Yesterday, I received this invitation card in the mail. That, of course, is my bracelet on the front, right next to the work of master blacksmith Albert Paley!
Here is the text from the back of the card:
"Curated by Suzanne Ramljak
While jewelry and blacksmithing are both grounded in metal, there is a curious gulf between the two fields. Just as George Bernard Shaw quipped that England and America "are two distant cousins separated by the same language", jewelers and blacksmiths can seem like distant cousins. Different Tempers will explore these two realms of metalsmithing to highlight their distinct properties as well as their commonalities.
Curated by Suzanne Ramljak, editor of Metalsmith magazine, the exhibition will showcase the work of fourteen prominent and emerging artists. The works of these selected jewelers and blacksmiths epitomize their respective fields, and are also in critical dialogue with their own traditions and materials. A fully illustrated catalogue will accompany the exhibition."
Artists in the exhibition:
Jewelers
Melanie Bilenker
Lola Brooks
Pat Flynn
Sergey Jivetin
Mary Preston
Sondra Sherman
Natasha Wozniak
Blacksmiths
David Clemons
Maegan Crowley
Lu Heintz
Tom Joyce
Brent Kington
Marc Maiorana
Albert Paley
I am so honored to be part of this exhibition. As can be seen in the list above, it is quite an impressive group of artists in the show. While the show includes a whole continuum of work from the delicacy of Melanie Bilenker's hair portraits to the solidity and mass of Tom Joyce's sculptures, with my work falling in the middle. Wrought iron is the main inspiration, while the material and function fall on the side of jewelry.
This show will travel to the National Ornamental Metal Museum in 2010. In addition to my work being on the postcard, I have heard that it will be on the cover of the exhibition catalog as well!
