Materials: PMC3 made of fine silver
Dimensions: 2 inches by 2 inches by 1 inches tall
fine silver box, hand built and sculpted, fired in a kiln, patinated
Photo credit: Catherine Witherell
Catherine Susan Witherell
Orinda, CA. USA
I’m a mixed media artist working in metal clay and sterling silver. I learn as much as I can and then I mix the ideas together based on images in my mind. I’m inspired by society, pop culture and my memories of the fairy tales I was told as a child. My parents were Hungarian refugees who settled in Canada after they escaped from their country when the Russians occupied it so I was raised in two worlds, yet never wanting for anything but always conscious of the fact that my parents had lost everything and worked hard to create a life for themselves in a foreign place. I feel happy and challenged when I am making something. If I couldn’t work in metal, I would work with paper, or fabric, paint, whatever I could find.
These containers and vessels definitely hold their place in the world of stunning art objects as well as in the world of metalsmithing.
Since the dawn of time humans have created containers to hold things that were important to them, from large vessels to hold food and harvests to intimate containers for small precious things. They might hold memories, ashes, medicine, beverage, fruit or food - but all spring from the imagination and skill of the maker. Some have specific religious functions, some are meant for everyday use. When one thinks of a vessel or container the inclination is to think of something with solid walls - yet many of these works involve the exploration of positive and negative space, and the use of negative space to help create the illusion of the wall of the vessel.
As the world’s largest jewelry related internet site, Ganoksin strives to develop exhibitions showcasing work from around the world. This exhibition was open to all metalsmiths, professional and amateur, advanced and beginner. Participants are from The Netherlands, the USA, Canada, Australia, Costa Rica, the United Kingdom, Israel, Hong Kong, Colombia, Romania, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia and Denmark. While most of the pieces are by an individual metalsmith, some are collaborations, one of three artists spanning 50 years.
In total 319 artists contributed 729 show pieces for the permanent online exhibition.
Objects in the exhibition include boxes, lockets, urns, ash containers, bowls, wine cups, reliquaries, match holders, vases, teapots, pitchers, sugar bowls, baskets, nests, pillboxes, clutches and a range of sculptural forms. A variety of techniques are showcased covering a wide range of metalsmithing techniques. Materials used include everything from gold and silver to less expensive metals. Ornamentation includes the addition of enamel, chasing and repousse’, gemstones and found objects.
The exhibition was curated by Beth Wicker, President of the North Carolina Society of Goldsmiths in the United States, and Adjunct Instructor at Northeastern Technical College in South Carolina. Director of the exhibition is Hanuman Aspler, founder of The Ganoksin Project, the world’s largest internet jewelry site.
