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The substance of dreams
Dew Drops Pin by David Forlano |
By BRANDY STARK
© St. Petersburg Times
published May 16, 2002
An exhibition at Florida Craftsmen turns the spotlight on the limitless adaptability of polymer clay.
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ST. PETERSBURG -- Polymer clay is the miracle medium of modern art; pliable yet sturdy, available in many colors, it's a material both novices and masters can manipulate.
Invented in the late 1930s by a German woman, Fifi Rehbinder, it was initially used to make dolls' heads. Since then, this creation of polyvinyl chloride, plasticizer and pigment has evolved into a modern marvel and renovated the world of art.
Simple household tools are all that is needed to create elaborate pieces from polymer clay, which hardens in the relatively low temperatures of a home oven. Artists praise its versatility: it can be made to look like semiprecious stone, glass, leather, or ceramic, to name a few textures.
Ten nationally known artists celebrate the medium in Florida Craftsmen's current show, "Seeing Spots: New Work in Polymer Clay." The 51 pieces displayed integrate spot and dot motifs with whirlwinds of color and whimsical forms.
Viewers are encouraged to touch the artwork, particularly useful when observing Kathleen Dustin's Polished Stone & Face Purse. One side looks like a small boulder, mottled brown stone chipped away to reveal multicolored quartz and sparkling opals. Another side holds a woman's cherubic face, her full lips gently curving in a mysterious smile. It is only by touching the piece that her amusement is revealed: The smooth surface and light weight betray the work's polymer origin.
Pier Voulkos is a polymer pioneer. She first discovered the clay in a German toy store in 1970, and she is credited as the first professional U.S. artist to work with it. Her wildly vibrant and complex necklace, Pearled Fiesta, displays her newest techniques. The work is created from spirals, spearheads, teardrops and other forms, drawn together into a circular path, pink dots blending with teal orbs flowing into purple spheres.
Pearled Fiesta by Pier Voulkos.
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An aquatic theme of metal and clay comes from the hands of David Forlano. His Bracelet With Clasp combines simple contours with arms of constructed sea coral. Hydro Top Pin resembles a large sea barnacle encrusted in a silver circle.
Elise Winters' Spotted Flair Garland Necklace, made of moss green and deep sea-blue hues, has no clasp. Instead, chains and beads are anchored to two stickpins, representing foliage, which directly attach to the wearer's clothing.
Through a patented process which includes kneading the clay, flattening it through a pasta machine, etching it with needles and baking it in a home oven, Ron Rumford creates printing plates with his polymer. The prints produced include Portrait (spots), colored ovals and stark black swirls swimming on a sea of pulpy tan paper.
"Our goal is to encourage local artists to see what is going on nationally and to take it a step further," said gallery director Lorissa Hallenbeck. "I also think it's remarkable to see what is done with polymer clay. It's not just for kids any more."
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PREVIEW: "Seeing Spots: New Work in Polymer Clay" at Florida Craftsmen Gallery, 501 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. Through June 28. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Call (727) 821-7391.
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