Briefly describe what you make.  What projects have you been working on recently?

I make wearable art objects from a variety of materials.  During my residency, I have been experimenting with the idea of wearable art.  My work ranges from the simple, tiny, more traditional idea of jewelry all the way to costumes and masks. My most recent works have been large, lightweight necklaces made from paper.

Tarina Frank, “Large paper necklace series.” Paper, cardboard, found objects, paint. 2013. Photo by Randall Mosman.

Has the HCCC residency helped you to develop a body of work and discover yourself as an artist? If so, please describe how.  If not, please tell us how the residency has influenced your work.

The HCCC residency has allowed me to continue making work without fear or restraint.  It has allowed me to set aside time in the day to sit around my art and other people’s art.  I have had little pressure to make work for any other reasons, except my own, which is wonderful.

You work with a variety of media, including found objects, metal, paper and you also paint. Do you prioritize one over another? How do you decide what to work with when you want to create?

No material is more important that another.  Whether it is gold and diamonds or paper and wood, I treat them all equally.  For me, I respond to the materials, and I make based on the idea and without strict rules.  It depends on what the idea demands. Sometimes, I am drawn to the texture, movement, or weight of a material, and I respond to that attraction.

Tarina Frank, “Diamond Necklace.” Laminated paper. 2012. Photo by Randall Mosman.

What are your plans after you have completed this residency?

I plan on moving to Stockholm, Sweden, to attend Konstfack University to receive my MFA in jewelry.  This is a two-year program but I will probably stay in Europe, even after I am finished.  I also have plans to visit Istanbul and Cairo within the year for some shows.

You have a background in painting and metalsmithing. Can you elaborate on how painting influences your other work?

For me, painting can be a much more powerful medium.  A large bold painting can seduce someone from across the room.  Therefore, my jewelry has at times tried to compete with that idea. I have made necklaces that are shown framed on the wall, in order to break the on-the-body or in-a-jewelry-box tradition jewelry holds.  These necklaces ended up being composed very two-dimensionally, and then I used them as a source of inspiration for paintings. For me, there is no dividing line between jewelry and paint, it’s all art.  I also made a series of work using dried-up paint from my paint pallet!  I love wearing chunks of paint!

Tarina Frank, “Diamond Necklace 2.” Paper, wood, brass. 2012. Photo by Tarina Frank.

When did you start working with metal, and what inspired you to start making kinetic jewelry?

I starting making jewelry at a very young age, but I didn’t start using metal until I was 15.  I began with wire and then PMC or Precious Metal Clay.  In college, I learned more traditional jewelry techniques, and my favorite thing to do was to make jewelry move.  I love to spin my rings on my finger or fiddle with my necklace when I’m bored.  I kept thinking about how to make jewelry more of a toy instead of just decorative.  This allows us to interact with the piece further.

Tarina Frank, “Paper Fan Rings.” Paper, brass, copper, silver. 2011. Photo by Tarina Frank.

Who is your biggest influence artistically?

I am not sure if I can pinpoint one person in particular.  There are several artists’ work I admire, including Hanna Hedman, Gijs Bakker, and Rob Ebendorf.

You had an interesting childhood filled with many adventures. Can you tell us a little about that and how those experiences have shaped your creative endeavors?

I come from two very different cultures; my mom is from Argentina, and my father is from Sweden.  My parents were both explorers, so we lived on a small sailboat during my youth.  My father was a deep-sea diver and underwater welder, which might have inspired me to use metal in my work.  While we sailed or visited foreign places, I was always drawing and making things out of whatever I could find.  Without a television or a consistent group of friends, I often made art while we sailed.

Since you are from the Houston area, what do you enjoy most about the Houston arts community?

The Houston arts community is a really tight-knit, supportive group. I have made a lot of friends here, and I will be really disappointed to leave.  There is something for everyone here, from the Craft Center to Glassell to the MFAH and the Menil.  All of these organizations provide top-quality art outlets for anyone interested in making or enjoying art.

Tarina Frank in her studio at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. Photo by Ron Scubadiver.

Unbeknownst to Jim Crane, or at least according to his wife Franci Crane, the owner of the Houston Astros has been supporting the Houston Center for Contemprorary Craft for years — thanks to her frequenting the Asher Gallery where all manner of enticing craft items are sold. Such was the verbal fun at the center’s annual luncheon held at River Oaks Country Club where the Cranes were honored for their widespread civic contributions.

The entertainment began early at this popular luncheon as guests perused the silent auction offerings — whimsical and serious jewelry, sculpture and objects created from vintage Louis Vuitton bags donated by silent auction chair Donae Chramosta. Each piece was crafted by artists who have exhibited at HCCC in recent years.

While the Cranes were introduced in a gentle roast and toast by their long-time friend Rich Kinder, Kinder Morgan chairman and CEO, HCCC executive director Julie Farr introduced Clint Willour, long-time curator of the Galveston Arts Center and art scene impressario, who was presented the Texas Master Award.

It was a good day for HCCC as $250,000 was raised, thanks to the efforts of chairs Sara Morgan, Carrin Patman and Paula Arnold, who is also HCCC board president.

Contributing to the luncheon’s success were Phyllis Childress, Bobbie Nau, Melanie Gray and Mark Wawro, Gracie Cavnar, Clayton Erikson, Susie and Sanford Criner, Andrea White, Tricia Dewhurst, Nancy Kinder and Pat Breen.

Guests such as Lucinda Loya, Kimberley Delape and Judy Nyquist were loving the driftwood LV suitcase box made by Elizabeth DeLyria. Benefiting the Houston Center For Contemporary Craft, luncheon chairs Sara Morgan, Carrin Patman and Paula Arnold honored HCCC patrons Franci and Jim Crane and bestowed the title of “Texas Master” to  curator Clint Willour, who organizes more than 25 exhibits annually for the Galveston Arts Center.

(HOUSTON, TX) April 19, 2013 – Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC) presents The Ornamental Plumb Bob, a solo exhibition of objects and brooches by San Antonio metalsmith, Gary Schott. Stemming from his 2011 series of brooches, Schott’s new body of work continues to explore the plumb bob, a tool used by many craftspeople to denote a vertical line of reference.

Historically, craftspeople throughout Europe, North America, and the Middle East have designed a wide range of elaborate and unique plumb-bob weights. Dating back well before the age of the guilds, plumb bobs were created in all different sizes, materials, and shapes, from fruit to nautical designs. Based on the identification of materials and forms, collectors have traced certain plumb bobs to the time period and region in which they were created. Gary Schott’s works are an extension of this longstanding tradition.

Adorning the wall and the body respectively, Schott’s large-scale objects and human-scale brooches serve a functional purpose, while also calling attention to their ornamentation. Like much of his previous work, Schott infuses these pieces with mechanical and interactive qualities. When suspended from a wall or body, each plumb bob becomes interactive through its kinetic potential, while establishing the vertical axis of the wall or wearer.  At the same time, the decorative plaques placed behind the objects direct the viewer’s attention to the geometric weights and lustrous materials of the plumb bobs.  The pieces boast lathe-turned wooden weights that dangle from sumptuous, red brass fixtures, like ornaments on a tree.

By highlighting both aesthetics and function, Schott’s work subverts the popular home-decorating trend that incorporates antique objects into the home as nonfunctional décor. According to Schott, “Today, one has to look only as far as Ebay or Etsy to notice how objects of yester-year are collected and coveted by a great portion of the population as wonderful objects. These objects decorate our shelves and interior spaces, often leaving them unused or removed from their original context.”  Through this exhibition, Schott brings new life to an object that is considered a valuable antique by many collectors.

Gary Schott currently resides in San Antonio, TX, where he is Chair of the Jewelry/Metals Department at the Southwest School of Art. Originally from Green Bay, Wisconsin, Schott holds a BFA from the University of Wisconsin-Stout and a MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  Schott’s work has been exhibited widely throughout Texas, the U.S. and abroad. In 2010, Schott’s piece, Eskimo Kisser, received an Award of Merit in HCCC’s biennial juried exhibition, CraftTexas 2010.

The Ornamental Plumb Bob was curated by Kathryn Hall, HCCC Curatorial Fellow.

Exhibition Dates
May 31 – July 27, 2013
In the Artist Hall at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft,
4848 Main Street

Opening Reception
Friday, May 31, 5:30 – 8:00 PM
Artist Talk at 5:30 PM

The opening will also feature The Tool at Hand, in the large gallery; Ctrl + P, in the small gallery; and open studios by HCCC’s current resident artists from 6:00 – 7:00 PM. Beer sponsored by Karbach Brewing Co.

Tell us a little about what you are currently working on.

Currently, I am working on furthering the concepts I started in graduate school. Using found silver-plated service ware–platters, teapots, silverware, etc.–I create sculptures and prints to discuss how our everyday objects are affected by the meanings and memories we connect to them. More specifically, I have been working on two new veins of this series while at the center.

In the first new avenue of this work, I have been collecting replicas of the same patterns of platters and cutting each to meld into one another. Most of these silver-plated objects are made by the thousands and looked identical when they came off the production floor, but, through their use over time, they all become individual. It is amazing to me that many of us have these odd similarities in common, but each of us has developed a completely different history and/or meaning for almost the exact same object. By melding many of the same platters into a new form, I hope to show how all these iterations create an all-encompassing definition of that specific pattern.

Jaydan Moore, “Platter #4.” Found Platters. 2012. Photo by Jim Escalante.

Jaydan Moore, “Mitosis.” Found platters. 2013. Photo by Jaydan Moore.

While working on this, I have also begun a donation service for silver-plated platters. I have been asking any guest to the center if they are interested in letting go of their service ware; if they are willing, then I print a single edition of their platter for them to have as a thank you and remembrance of their heirloom. In the end, the donator gets a one-of-a-kind print, and I use the material in new sculptural work.

How does the history of the objects that you acquire influence and/or inform your work?

The history of the object influences my work greatly. The materials I use began as functional objects and were valued as such, yet, over time, these objects have lost that specific relevancy and have evolved into something completely different. Many of us preserve these objects for their beauty, as well as their significance to a moment or a loved one. The tableware I come in contact with has lost that meaning for their previous owners but still shows signs of its importance through the marks of wear. By altering these pieces, I try and create new forms that heighten that lost narrative.

Jaydan Moore, “Ends.” Found platters. 2012. Photo by Jim Escalante.

You also make prints of antique silver platters.  What is the significance of these prints to you and your metalsmith work?  If any, how would you describe the relationship between your prints and your metalsmith work?

I use the printing process in my work to hopefully capture the final layer of ware on the silver platters. By using the actual platter as a print plate, I hope to let go of this object’s functionality in hopes to give it a new one as an aesthetic object. I look at the prints as a way to document a final moment, while the metal works are a merging of many histories into a common idea.

Jaydan Moore, “Decorate/Deteriorate.” Found materials. 2012. Photo by Jaydan Moore.

Jaydan Moore in his studio at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. Photo by Kim Coffman.

What do you enjoy most about working in metal?

What I enjoy most about working in metal is its amazing physical properties. Metal is this amazing substance that is seen as so strong and durable, a material that will last for thousands of years, but, once you begin to work with metal, you see how malleable it is. It is this diversity in the material that makes it such a great marker for history. Metal withstands its daily use, revealing evidence of use by the dings, scratches and patination that can be read on its surface. I see this accumulated layering of worth as far more precious than the most valuable of materials. Finally, once a metal object has run its course, it can be scrapped, melted, and cast, ready to be made into a new object. I believe that within the new object still lives the past.

Describe yourself in five words.

Honest, Considerate, Calm, Focused, and Hardworking

What is your impression of the Houston arts community?  Has it lived up to your expectations?

I am very impressed by the Houston arts community. I really had no preconceived notions when moving here, but it has been really great since moving here. Everyday, on my journeys in and around town, I am amazed at all of the galleries, public art, and exhibitions happening all at the same time. It has been so great that I feel that I am always missing some sort of great art at all times.

The main thing I am most impressed with about the Houston arts community is the knowledge of the public. I have had many guests in my studio who have told me they are out the whole day checking out the art going on in Houston, and that is an amazing thing to hear. I feel there are very few cities out there that have such an excited public who can’t get enough of seeing new art.

El Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (Centro para Artesanía Contemporánea de Houston [HCCC]) se complace en presentar Reminiscential, una exposición que estará vigente del 5 de abril al 26 de mayo de 2013 en el Artist Hall de dicho centro. Mediante la investigación de la memoria y los recuerdos, y la materialización de estas ideas como hilván común, los artistas de la plástica Clare Finin, Rebecca Drolen, Robert Thomas Mullen y Deme Wolfe-Power han creado distintivas obras de arte que rinden homenaje a la rica historia de los objetos memento mori y a la joyería sentimental victoriana. A través del uso de materiales que frecuentemente se consideran repulsivos o grotescos, muchas de las obras de la exposición piden a los espectadores que reevalúen y cuestionen las nociones convencionales de belleza.

Ashley Powell, vice-curadora del HCCC y curadora de este show, se sintió cautivada por el tema de la exposición: “Los objetos que nos hacen recordar a alguien, algo o algún otro tiempo es lo que utilizamos como recordatorios tangibles de las posesiones más valiosas y efímeras que nos identifican como individuos. Me sentí inspirada por la manera en que estos cuatro artistas materializan de manera tan única sus pensamientos y emociones”.

Las joyas de la fotógrafa y orfebre Rebecca Drolen presentan una interpretación contemporánea de las joyas sentimentales victorianas mediante el uso de cabello humano, fotos y la naturaleza íntima de los relicarios y prendedores. Los objetos sentimentales que contienen el cabello de una persona amada eran ubicuos durante la época victoriana y servían como reliquias seculares y recordatorios materiales de momentos de pérdida (al ser usados se pensaba que los objetos mantendrían a la persona más cerca del familiar fallecido y que comunicarían a otros -sin palabras- la pérdida de la persona). La obra de Drolen no solo hace referencia a estas piezas históricas sino que también explora la línea entre lo bello y lo grotesco.

Clare Finin también deriva inspiración del uso del cabello en las joyas sentimentales victorianas y crea obras que utilizan su propio cabello como hilo. Clare juega con las características nostálgicas inherentes a los materiales para explorar sus propia historia y recuerdos, y los efectos que esos momentos han tenido en las decisiones que ha tomado en su vida. Mediante el cabello, que es imperecedero por naturaleza, la artista emplea técnicas domésticas-creación de sogas, bordado, crochet y trabajos en encaje-que en algún momento fueron practicadas por su familia.  En su pieza Learning a Tradition, Clare repara un pañito de encaje perteneciente a una tía abuela y al aprender la misma técnica que su pariente usara se siente profundamente conectada a su familia.

El trabajo de Deme Wolfe-Power evoca claramente los objetos  memento mori  que aparecieron en algún momento del siglo XVI y nunca desaparecieron del todo. (Memento mori es una frase del latín que se traduce como “recuerda tu mortalidad” o “recuerda que morirás”). Estos objetos, que con frecuencia utilizaban motivos de calaveras, cabello humano y animales muertos, generalmente no se referían a ninguna persona en específico pero servían como recordatorio a la naturaleza transitoria de la vida. Wolfe-Power utiliza este género para crear joyas inolvidables con la intención de cuestionar las percepciones contemporáneas de belleza.  Su trabajo yuxtapone metales preciosos y piedras y metales semipreciosos -que típicamente se utilizaban para adornar- con objetos que por lo general se consideran repulsivos, como dientes humanos, anatomía de pájaros disecados, cabello humano y cueros de animales. Al cruzar estos límites la artista pregunta firmemente: “¿En qué contexto algo que era natural o hermoso se convierte en repulsivo”?

La obra del orfebre y fotógrafo Robert Thomas Mullen examina la tendencia humana a coleccionar objetos de valor sentimental: recuerdos de vacaciones, alhajas pertenecientes a mamás y abuelas y otras prendas que ofrecen pruebas o claves a un recuerdo o a la existencia de una persona.  Al incorporar un significado personal a un conjunto de objetos encontrados como dientes humanos, pelo de animal e insectos, Mullen confecciona prendedores tremendamente únicos que hacen referencia a objetos históricos de valor sentimental. Cada pieza es infundida con nostalgia, contando así una historia especial y sirviendo como archivo visual a sus recuerdos de momentos que ha pasado en diferentes sitios.

Fechas de la Exposición

5 de abril al 26 de mayo

Artist Hall del Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, 4848 Main Street

Recepción de apertura

Viernes 5 de abril, 5:30 – 7:00 PM

Acerca del Houston Center for Contemporary Craft

El Houston Center for Contemporary Craft es una organización sin fines de lucro fundada con el objetivo de educar a la comunidad acerca del proceso, producto  e historia de la artesanía. Desde su apertura en 2001, el HCCC ha emergido como una importante fuente cultural y educativa para Houston y la región del suroeste estadounidense-uno de los pocos recintos del país dedicado exclusivamente a artesanías de alto nivel.

El HCCC ofrece exposiciones y espacio para que artesanos locales y nacionales trabajen y vendan sus piezas. Los visitantes disfrutan de sus innovadoras exposiciones, de visitar los estudios de los artistas y de crear sus propias artesanías en eventos que se ofrecen mensualmente. También pueden comprar regalos únicos y objetos para decorar el hogar en la Asher Gallery.

Ubicado en el Distrito de Museos, 4848 Main Street, el HCCC abre de martes a sábado de 10 a.m. a 5 p.m y los domingos de 12 – 5 p.m. La entrada es gratuita. Hay estacionamiento gratis disponible directamente detrás de la instalación, a la salida de Rosedale y Travis.  El HCCC queda tres cuadras al sur de Wheeler Ave. Hay una estación de MetroRail sobre la calle Main. El HCCC es financiado parcialmente por becas de The Brown Foundation, Inc.; Houston Endowment, Inc.; the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance; Texas Commission on the Arts; the Wortham Foundation, Inc.; and Windgate Charitable Foundation. United Airlines es la aerolínea official del Houston Center for Contemporary Craft.  Para más información llamar al 713.529.4848 o visitar www.crafthouston.org.

The modern world is full of stimuli competing for our attention. On this week’s Art Beat, we visit an exhibit that examines the value of a little isolation, Constructing Solitude, at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. Produced by Stacee Hawkins and broadcast March 29th, 2013 on Stafford METV.

Why do you have this unprecedented opportunity? Because, Houston’s George R. Brown Center is the location for the annual conference of the National Council for Education in the Ceramic Arts (NCECA, pronounced N-ceca). There will be 5,000 “clay people” in the bars and restaurants downtown (especially the bars, clay people like their beer; believe me, I’ve attended many of these conferences).

And why will these works be “relatively inexpensive”? Because for better or worse there is a terrible schism in the art world that, ignoring millennia of objects created by cultures around the world, regards the ceramic medium as “craft” and somehow less important than “ART.”

Les Lawrence, New Vision Skull Teapot No: 33 (2011) in Clay and Print IV, on view at the Museum of Printing History

Until their deaths, major works by major American artists like Peter Voulkos, Robert Arneson, or Rudy Autio were within the means of even a meager budget. This conference brings beginning collectors in Houston their finest opportunity in over a decade to acquire.

So charge up the car and wear your best walking shoes, because there are wonderful things to be seen, from Spring to Galveston and Beaumont. A good place to start would be a quick trip to the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, which is exhibitiong the 2013 NCECA Biennial and spiral outwards. -Meredith Jack

Ryan D. Labar, Time and Inner Space (2010) in the NCECA Biennial on view at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft

Wednesday, March 20

Ceramics is a techie medium—no wonder NCECA is an early adopter of nifty electronic tools to manage the tsunami of info available to conference-goers—the 47th Annual Conference App.

It’s going to save me a lot of work—with a minute-by-minute conference schedule, maps and listings of all the 100+ associated exhibitions around town, links to NCECA on Facebook and Twitter and its own internal conference specific messaging, that leaves Glasstire contributors free to bring you one of our signature rambles through an event that literally defies an overview. -Bill Davenport

Attachments 2013

I live just down the road from the Ceramic Store, mecca for all things clay, and paid a visit. When I pulled up, a tour bus was disgorging a stream of ceramic educators into the parking lot. A crowd of shoppers filled the normally sleepy store, fondling tools, comparing kilns and taking in several exhibitions set up in improvised spaces throughout, and even outside, the building.

Crowd at the Ceramic Store

Pat Johnson, Artist Disguised as Woodpecker Saves the Last Tree

Upstairs, in a very respectable classroom-temporarily-rigged-as-gallery, was Attachments 2013, a group show organized by Jennifer Quarrels of the Texas Clay Arts Association. The show is a typical conference-time mishmash of styles and approaches: The important thing is being seen; coherence can wait. Functional pots and figurative sculpture rubbed elbows with Colby Parsons’ video projections on ceramics. The TCAA is a renowned group—I recognized pieces from several artists from previous shows. Pat Johnson of Fayetteville contributed two of her dry ceramic fairytales.

Chris Gray’s Raven Bottle illustrated, for me, the conflicting impulses that entangle and upend much contemporary ceramic work. I first saw the piece from behind: a satisfying lidded bottle, flawlessly glazed a heavy, milky white. Nice. But then, the front: a dark, roughened silhouette of a raven’s wing, like a shadow across a snowfield. Trite, portentious and not particularly well-drawn, in comparison to the bottle’s immaculate finish. The thought process is so clear, the result so regrettable, it’s like watching a car wreck from the sidewalk: highly skilled artist makes intriguing bottle, but, intimidated by ignorant art hierarches into discounting her own mastery, wants “something more.” Artist ruins nice bottle with bad art. Sigh.

Chris Gray, Raven Bottle, before and after

I spent longest watching Colby Parsons’ two video-on-ceramic pieces, Fried Eggs and Silverware Drawer. I had seen some still photos and was curious. Project video onto ceramics? It sounded like a desperate gimmick. Another Raven’s Wing, with electronics and a soundtrack, as if you were trying to put all of your marginal artforms into one basket.

Surprisingly, it was OK! Parsons uses the funny gimmick to make funny pieces, wisely leaving serious exploration of the medium for a future generation when art without video projected onto it will seem odd. Sure, it’s expectable—bacon in the frying pan, spaghetti forking in the silverware drawer, but the novelty of the medium is sufficiently distracting that the content vacuum is not immediately painful. Parsons’ videos alternately reinforce and then dissolve the 3D reality of the dull gray clay sculptures they’re aimed at, hinting at some really striking effects that, in the hands of a Tony Oursler, can be put to real expressive use. -Bill Davenport

Skin Embellished and the NCECA Biennial

Glasstire contributor Margaret Meehan sent in these pics from some of the Montrose galleries she visited:

Lindsay Pichaske in the Skin Embellished exhibition on view at Gallery 1724

Linda Lopez in Skin Embellished on view at Gallery 1724. Photo: Margaret Meehan

Josephine Burr at the 2013 NCECA Biennial. Photo: Margaret Meehan

Briefly describe what you make… What are you currently working on in your studio?

The quick answer is that I make installation work, using mixed media and multiples. The expanded version is that I am a hoarder, a magpie, a coveter of objects. I find objects with forms that I like and make a mold, converting bits and pieces of everyday life into porcelain “objects.” I make multiples of these objects and install them with other bits and pieces of things I have collected, working towards a place where whatever the objects originally were is familiar, but not quite recognizable.  Mass-produced objects can be incredibly beautiful, but repeated exposure dulls our senses until we no longer think about what we see, what we hold, what we use as common objects and everyday tools.

Chanda Glendinning, “Conglomerate.” Porcelain, paper, encaustic and rubber. 2012. Photo by Chanda Glendinning.

Chanda Glendinning, Detail of “Conglomerate.” Porcelain, paper, encaustic and rubber. 2012. Photo by Chanda Glendinning.

What techniques or tools do you use to make your work?  Why porcelain?  How is it different from other types of clay?

When I’m working with clay, my usual method is to make a plaster mold of a found object, converting open-vessel forms into closed 3D objects that can be installed on the wall. Once the plaster mold is completed, I slip-cast (pour liquid clay into the mold) my version of the object. The advantage of the mold is that I can make the same object over and over again, which is an important element of my work.

I use porcelain because I love the whiteness and fine texture. It speaks to me of purity, but also can be cold, distant or impersonal, depending on the context in which I use it.

Chanda Glendinning, “Swell.” Porcelain. 2013. Photo by Chanda Glendinning.

Which do you prefer making:  functional or non-functional pieces?

As much as I enjoy making bowls and cups, knowing that they will be held and used on a daily basis, nothing compares to being in the process of creating something larger than I am, that speaks in a different way to others. Trying to take bits and pieces from here and there, making connections among concept, context, history and materials in a manner that is unique and could only come from me – that’s what really gets me going, keeps me in the studio all hours of the night, and gets me back up the next morning.

The NCECA conference is being held in Houston this year and is fast approaching. What are you most excited about, and how are you going to be involved this year?

Yes, NCECA…. can’t believe it’s almost here. Self-centered artist that I am, the thing I am most excited about is my exhibition, mass/produced, which will be at Spring Street Studios March 20^th – 23^rd.  At the conference itself, I’m looking forward to having time to attend some of the lectures, particularly those focusing on the interactions among curator, artist, gallery and work.

View of “Mass/Produced,″ an exhibition of Chanda Gelndinning’s new work being held at Spring Street Studios March 19th – 23rd, in conjunction with the NCECA conference here in Houston. 2013. Photo by Chanda Glendinning.

Detail of ceramic installation by Chanda Glendinning. Part of “Mass/Produced,″ an exhibition of her new work being held at Spring Street Studios March 19th – 23rd, in conjunction with the NCECA conference here in Houston. 2013. Photo by Chanda Glendinning.

I have to say that it’s been pretty amazing to be involved behind the scenes in the massive undertaking that is the annual NCECA conference, to be a member of the host community and see the incredible efforts that make this event happen. Personally, I’m coordinating the exhibitions at Spring Street Studios and lending a hand as needed with the NSJE and other exhibitions, which is just a small part of what’s happening. From my experience as the Student Director of NCECA, I knew that putting together a conference of this magnitude was an amazing effort for a volunteer board of 14 and an office staff of 7, but now I understand how this gets done–through labors of love from the many, many, many talented and dedicated people in the host community.

What do you enjoy most about Houston?

Right off the top of my head, I really enjoy my mornings.  I love waking up to birds singing every day, sun shining through my dining room windows, that quiet stillness of potential that the day holds. Being able to walk out the door and around the corner to my studio just heightens that feeling, the joy of knowing that I don’t have to get in my truck and drive anywhere, I can walk and breathe, and enjoy the sunshine and warm weather. I suppose this makes more sense when you know that I’m from Buffalo and live 9 miles from the closest anything back home.

When did you start incorporating found objects in your work?  What is their role or significance?

During my final year of grad school, I started making molds of found objects.  Eventually, the molds of the objects weren’t enough, and I needed the contrasts of color and texture and material and content that I could only get by using objects as I found them. There’s a history that is carried forward in an object that has already had a life. In combining new and old objects, materials, textures, even colors, I layer and weave together their histories, giving sometimes hidden context to the work I create.

The residency here at the Craft Center has been great, allowing me the time to question my use of materials and methods, historical vs. contemporary craft, “craft” vs. “art” and how all of these things fit into my own work. My work no longer starts with a lump of clay, wondering what I’m going to make today. Now it starts with those found objects, and trying to decipher why I am so fascinated with them.

Chanda Glendinning in her studio at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. Photo by Kim Coffman.

What’s your favorite Tex-Mex dish?

Tamales!  Any kind of tamales, I love the cornmeal — that slightly dry texture, contrasted with a savory filling, maybe some gooey melted cheese…. Yum!

Last month, New York City welcomed the 101^st Annual College Art Association (CAA) Conference. Drawing in over 6,000 CAA members, the conference hosted a motley international crew of artists, art historians, students, educators, critics, gallerists, and curators. This year’s CAA Conference remained the who’s who of the academically minded art world, as leaders within the field of art, craft, and design presented new material in over 200 sessions. Providing an open forum for ideas, networking, and new collaborations, the conference was a panacea for curator’s block. Extending out into the boroughs of New York, the conference encouraged its members to take advantage of the cultural capital through partnerships with museums and galleries.  HCCC Curator, Anna Walker, and I took full advantage of these opportunities by parceling our time to meet with artists, colleagues, and to explore several new exhibitions.

Sessions

Armed with an agenda, Anna and I strategically tackled the session schedule. Between the two of us, we attended several different sessions in hopes to broaden our knowledge base, reserving time for discussion over food and coffee. With many sessions devoted to specific topics in art history and theory, I attended several sessions outside the field that I felt would inform my work in the future.

Here are a few important sessions that pertained specifically to contemporary craft:

Towards a New Apprenticeship Model: the Case of Experiential Learning

Led by The Center for Craft, Creativity, and Design (CCCD), this panel discussion kicked off a new platform for apprenticeship models. Panelists were asked to share their experiences working as an apprentice, which in turn sparked a productive discussion about the future and stability of apprenticeship models in the United States.

Craft after Deskilling?

Buttressing the Critical Craft Forum’s panel, Craft in the Skill/Deskill/Reskill Debates, this session dissected some key issues regarding the current craft vocabulary as well as the dialectic that positions craft within material culture. Artists, curators, and historians raised some very loaded questions about this particular moment within contemporary craft. All together, the dialogue promoted a dialogical structure for craft, design, and art professionals that introduced the possibility for future collaborations between fields.

Exhibitions

Former HCCC Curatorial Fellow, Susie Silbert, traveled with me and Anna, and the three of us critically dissected several exhibitions. Our observations of the aesthetics, technical aspects, and educational material of each exhibition informs our work at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (and elsewhere). Here are a few exhibitions that were of interest to us.

The Art of the Scent: 1889-2012

(November 20, 2012 through February 24, 2013)

View of gallery, The Art of Scent: 1889 – 2012. Photograph by Brad Farwell.

Challenging one’s visually inundated expectations regarding exhibitions, the Museum of Art and Design dedicated an entire show to the sense of smell.  As an exhibition concept, the exhibition was bold and innovative. The exhibition celebrated the olfactory arts and the development of perfume since the late 19^th century. Penetrating the clean minimalist walls of the museum, 12 convex, curvilinear indentations highlighted 12 different perfumes; the space was devoid of visuals. Activated by state-of-the-art technology, visitors encountered each scent by leaning their face into each wall indentation, triggering a release of perfume.

NYC 1993: Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star

(February 13, 2013 through May 26, 2013)

Flooding every floor of the New Museum, this exhibition acts as a time capsule for the 1990s. Stepping into the foyer of the New Museum would be nirvana for any grunge fan. With “Smells Like Teen Spirit” playing in the background and a group of people decked out in baggy plaid flannel, one is immediately transported. Organized thematically by floor, this exhibition illustrates how the artists of the 1990s grappled with issues of AIDS, identity, violence, and prejudice.

David Hammons, In the Hood, 1993. Collection of Connie and Jack Tilton, New York. On view in NYC 1993: Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star, New Museum, New York.

Gravity and Grace: Monumental Works by El Anatsui

(February 8 through August 4)

The Brooklyn Museum’s retrospective of El Anatsui was monumental in its own respect. Large installations of the artist’s colorful patchwork made by hand, from recycled metal, fell to the floor like an old-world tapestry. Juxtaposed with several interviews of Anatsui, visitors were introduced to his collaborative process as well as some of the themes of his work.

El Anatsui, Ink Splash, 2010. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. Photograph by Kathryn Hall.

The CAA experience provided me with plenty of food for thought to digest.  I left New York revitalized with a few extra tools, contacts, and ideas to aid future exhibitions. I can say with confidence that the CAA conference is a necessary trip for any academically conscious professional working in the arts.

Kathryn Hall
Curatorial Fellow
Houston Center for Contemporary Craft