Spotlight on—National Museum of African Art, "Visions from the Forests: The Art of Liberia and Sierra Leone"

It was the second time I’d been to the National Museum of African Art, in fact. The first time had been for the Craft in America conference back in 2010, for a reception and an exhibition of traditional Southern sweetgrass basketry which included work by Mary Jackson, the foremost contemporary sweetgrass basketmaker. I’d remembered that the building had fine, solid architecture, of a kind of melding between classical greco-roman and ancient Egyptian. A marvelous stairwell which had one central stairs down to the second floor (that’s right), and then two stairs on the outside down to the third floor. An excellent reversal of space. Anyways, the exhibition was rather good too, and so I’d always had a fairly appreciative opinion of the museum since.

This second time was at the insistence of a friend and craft colleague of mine, Jane Milosch, who is director at the Smithsonian Provenance Research Initiative and actually a rather important person. Believe me, she gets the job done. Anyways, it was our first night in D.C. (I was there with my mom) and though she apologized for dragging us out just when we’d be wanting to settle down, she assured us it’d be worth it and boy it was.

Square pendant by Mende artist
from Sierra Leone, of silver,
early 20th century.

To get an appreciation for the exhibition one has to understand that there are levels of art, the more common stuff which everyone has access to and the more layered and inscrutable levels. So in African art, especially including tribal art, as in all others. Africa is not one big giant place, it is separated into many regions, so there are distinctions and varieties. In this case, the masks and jewelry (and textiles, glee!) at this exhibition were from Liberia, and its neighboring country of Sierra Leone. And they belonged to secret societies. So secret, it happens, that everyone’s a part of them; they’re male and female initiatory societies in those cultures. Any ways, to make a long story short, these were the best of the best. Extremely well made, rare, unusual, perhaps esoteric and arcane?, certainly archaic, and glimpses into the parts of lives other people are living right now. Most of the masks in the exhibition are made from wood, but because of the deep dark tone of the wood it can sometimes be mistaken for stone or metal. Imposing, they have a robust dialogue of visual components that projects a feeling, a narrative, which is presumably what the creator intended. Most feel like they are tribal chiefs, with the stiff, thick head and flat face and features seeming abrupt and asserting a stolid and confident aura.

Horn-shaped pendant by Mende artist, Sierra Leone, of ivory
(tusk of the giant forest hog, Hylochoerus meinertzhagent)
and silver, early 20th century.

"The Loma peoples of northwestern Liberia and adjacent areas of Guinea use masks during events related to Poro, the male initiation society that supervises and regulates sexual, social, and political conduct within the community. Such societies are secret in the sense that members acquire knowledge that cannot be divulged to the uninitiated. Higher status within Poro means greater knowledge gained.

To carry out the Poro society's responsibilities, high-ranking members impersonate important spirits by donning masks and performing in public. The gazelégi mask and the Loma masks in adjacent cases correspond to three different spirits but are worn the same way—like a cap—and use a combination of animal and human forms to reflect their supernatural essence."
Excerpt from the exhibition

Gara (tie-dye) wrapper by Christiana Tombe, from Sierra Leone, of cotton, late 20th century.

Gongoli mask by Mende artist,
Sierra Leone, of wood,
mid-to-late 20th century.

This is one line of masks; there are a few examples of another style of masks, called Gongoli; these are monstrous fool masks, the role of the jester, playing some intricate foil through exaggerated and misshapen features. Each seems like they must have had their own part to play in their rituals and interactions with daily life. The African culture of Liberia and Sierra Leone comes through this exhibition like as through a strange lens, since this is the culture for a tribal area, at once connected to but also separated from urban existence which is the majority for most of us in the United States as well as those in the two other countries. We are separated partly by a wall of pantomime and theater which exists as an intermediary between our different worlds.

Barrel-shaped pendant by Mende artist,
Sierra Leone, of metal, early 20th century. 

The jewelry in the show is quite fabulous, securing the keystone for a landmark exhibition. Though only a few examples, they are stunning ones, mainly because the choices were to find the most unusual expressions of Liberian and Leonese art. A square silver pendant that steps progressively inwards to become a pyramid is both robust and visually intriguing. Another pendant uses some animal horn with silver to create a fine display of contrast and craftsmanship. As a last example of the surprisingly choice samples of jewelry in the show, look no further than the barrel pendant, like other pieces in the exhibit hung on a silver chain. Whatever imagery or symbolism it represents, the big metal barrel resembles an oil drum. Evocative and unusual, the pendant, like the whole exhibition, titilates the mind and tickles it.

Kagle mask by Dan artist,
Liberia,  of wood and metal,
mid 20th century.

The show’s content is finely matched with a spacious environment and atmospherics. Ambient bird song is the accompaniment to patterns of light, like through a forest canopy, carpeting the floor with bright flashes mixed with shadow. The captions all have additional information, either about the particular piece, or on certain aspects of tribal culture in Sierra Leone and Liberia that relate to the piece. The explanation for the gongoli masks is one such example.

With such a breadth of breathtaking objects, augmented by fine research, historical and anthropological tidbits, and, if I may say so, an objectively stunning aesthetic running throughout the masks, jewelry, and textiles, I cannot recommend Visions of the Forest: The Art of Liberia and Sierra Leone enough. The exhibit takes place at the National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C., and ends August 17, 2014.

Helmet mask by Mende or Southern Bullom (Sherbro) artist, Sierra Leone, of wood, early-to-mid 20th century.
Photographs by Patrick R. Benesh-Liu.

Bead Collecting in Tucson

Clockwise from Left to Right: Polymer clay pendant by Julie Picarello of Yellow House Designs, polymer
clay bead by Klew Expressions, glass bead by Michelle Davis of Tangible Light Studio, and glass bead by
Terri Caspary Schmidt of Caspary Lampwork.

Beads. Unless you grew up around them or acquired an interest in these small holey adornments, the mental image conjured up in your mind may well be neon colored round objects from Mardi Gras, or something similarly banal. Uninspired, pretty, uncomplicated. If however you’ve gone into the passion for collecting, or making jewelry from beads, you know how deep the rabbit hole goes. To both the uninitiated and the infatuated, I hope to introduce you to some of beadingkinds most stellar examples. For those who aren’t makers but appreciaters, these are a few creators who should be on your radar.

Collecting is something that not everyone does, but it can be a glorious habit. And if there’s anything in the world that’s inherently collectible, it’s beads. Ancient, ethnographic, antique and contemporary, the thriving ecosystem of beadology spans far and wide. For my part, I’m getting my toes wet in a tiny corner of that vast ocean, with contemporary beads, but one has to start somewhere!

In this case, my newest additions to the collection come from the many shows amalgamated under the nomenclature of the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. Taking place in Tucson, Arizona, the Gem and Mineral Show is actually composed of more than forty tributary events that take place throughout the city, in tents, in hotels, in conference buildings. Not confined only to gems or even minerals, the Tucson Shows have fossils, African and East Asian sculpture, contemporary jewelry, textiles, clothing, masks, tools, jewelry-making supplies, and of course beads.

To Bead True Blue at the Doubletree Hotel, the Tucson Bead Show at the Windmill Inn (both run by Garan-Beadagio), and the Best Bead Show, which took place this year at the Kino Veterans Memorial Community Center are several of the locations at which one can find handcrafted beads being sold. This year, with limited time and a guest, I only visited To Bead True Blue and the Tucson Bead Show. In this case, that was plenty to find excellent creators to purchase my treasures from.

The first thing to keep in mind is that with handcrafted beads, particularly those made by experienced artisans, each single bead takes a lengthy time commitment to create. These aren’t produced by a machine, and there is no formula to churn them out quickly. The skill of the artist directly transposes to the complexity and aesthetic refinement of the bead. With Terri Caspary Schmidt’s fabulous lampwork beads, both technical ability and a wonderful sense of humor combine to culminate in quixotic productions. Her most common motif, repetitious Escher-like bird patterns, have branched out and multiplied into a flowering slew of abstractions. In her dotted eye beads that are reminiscent of chevrons, a famous six century-old form of bead decoration, to her winged heart designs, there is a variation of her avian motif that ties the whole shebang together into a recognizable family of style. The bead I purchased maintains that stylistic element, with a repeated white pattern suggestive of wings winding their way around the bead’s core. What I loved particularly about this specimen was the slight curve Caspary Schimdt imparted to it, which is actually a difficult feat to accomplish. When I talked with her, she sheepishly admitted that there have been many failed attempts while making this design. As such goes with all true artists.

Michelle Davis of Tangible Light Studio is a favorite of mine for her simple and elegant designs. Plus, I find her little owl beads amusing. She’s also a relative neighbor, living in nearby Los Angeles. I bought one of her Sakura (to you anime lovers and Japanophiles, you already know that means cherry blossom) beads last year as a gift for my mother, and the subtle gradation of pink to white that Davis accomplishes is an art in itself. The tender brown branches and white dots that simulate the tree’s flowers are icing on the cake. This year, I wanted something for myself, and I found it in her recent Galileo series that is out of this world. By using a certain glassmaking technique, Davis produces an opulent surface pattern that looks like the surface of Jupiter, or some other celestial body. Each bead is unique, with no two bearing the same design, and I tustled between two examples before deciding on the one now in my possession.

My next impulse buy (actually, I imposed a budget on myself before the trip, and amazingly only went twenty dollars over, I’m so proud of myself) was from Julie Picarello, whose studio name of choic is Yellow House Designs. I am a sucker for polymer clay, which is a basically a form of plastic (PVC, in fact) that I used to play with when I was a child. When baked in a toaster oven it becomes solid, and by now is an established medium in use by amazing artists from all over the world. Its bright colors belie the complicated structures that can be made by someone experienced with the material. Just is so with Picarello. In the pendant now in my collection, she inlaid gold foil to accentuate floral and abstract designs, then used a layer of translucent clay to allow the metal to shine through. The most impressive part of her technique, though, lies in her modified mokume-gane technique, a Japanese method traditionally used for metalworking. In her own words, “Layers of different colors are stacked on top of each other and tools are pressed into the stack to form a pattern. Horizontal slices are then cut from the stack and formed into individual beads that are cured, sanded and polished.” What is most delightful about this technique is because the slices are horizontal, rather than vertical, each slice is different. Vertical slices of a stack will yield the same pattern throughout, while horizontal slices take different layers with each partition. In the magnificent example shown here, blood reds and ochre colors meld with yellows and tans, leading down to an abstracted sun shape at the bottom setting into a deep mocha-colored earth that looks like something out of the Australian aboriginal Dreamtime.

My last acquisitions were from Klew Expressions. Another talented polymer clay artist, Klew has a knack for making flowing floral abstract patterns with a mixing of surrealism and a glorious lustruous surface. Her beads are a feast of visual details, and her vivid imagination leads to a multiplicity of diverse series that each have a distinct vision. In other words, you can collect something from each series and continue to be surprised and delighted.

I purchased two beads; the one pictured here contains several miniature millefiori canes slices accompanying an azure leaf motif, wild hedonistic zebra stripes, coral oranges and deep olives as well as luxurious baby blue expanses to provide space for the eyes to rest. Millefiori is an Italian term literally meaning “thousand flowers”, mille meaning thousand, and fiori flowers. It was a glassmaking technique common to Venetian industry until it was adapted to polymer clay. The process is simple; by taking rods of glass (or polymer), and sticking them together, a flower pattern is formed. For example, to make a white daisy representation, a yellow rod would be used in the center, surrounded by several white rods, and lastly ringed by black rods which form the spaces between the white petals. Then the entire conglomerate cane is cut in slices which all will bear the motif. This is similar to the horizontal slice technique used by Picarello, except with vertical slices. In Klew’s bead, you can see three small white flowers with five petals right at the base of one of her azure leaves.

The best part of buying beads from a collector’s standpoint is you get a detail-infused work of art in a miniature and relatively affordable package. No bead here cost more than $36.00, even the large pendant. While there are some masters out there whose precision and technique make their work cost in the hundreds of dollars for a particular piece (and appropriately so!), there is a potent demographic of skilled artists with beautiful beads that all fall into this price range. Even an amateur jewelry-maker can afford to purchase one or two artisan beads, on occasion, to use as focal points in their necklaces or bracelets. And considering the delectable eye candy you are acquiring, it is more than worth it. At least that’s what I feel.

Some Guy with his Bead

Gems of the Shore: Andrea Williams

Andrea Williams
Gems of the Shore
Specialty: Jewelry, utilizing beach stones with inlaid reclaimed precious metal
Most Recent Craft Show: Craftboston Holiday Show 2013
Upcoming Exhibition: American Craft Council Baltimore Show 2014
Website: www.boundearth.com
Current Locale: Cohasset, Massachusetts

Pursuit of Happiness Brooch of beach stones, reclaimed eighteen karat gold.

Rocks, stones, pebbles. You might find gems buried in rock, or upon cracking one open reveal a geode, but beach stones are not generally synonymous with riches, nor for that matter fine jewelry. Yet Andrea Williams has achieved just that distinction, transforming a seemingly mundane material into elegant necklaces, rings and bracelets. She does this by maintaining the stone itself as the centerpiece, and accentuating it with fine inlay reminiscent of East Asian paintings or zany digital noise. There are other artists who utilize rock in their work, but often these are used like gemstones inlaid into gold or silver necklaces, or altered by carving the surface and inlaying semi-precious stones. The subtle beauty of Williams’ jewelry is that the earth itself, condensed and compacted, has become as both jewel and substrate.

Undone Necklace of beach stone,
reclaimed sterling silver.

A New England girl, Williams has had the ocean coded into her DNA. The earliest photograph of her has her lying, secured to a life preserver and fast asleep, in the stowage area of a listing sailboat. This nautical imprinting must have paved the way for Williams’ fascination with the sea and that region where it meets the land. However, the journey to using those fruits of the shore would take some time. Williams’ first steps to jewelrymaking were metalsmithing courses in high school at Gould Academy. After she graduated, she went on to become a student at the renowned Rhode Island School of Design.

Static Bracelet of beach stone, reclaimed
sterling silver.

Even in these developing stages as an artist, alternative materials played a large part in her work. “My father was the consummate outdoorsman and he brought me lots of materials—porcupine quills, skulls, antlers, teeth, snake vertebra, feathers, birch bark, etc,” Williams reflects. “I would make earrings using sterling silver and slices of the porcupine quills or twirling silver forms that ended in beaver teeth and many more pieces that looked like unidentifiable seedpods or vining forms.”

Williams took a break from jewelry-making after she gave birth to her son. Once the creative bug bit her again, after he began pre-school, she went back to metalworking. It would still be a little time before she made the switch to her medium of choice, although the inspiration arrived naturally. “I found a series of flat stones all lined up by the tide on a beach near Cape Elizabeth in Maine and the idea to form them into a necklace and bracelet seemed obvious,” Williams remarks. “The true challenge was creating the linkage to allow the piece to be flexible.”

When asked about how her work develops, Williams starts from the beginning. "The process begins with a walk along one of my favorite New England beaches. I stroll where the rocks are still wet from the tide and the colors show through. I pick up stones looking for possibilities, pocketing some and returning others," she explains. "Once I am back in my barn/studio I start the lapidary work of slicing and shaping the stones to take off excess bulk. In the case of a bangle, I slice it in half on a trim saw, use a diamond bandsaw to cut out the center, then grind and smooth the interior. I fabricate a metal cuff to reinforce the interior of the bangle and set the two halves together using a series of metal pins secured with an epoxy. That is clamped overnight and then finished the next day. If I am adding inlay, it happens after this first round of finishing."

Vinculum Necklace of beach stones and reclaimed sterling silver.

Most of the beauty of Williams’ work is derived by constructing each piece of jewelry from the stone itself. Instead of using it as an embellishment, or mixing it with a variety of other materials, she will create an entire necklace from interlocking cored rock, a chain of stones, with the inner surface plated with silver. The grey-green of the stone blends subtly with the metal to cause eye-catching contrast with either a dark or light background, and the enormous size of each “link” makes the piece outlandish, but contained. If any component in this combination was off, it would be too much, but the restraint of the color palette offset by the scale of the piece forms a perfect storm of elements.

Keybar Blossom Ring of
reclaimed/recycled eighteen
 karat gold and Venetian glass.

In another example, Williams takes one black beach stone, cores it, and plates the inside with gold. It is now a ring. She pushes it further by inlaying the rock’s outer surface with red glass and gold wire, which by her fine hand becomes the resemblance of a cherry blossom tree. Williams adopts a minimalistic aesthetic which sometimes draws stylistic influence from Japanese and Chinese art, at other times mimicking the ethereal beauty of nature, like whisps of grass, or seedlings. In all cases, the metalwork or glass inlay never overpowers the stone, but gives the eye additional details to dance upon.

Keybar Sea Grass Necklace of
beach stones, reclaimed eighteen karat gold.
Williams says Kebyar is a Balanese word
meaning "the process of flowering".

Indeed, many of Williams’ pieces seem to be about taking the shore and transforming it into wearable form. Her Kebyar Sea Grass necklace, with long beach pebbles inlaid with gold wire, starts with gentle sprouts that wind around the necklace, growing higher and higher until they seemingly sway in a cool ocean breeze. In some cases, her subtle abstractions communicate the coastal environment more effectively. Vesper, taking wide grey-green stones, has mere suggestions of plant life; or perhaps, it is simply the movement of the wind. Expressed through slivers of silver wire, the variety of images that are conjured up, from tufts of grass to silky-haired seeds to the vortex of motion transpiring from a zephyr, all come together into an evocative presentation.

Williams feels her aesthetic matches her principles. Not of financial value or societal worth, but intrinsically simple and beautiful, with infinite variation, beach stones are the perfect medium for Williams to express her message on. The use of this particular part of the earth seems to mesh in sensibly with her sustainable ideas. As an environmentally-minded woman, she makes sure to source all her precious metals as reclaimed or recycled materials, and as of 2007 all gems she uses are lab-grown. “I try to make sure my personal choices add up. The beach stones replenish themselves, the metals are already circulating, and the gems I use are man made. The hard work—convincing precious metals suppliers to carry recycled metals, was already done when I made the decision to follow this path,” she notes. Williams buys from Hoover and Strong, who were one of the first companies to sell recycled materials, as well as Rio Grande. “There is a small premium over the cost of newly mined materials, but hey, it is my life’s work,” she opines emphatically. “I might as well do it right.”

Vesper Necklace of of beach stones and reclaimed sterling silver.

The Commission Process: Imagination Brought to Life

    When one sees the finished product, whether it be an art piece, a necklace, or a coat, unless you stop to think about it, the fact that there were many steps between the creation of that object and its completed, polished form now in front of you can be easily missed.
    As a buyer, how does one order a commission? As this process depends on the artist, it can vary widely as an experience, but will always follow a general procedure. This is providing the artist with the commission request, then going through its production, and ending in receipt of the commission.

The Stars of the Night Sky Commission by Shalinka

    To better illustrate how a commission is done, let’s take two examples from my own experience. I went to French artist Shalinka (her fursona name) in order to have my own fursona rendered, an oriental dragon that is a hybrid between an emerald tree boa and a Siberian tiger. I chose her because I admired both her aesthetic and her experiments with her style; I particularly appreciated the contrast one of her watercolor paintings of an owl provided to her usual work. I tend to see the ability for an artist to have successful experimentations in their work as an indicator for creativity and skill. She also had an orderly website, with detailed instructions for ordering a commission, and a price list. Finally, her fursona is a panda. A French panda artist. Perhaps a spiritual countrywoman, one might say!

The Sisters by Shalinka

    I provided a basic description of my character, and provided five photos for each animal from various websites like Flickr, as well as five photos of myself from different angles. Several of those photos showed the coat I wanted depicted in the picture. My e-mail address, for contact, and a few comments about some of her pieces that I particularly enjoyed rounded out the commission request.
    A prompt response by Shalinka was the beginning of our exchanges. She asked about my budget, and to clarify what I wanted in the picture. Detailing the estimated cost for the piece to $75, she asked for payment before starting. This is standard among most artists on Furaffinity, although some people have modified policies. A helpful section on her website clarified Paypal’s policies for foreign currency, so I made sure to pay extra to cover the conversion fees.

Sketch progression

 
    What followed was a series of updates in the form of sketches, then coloring, where I was asked for input at each stage. Between the first and second sketches, I asked for the emerald tree boa’s distinctive cranial domes to be added; besides that, there was no criticism, only delight on my part! As you can see, the cleaned up sketch after this initial communication process is quite a different beast in comparison to its forbearers. After receiving approval, Shalinka proceeded to color the line art. Here again I had only one change; adding some orange striping to the fu manchu whiskers.

Coloring progression

 
    Some artists will offer livestreams of their work. Livestream is a website where you can video what’s on your computer screen and upload it. In this case, for those artists who are doing digital art, the customer (and frequently an appreciative audience) will be able to see the drawing in progress. A fair proportion of FA artists offer livestream of their own volition, however it’s not standard for the customer to be able to view their piece being done livestream.
    Once the coloring had been approved, it was only a matter of shading the piece, then the commission was complete. Shalinka promptly sent me three different sizes, as well as an “icon” picture of just my character’s face. Many online forums and social media websites have profile pictures, and these icons, or “avatars” are used by many posters. I myself took advantage of the opportunity to update my own Furaffinity profile picture with my completed character’s friendly visage.

Tang-Jun by Shalinka

    I am well-satisfied with my purchase. I’d carefully waited until an artist whose style I admired became available for commission, and been thoughtful in considering my request. Shalinka’s skills and talents were the crucible, as it were, for making that a physical (well, more precisely digital) reality.
    I’d caught an artist right around when her work would begin to proliferate. Now, Shalinka has a constant stream of commission seekers who are fond of her soft style which often feature bold colors, a pleasant contrast of elements. She is constantly seeking to improve, and has several people in her life who’ve helped her to push her limits and expand creatively, to whom she is very grateful.

Vere Themenai by Bibanan

    Bibanan has done roughly twenty commissions since she began showing her art online two years ago. Her first commission was done for her mother’s friend when Bibanan was seventeen years old. The friend’s son was dying of cancer, and the father commissioned a lion tattoo from Bibanan with the words “Peaceful Warrior” written underneath. She was so taken with the situation that she also did a companion painting of a sleeping lion, which she gave to the commissioner. “I was given $100 for that, which surprised me a lot!”, Bibanan recollects. It  showed her the potential of making a living off of one’s art, as well as the impact a thoughtfully crafted piece could have on another person’s life.

Ziqij the Ifrit by Bibanan

    I came to Bibanan’s work through a drawing I’d seen of one of her draconic characters. Those dragon lovers who’ve extensively searched websites like Deviantart will know by now that the archetype of the clunky, armor-plated reptile is not its only incarnation. An orientally-inspired range of sinuous serpents are appearing from artist’s sketchboards, with a few particularly modern interpretations. Bibanan had several pieces which had unique representations of dragonkind that appealed to me, so I checked about a commission!
    Bibanan contacted me shortly after, and gave me her pricing structure; $5 for a sketch, +$2 for lineart, +$3 for flat colors, +$2 for basic shading. As with Shalinka, her main stipulation was that the final price be paid before starting work. With the price determined, I told her what I wanted for the commission; a version of my fursona in Chinese dragon style, similar to some of the dragons she’d previously drawn, adorned with a white trenchcoat featuring patches of Chinese embroidery. I asked if she needed any further descriptive information; usually artists can use all the references and descriptions they can get, but I always check to see if what I’ve already provided is sufficient.

Concept Sketch

    After Bibanan confirmed we were set, it was off to the races! She first drew up a concept sketch, trying to get a feel for what my character’s new interpretation would look like. She sent it to me for perusal; I was ecstatic. A sinuous feral form, feline yet elongated, with a smirking jawline that crept up into an outlandish grin greeted me. She’d taken the character I’d grown used to, spun it in a completely new direction, yet kept the elements that gave him his identity. All of this from what she claimed was a “doodle”. I think she was a bit surprised herself to find that I approved of this experiment, but obviously something in that sketch called to her as well; she made the decision to continue with the concept, saying if I wasn’t satisfied with the result, she could return to something more along the lines of my original character.

Sketch Progression

    Her creative spirit was what veered the whole project away from the realm of the expected. After her first guiding sketch, she began illustrating what would become the newest incarnation of my character. Taking her animalistic venture and rendering it into a more humanoid form, she drew out a graceful ethereal being floating capriciously in the air. Like Shalinka, she kept me apprised as she went through various stages of her sketches, asking for feedback. As I had very minimal critiques to make, she proceeded to produce the lineart, which included the trenchcoat, and that would be used for the final colored version of the artwork.

Closeups

     Now I was able to witness my commission being brought to life, as Bibanan gave me samples of the flat coloring, where no shading has been applied, and then on to shading and adding details to the body. Fleshed out and enthusiastically approved, she moved on to the ultimate step; the attire I had asked for in my original request.

    Quite possibly, this was the most challenging part, because it required research. Since I had asked for samples of Chinese embroidery to be used for the patches adorning the white duster, Bibanan went looking for examples of the genuine article, so she could learn how to express them realistically. She began by browsing for references on the web. After she had found a few and experimented with rendering the pattern, she sent it to me for examination. It was quite good, with cloud-like forms expressed in sky-blue and white against a red background. However, to complete the coat, Bibanan would have to create five more distinct patterns of patches.

Coat Progression

    Fortunately, serendipity would provide its boon. I was in China at the time teaching English, and at the end of the trip I visited several cities, including Hangzhou and its formidable China National Silk Museum. There I took pictures of five Qing Dynasty robes, both of wide-angle shots and details, which I sent to Bibanan.

Tang-Jun by Bibanan

    This provided the last piece of the puzzle; fully equipped with authentic examples, she sent me several samples of her work in creating the embroidered patchwork. These were greatly improved, and I told her that I was really pleased with every element of the picture. She made some finishing touches and the commission was concluded.
    For what I paid, Bibanan far outpaced my expectations. She had religiously worked on making the best artwork in her power, redrawing parts of the picture over and over until it met her standards. She’d kept in contact with me throughout the commission with updates, asking for critiques at each stage or major change. Bibanan must have worked upwards of 6-8 hours (at least!), and the price had been only $12. I felt that the detailed and passionate work of art she’d created deserved more than what she’d asked in payment, so after I received the commission, I made sure to give her an additional tip. Given the amount of time an artist may spend working to produce your commission, please consider doing this if you have the money to spare; it shows that you respect and value the time and skill that is required to create. 

    Although they each had different styles and work methods,  both Shalinka and Bibanan are exemplary artists who are serious about their work and produce beautiful illustrations with care and creativity. I am highly appreciative of the effort it takes to produce art, and I only witnessed a minute portion of the process which leads from blank sheet to glorious presentation. If you decide to order a commission, please keep in mind that it is due to the talents of these artists that concept becomes reality. My advice again to prospective buyers is to take your time in finding the right person for you, and to be thorough, polite and understanding in your communications. From this cooperative venture, may you find your imagination brought to life.

THE GALLERY

Sumi-E style Cat, Snake, and Dog by Shalinka

The Dancer by Shalinka

Griphass Commission by Shalinka

Shavir Commission by Bibanan

Tes Tinglefingers Commission by Bibanan

Investigating the Collection: Comets and Curves, Bongsang Cho's Newest Work

Bongsang Cho

Specialty: Jewelry, utilizing modern technology to surpass previous restrictions

Most Recent Craft Show: American Craft Exposition 2013

Upcoming Craft Show: Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show 2013

In Bongsang Cho’s world, geometry is the language which connects humanity and nature, going from the inorganic to the organic and back again. Endeavoring to express this in the vocabulary of his art, he has produced several series of work which continue undergoing refinements. Currently there are two of these unique bodies of jewelry on which he is focusing his efforts.

To understand his geometric Comets brooches, one must first venture into the stars; Cho’s stars, that is. In another branch of his work, Cho utilized enamel and silver and gold flakes to produce starry skies and multi-hued, metalliferous forms he titles his Stellar series. Starting from one geometric collection of enameled panels, Cho stretched the form off fractally, but at each point maintaining the connection between each extension. Either dappling the shape with an enamel gradient, or, by taking a pure black form, studding it with gold leaf or metal granules, he orchestrated his interpretation of the cosmos.

Comet Brooch & Pendant Series #1, of copper, vitreous
enamel, and 23 karat gold leaf, 4” x 4” x 1.5” inches, 2012.

From this line, one can see the precursors to his more recent Comets work. In the wire frameworks and enamel panels of this series, he forms the celestial object’s tail and head; abstract, modern interpretations translated into a brooch. Using geometric forms, pentagons, either symmetrical or with some lopsidedness, with a wire framework behind which lightly imitates the foreground shapes, Cho’s meteorological representation comes into focus. For some of these pieces, such as Comet #6, the abstraction of the form almost leads to it looking like a botanical entity, something Cho favors in much of his work. The “flower” is five enameled panels, like petals, with enamel splashes that intimate the flower’s stamen, pistil, and other assorted innards.

Comet Brooch & Pendant Series #6, of copper,
sterling silver, vitreous enamel, and 23 karat
gold leaf, 3” x 2” x 1” inches, 2012.

With his Splash and Orbit series, we see elements from Stellar, but also the developed wirework that emerges in his Comets and previous Blossom suite. In fact, through Cho’s oeuvre one can see characteristics developed in one series being incorporated into another, but played with and altered. Here, he gambols with the wire to create reckless circles and curves that are dotted with silver balls, like thorns on a rose, vines or barbed wire, that makes the brooch visually outstanding. It projects a mood, perhaps curiosity, perhaps aggressive, but certainly not silence. However, this visual chaos eventually resolves itself, as the motif of wild curvature rebounds throughout the piece. Cut aluminum panels are covered with squiggly spirals, which echo the steel wire ellipses. A splash of enamel and cast copper introduces color and contrast, the molten form at odds with the sharp, clean cut surfaces of the silver-hued flanges and dark
steel circles.

Splashing & Orbit Brooch & Pendant #2 of splash cast copper,
23 karat gold leaf, vitreous enamel, laser welded steel, silver granules,
and aluminum, 3.50” x 5” x 1.50” inches, 2011.

That each series is distinct (sometimes so noticeably as to appear to be from different artists), yet retaining stylistic genes between them demonstrate Cho’s dedication to expression. As he continues to explore the earth and the heavens, there will undoubtably be new ground to cover.

Comet Brooch & Pendant Series #4 (left), #5 (right), of copper, sterling silver, vitreous enamel, and 23
karat gold leaf, 3” x 3” x 0.5” inches (left), 3” x 2” x 0.5” inches (right), 2012.