Exhibition - Humor in Craft (yes, that includes jewelry!)

Humor in Craft is currently on exhibit at the

Society for Contemporary Craft
in Pittsburgh, PA.
 

This exhibition, based on the book
by the same name, presents artworks by 32 artists
from across the United States and abroad.
Spanning all types of craft
including furniture, pottery,
and of course, jewelry,
it's meant to tickle your funny bone.

Some pieces are whimsical, some are fantastical,
and all are amusing in one sense or another.
And that's the point. Humor is subjective.

Curated by founder and editor of the international

online resource Crafthaus,

Brigitte Martin—author of the recently released book

also titled Humor in Craft, had the following

to say about the exhibit:

When I embarked on assembling images of humorous craft artwork it became clear rather quickly that, even though everyone likes to share funny stories, humor definitely takes on different meanings depending on the various filters we employ. Based on a variety of factors (such as but not limited to social background, personal experiences and values, knowledge of popular culture events, education, and national origin), there are overlaps but also differences in humor perception. In other words, what I personally find extremely funny might at best only elicit mild amusement in others, and vice versa. So the question arises, what do we laugh at? Are there images or artwork that everyone finds hilarious? Are there topics that are off-limits and how far can you go before it’s just not funny anymore? And who gets to decide that this point has been reached . . . .

 Thought-provoking questions set aside,

it's just fun to see the humorous side of a jewelry
artist's imagination and the pieces presented in
this exhibit certainly are not cookie cutter.
But then again, neither are these artists.

 

For instance, Emiko Oye's colorful necklace is

constructed from repurposed LEGO pieces

and sterling silver.  Titled, Cygne Noir,

 (translated as Black Swan)

it's from her First Royal Jewels Collection and

reinterprets Lalique's famous enamel necklace titled,

Insect Women and Black Swans.

 

 

 

This bracelet called, Turn the Other Check, is

 Margaux Lange's entry. It's made with salvaged

Barbie doll parts set into sterling silver

and pigmented resins.

 

 

 

 

 

 Mary Hallam Pearse's entry is called, Three Words.

It's made with silver, aluminum and diamonds.

It's reminiscent of children's

dexterity games where the players

must complete the image by getting

the jewels into the impressions.

One can assume there's plenty of

 manual dexterity needed

and enough challenge provided

to keep young fingers busy.

 

 

 

Humor in Craft is currently on exhibit at the

Society for Contemporary Craft

and continues through October 27, 2012.

 

 

 Humor in Craft, the book that inspired the exhibit

can be found here.

 

Let it tickle your funny bone.

 

Exhibition - Kate Cusack, Margaux Lange, Sissi Westerberg Jewelry

There's a new exhibition at Facèré Jewelry Art Gallery

called "ABeCeDarian."  It runs from May 18

through June 4 and is described as a "contemporary

jewelry art exhibition and ABC book

featuring the work of twenty-six artists,

each producing a piece that

corresponds with a letter of the alphabet."

OK, sounds interesting.

The participant list is comprised of: Julia Barello,

Ken Bova, Jana Brevick, Kathy Buszkiewicz,

 Melissa Calohan, Nancy Mēgan Corwin, Kate Cusack,

 Donna D'Aquino,  Laurie Hall, Tom Hill, Trudee Hill,

 Melissa Huff,  Margaux Lange, Kristin Lora,

Bruce Metcalf, Marcia Meyers, Ted Noten,

Kait Rhoads, ROY, Cindy Sumner,

Anthony Tammaro, Carolyn Tillie, Cynthia Toops,

Kiwon Wang, Sarah Wauzynski, and Sissi Westerberg.

Let's take a look at just a few of the 

delightful one-of-a-kind

jewelry included in this exhibition.

Here we have Sissi Westerberg's piece using the

letter 'D' for Drip.  This imaginative item is called

"Something Inside" and is made of acrylic. Some

ideas are so simple yet so elegant.

We love the eye-popping color;

it may be monochromatic but it certainly

 makes a statement.

Then we have Margaux Lange illustrating the

letter 'K' for Knees.

Many art jewelry followers are familiar

with work by this artist.

Whimsical and nostalgic her designs incorporate

salvaged Barbie doll parts, and the jewelry she has

provided for this exhibition

is no exception. Her piece is 

called "Cross-legged Brooch."

Lastly, let's look at a piece offered by Kate Cusack 

using the letter 'Z' for Zippers.  This spectacular

necklace is called "Elizabeth."

With roots in costume design and

a flair for the theatrical,

it's easy to classify every one of her pieces

as a production - an amazing

visual spectacle. Every time we see her

work it's always lavish and luxurious.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

There are so many other

beautiful pieces of jewelry

on display.
Plus, the opportunity to get the
ABC book that accompanies
this exhibit.

Enjoy!