Materials: Copper, Brass
Dimensions: 2.85in x 3.4in x 3.6in
A container to hold my childhood memory’s of trees and playing out doors.
Photo credit: Corin R Herzog
Corin Ryley Herzog
Windsor, CA. USA
I have been around art and craft my whole life. My parents worked together as fine woodworkers, selling their furniture and art pieces at galleries and craft fairs. As a child I would travel with them to the craft fairs. I spent my childhood playing outdoors, in my parent’s woodshop and at craft fairs across the country. I believe that this early upbringing being surrounded by nature, art and artists shaped the way that I look at art and the world. I am drawn
to patterns appearing in nature and the structures that trees and plants create. I gained an appreciation for traditional ways and materials. Mechanisms and movement have always fascinated me. Being able to transform or change a piece of art adds a level of interactivity that gives the piece longevity that a static work does not have. Movement for me encourages exploration and the ability to change a piece and adapt it to different situations. I also enjoy working with layers, which enables me to try and invite the viewer into my work. Working with layers enables me to frame parts, incorporating patterned cut outs that hide and reveal what is underneath. The layers form windows for the viewer to be drawn in, to need to see what is behind and in the background, to spend time exploring the pieces and to find the hidden details. Visual appeal is what drives my work. I believe that aesthetics are as important if not more so, than concept. I want to be drawn to a piece, to remain looking at it, searching for hidden parts or just enjoying the complexity of the work. I enjoy working in metal because of the many opportunities that it offers. Most people think about the durability and permanence of metal, but working in metal gives you the possibilities to make almost anything; organic forms, geometric shapes, going from nearly indestructible to some of the most fragile and delicate work imaginable. When people ask what I am I think of myself as more of a maker or a craftsman rather then something specific like a jeweler. I have always enjoyed the process of making things. I have preferences for what I make and what I make it in but it is the process of being creative and being able to bring ideas to life that I find truly satisfying.
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.
