Approx 3 ½ X 12” each

Daisy Chain, 20 Piece Installation View, 2015, Carved Basswood (Tilia Americana), Approx 3 ½ X 12” each

Relief Head 3, 2015, Carved Basswood, 5 X 3 X 5 ¾”

Wilted Head 1, 2015, Carved Basswood, 4 X 3” (without stand)

Black Flowers, 2015, Carved and dyed Basswood, Approx. 14 X 3” each

Bunch 1, Carved Basswood, 12 X 6” dia

Bunch 2, Carved Basswood, 10 X 5” dia

The Salon Doré from the Hôtel de La Trémoille at the Legion of Honor. Photo Credit: Henrik Kam 2014

Additional information and more images of The Salon Doré from the Hôtel de La Trémoille at the Legion of Honor can be found HERE.

To download a full PDF of the press release, CLICK HERE.