#sccstudio

Amy Masters is an emerging artist.  Her work utilizes fiber-based sculpture, installation, and photographic documentation to examine play.  She develops colorful and tactile spaces and encourages the viewer to engage with the work through the act of play.  

Her more recent work explores the cultural significance and influences of roadside attractions in small town America.  Masters has started developing her own roadside attractions.  

She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from University of Kansas in Textiles Design in 2009 and a Master of Fine Arts in Fibers from Arizona State University in 2013.  Masters has since lived and worked in various residences across the U.S.  Help us welcome Amy to Pittsburgh.  

Don't miss these special opportunities to work side-by-side with visiting artist and bookmaking extraordinaire Pam Sussman! Perfect for paper lovers, book worms, and mixed media enthusiasts alike, Pam's workshops always fill up fast. REGISTER TODAY: http://bit.ly/1KCFf5h

We have some exciting Crafts and Drafts coming your way this summer.  These workshops are a delicious offering, pairing local brews with beginner-friendly crafting!

Some of the options include origami, henna tattoos, mosaic coasters, and laser cut jewelry.

Each workshop is $35.  That fee includes materials along with two complimentary beverages.  We hope you’ll spend a Friday night in the Studio with us this summer!

To register: https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/classic/ws?studioid=23447&stype=-8&sTG=42&sView=day

How would you describe your medium? I make sculpture and jewelry from wood (mostly).  Wood is a material that suits me on nearly every level; from the basics of how it looks and feels, to the complexities of each piece's inherent story and unique personality.  I also enjoy "collaborating" with a material that is so much a part of my everyday life; some of my current favorite wood was gleaned from a neighbor's yard.  

What themes/forms seem to recur in your work? A lot of my earlier work depicted parts of the human body, while my more recent work reproduces inanimate objects.  In both cases, I'm trying to learn something about emotions and relationships by focusing my attention (and maybe a viewer's) on something that is fleeting or often over-looked--whether that's a facial expression, or an object so everyday that we become blind to it.  

Can you talk a little bit about one of your favorite pieces that you have made? "Favorite" is tough, so how about the most recent?  I'm carving a series of milk cartons from solid wood.  From a purely formal perspective they're interesting because I had underestimated how complex and detailed they are ("familiar" is not the same as "simple"!).  For me personally, there's also a lot of emotional associations dating back to childhood (did I remember my milk money?  will I get the last chocolate milk?  what really happened to that kid in the picture?).  Conveying emotion through carvings of facial features isn't exactly easy, but it is expected; I'm really caught up now in trying to elicit emotions through forms we don't expect to have emotions.  

What is the best advice that you have received as an artist? I always recommend Anne Lamott's book Bird by Bird; although ostensibly a writing manual, it is full of things that will help you to approach almost any activity.  The advice that I return to again and again is, "Give yourself permission to write sh*tty first drafts."  Carvings in particular look horrible for a looooong time and it can get a little demoralizing; this advice reassures me that it's ok to start bad and get better.  

Have you been to Pittsburgh before? What are you looking forward to seeing/doing while here? This will be my first visit!  It's going to be a short one, but I've got a few goals.  In addition to being an artist, I'm also an anthropologist specializing in research on sweet foods (seriously!) so I don't want to miss the opportunity to sample some Pittsburgh specialties. Top of my list is Prantl's burnt almond torte, but I'm always open to suggestions!

To see more of Julia’s work, you can visit her website here.

It’s been awhile since the last post.  With spring right around the corner, now seems like the perfect time to share some recent happenings in the Studio.

It’s been an exciting winter for us here at Contemporary Craft.  Following upgrades to our wood studio, we were lucky to have Justin Lin volunteer with us for a month.  Currently based in Singapore, Justin is a recent graduate of Carnegie Mellon University. He is an artist, sculptor, and educator.  Justin’s work is multi-disciplinary, focusing on object-making processes and narratives.  During his time here, Justin made a lasting impact in our wood studio. Not only did he create a few shelving units for us, he also built an entire set of lockers for student use!  We really appreciate his visit, and are thankful for all of the work he did to advance the space while he was here.  To learn more about Justin, visit his website: http://www.justindlin.info

Justin Lin, Quartersawn

With the opening of Bridge 13, we hosted our first workshop with one of the exhibition artists, Elisabeth Higgins O’Connor.  Her large-scale sculptures have been a hit, encouraging students to delve into the process of “patching and cobbling together” their own reimagined works. Elisabeth is currently teaching at Sierra College in Rocklin, CA, while she continues to make work.  Below are a few images of student work during her visit, along with a link to her website: http://www.elisabethhigginsoconnor.com

We’re not quite done with workshops featuring Bridge 13 artists yet.  Next up is Jason Walker from Seattle, Washington, on April 18th.  We’ll be partnering with the Carnegie Museumof Art on this one, you can check out some of those details here: https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/classic/ws?studioid=23447&stype=-8&sView=day&sTrn=100000167

Jason Walker

Last but certainly not least, we have three incredible days lined up with Keith LoBue, from Australia, in May.  Keith is a well-known “stuffsmith,” spending a day with him is something you won’t want to miss! https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/classic/ws?studioid=23447&stype=-8&sView=day&sTrn=100000170

Finally, we are thrilled to have received funding from the Pittsburgh Foundation Wish book.  With these monies we’ve introduced extra safety components to our metals studio, as well as we’ve been able to purchasea few jewelers benches.  There are still two more benches to be funded, if you’d like to help us finish this project: 

http://community.pittsburghfoundation.org/file/callouts/WishBookHoliday2014.pdf 

This addition to the Studio is a bigmove for us, we’ll now be able to offer benches to artists when workshops are not in session.  More to come about that in our upcoming summer catalog!  Speaking of summer, if you’re interested in a sneak peek of those workshops, feel free to browse: 

https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/classic/admhome?studioid=23447

While this past season has been a busy one, spring and summer also have a lot to offer.  We’re ready to get “Out of Hand” for the benefit this weekend, our new apprentice has just been hired for next year, and we have an incredible lineup of artists coming in to teach.  Check back soon for all of those updates!

 See you soon in the Studio,

Local craftsman Peter Park will be joining us to teach two woodworking classes in the spring: Carved Vessels in March and Cigar Box Guitars in June.  

To introduce Peter, we asked him to tell us a little bit about himself and his work. 

How long have you been working in wood? How did you start?

I have been fine woodworking for 5 years. I studied fine art (painting) in my undergraduate years and I always tried to stretch my on canvases instead of purchasing them and I was always interested in custom displays of exhibitions and installation works. This led me to work in art installation projects and take traditional woodworking classes after graduation so that I learn the skills to create 3 dimensional works of my visions. I was very intrigued by the ways of the fine woodworking, when I experienced fitting my first dovetail sample joinery and I have been working with wood ever since.

    What themes/forms seem to recur in your work? What inspires you?

The beauty of human body and characteristics of various creatures and life forms always inspire me. This naturally leads me to take interest and create anthropomorphic forms and organic forms. 

 Can you talk a little bit about one of your favorite pieces that you have made?

The “Ghost Guitar” is my current favorite work of mine. I have always been interested in musical instruments since I enjoy listening to music and play music, but I always felt the need to separated this interest of mine from my artwork. However, as I was interacting with Beth Ireland working as a colleague artist in IUP, we were able to generate ideas of various ways of making musical instruments. This made me start to see the possibility of combining my interest in musical instruments and my artwork, and the “Ghost Guitar” is the first work that I created from that thinking process.

What is the best advice that you have received as an artist?

Be honest to yourself as an artist. Practice your artwork everyday.

To see more of Peter's work, visit his site here.

The Weekend of Clay is fast approaching, and we are fortunate enough to have three of the Transformation 9 artists join us to teach a workshop in the Studio. Lauren Mabry, Julie Moon and Peter Morgan are currently residents at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia, and they will be here on October 25th and 26th.

We asked them a few questions about their work, which you can read about below! 

SCC: How would you describe your medium?

Julie Moon – I work with clay and glazes. I am continually inspired by decoration and adornment, not only through my sculptural work, but also for the body. My line of jewelry is a spin off from the surfaces of my sculptural work.  I've always been interested in pattern and decoration, how it can enhance or distort your understanding of form, (whether that be a sculptural object, or the figure.)  It's fun for me to play with the language of ornamentation and what it can suggest about the personality of an object or a person.

Peter Morgan – I primarily work with a low-fire white sculpture body and commercial glazes.  Using commercial glazes gives consistency in my surfaces, and I don’t have to spend a lot of time mixing and testing different recipes.   I do a bit of drawing as well, and for those pieces I utilize, crayons, watercolor, markers, and collaged elements. 

 Lauren Mabry – I make painterly, abstract, ceramic sculpture. I’m a calculated risk-taker with a keen attraction to color, movement, and material. Ultimately, my work is a synthesis of intuitive, expressive surfaces and elemental forms. The intricately glazed surfaces sometimes look weathered and aged, but at the same time colorfully lush and wet. There is a sense of immediacy to the mark making, and at moments a sense of play.

SCC: What visual or conceptual themes do you tend to deal with in your work? 

 Julie Moon – I am interested in how we use decoration as a language.  I'm also interested in the ephemeral nature of visual culture, specifically within the decorative and applied arts.  I'm interested in how it relates to the fields of craft, design, art and fashion.

 Peter Morgan – I am interested in how we know and understand the world through a variety of images and cultural mythologies.  Often my work takes on a theme of location, and this frequently is manifested in creating animals specific to certain places.  Lately I have been creating a body of work based on birds found within Philadelphia.

 Lauren Mabry – The absence of representation in my work allows the marks, brush strokes, and color to communicate. I'm compelled by the scintillating, seductive energy created through formal dualities. Drips, swipes, and splashes of colorful glazes variously fold and float. In some passages bold hues intermingle with spells of quiet tints and shades. The completed surfaces look effortless, but in fact they are the result of my long-term study of the physical and chemical behavior of ceramic materials.

SCC: How has your work evolved over time?

Julie Moon – Technically, my jewelry line has become streamlined and therefore more controlled.  I have become more efficient in my process, meaning that things are easier to reproduce.   Trying to create a line for mass production, it's been important to streamline my designs and therefore my process.

 Peter Morgan – Throughout the years, my work has gone through a variety of scales shifts. Some of the change in scale are based on logistics, of how to ship and store work.  This has caused me to investigate how to create different kinds of special experiences with smaller pieces. Lately I have been attempting to be more refined with my forms, trying to capture more of the innate structure of what I sculpt.  Oddly enough, I think I take myself a little less seriously now then I did perhaps 10 years ago.  Back then, everything had to have specific reasons, and now I tend to make what I want. 

 Lauren Mabry – I started ceramics when I was 14 at my public high school in a suburb of Madison, Wisconsin. Our program was exceptional and by the time I graduated I had experience with many aspects of ceramics that college students rarely get. By 18 years old I was well versed in high fire reduction, oxidation, wood firing, salt firing, making clay and glaze, etc. I pursued ceramics seriously from my teenage years onward. My forms are a sculptural support for highly expressive, versatile painting. The final works are the physical embodiment of my studio process, continual play, and intuitive impulses.

SCC: What are you most excited about seeing when visiting Pittsburgh? 

 Julie Moon - I love the neighborhood that the Society for Contemporary Craft is located in, so many delicious places to visit! I'm also a huge fan of the Warhol Museum....but one of my favorite places to check out is Zenith Antiques.  I discovered by accident with a few gal pals the last time I was in town.  They have a plethora of great antiques, vegan dishes and CAKE!!

 Peter Morgan – I am excited to have a Primanti Brothers sandwich and drink some Iron City Beer. During my last trip to Pittsburgh (for the opening of Transformation) I visited the National Aviary.  As an avid birdwatcher it was a real treat, my favorites were the Stellar’s Sea Eagles. They are massive birds with imposing beaks that put Bald Eagles to shame.  

It’s been busy in the Studio this fall.  We have had some amazing artist instructors come in and teach and we have had some equally amazing students visit our space.  This weekend was a blast with artist Tara Locklear.  She taught a Stonewear: Cement Casting workshop and gave a talk regarding her work, Interpretive Stonewear.

The Winter/Spring Studio brochure is soon to hit mailboxes and we have an incredible season coming your way.  We are very excited to welcome back Wayne Werner from Maryland.  Also, Julie Sirek from Minneapolis will be joining us, as will Ashley Buchanan from Tennessee with Loring Taoka from Penland.  As if that isn’t enough excitement, our new reoccurring event, "Crafts and Drafts," is scheduled to launch in December!!

When you browse the Winter/Spring catalogue, you’ll see that we have planned a couple of workshops in conjunction with our current show, ENOUGH Violence: Artists Speak Out.  Sharron Massey will be teaching Bang Bang Jewelry, focusing on work that comes from bullet casings.  Gerry Florida, who designed the current drop-in activity, will be teaching Empowerment Jewelry, an advanced version of her Talisman. Make sure to stay tuned, because the summer workshop schedule is also right around the corner...

https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/ASP/home.asp?studioid=23447

The Studio is an excellent place to take a workshop but if you aren’t yet aware, there’s more to love than just our workshops!  With the opening of ENOUGH Violence, the Education department is working to connect community to the show.  Recently, a group of Pittsburgh Public School teachers came in for a tour of the gallery and received a copy of the curriculum guide that accompanies the show.  While they were here they also had the opportunity to take advantage of the Drop-In.

With all of the available education resources for ENOUGH Violence, SCC is a great field trip opportunity for students, whether high school or college aged.  We have a plethora of activities that are available for your group and would be happy to plan a visit with you and your students.  (And they don’t just have to be youth!)  A group of seniors came in last week with the artist instructor from our Creative Aging program.  They enjoyed a tour of the show along with a paper making activity in the Studio.  If you’re interested in bringing a group, feel free to give me a call and we can schedule something.

Whether it’s for a workshop, a group tour, or one of our upcoming Saturday community drum circles, I hope that you find some time for a trip to SCC during the upcoming season!

Regards,

Rachel Saul