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.