Metalsmithing

Texas Masters Series: Sandie Zilker
Essay by Elizabeth Kozlowski

Posted July 24, 2014 in Blog

Sandie Zilker, "Armored Car Elbow Ornament," 1975. Sterling silver, plastic tubing, moonstone. Collection of Richard and Carol Hutchens. Photo by Logan Beck.

(Fig. 1) Sandie Zilker, “Armored Car Elbow Ornament,” 1975. Sterling silver, plastic tubing, moonstone. Collection of Richard and Carol Hutchens. Photo by Logan Beck.

Nominated by her peers and celebrated by the Houston community, Sandie Zilker was named the 2014 Texas Master by Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC). As a result, she received the opportunity to show her work in a brilliant solo exhibition and now joins an elite roster of former Texas Masters, all of whom were recognized for their roles as career artists in Texas who have made a significant impact on the field of craft.

Zilker’s solo exhibition serves as a retrospective of her jewelry work over the past four decades. Using the body as a frame of reference, she pulls from elements of illusion and surprise to elevate adornment to its fullest potential. Each of her pieces is packed with personality, increasing the wearer’s senses and creating a unique relationship between wearer and object.

After graduate school, Zilker began experimenting with very large, hollow layered pieces. Armoured Car Elbow Ornament, 1975 (fig. 1), demonstrates the artist’s ability to manipulate metal into numerous folds and incorporate both the precious (moonstone) and the discarded (plastic tubing) into wearable form. Within a few years, her work shifted towards the more formal elements of design. The Zig Zag brooch series, 1989 (fig. 2), which is more structured in terms of composition, is an example of this deviation from her earlier work. In her most recent piece in the exhibition, Long Dangling Points, 2014 (fig. 3), she applied line drawings to the Styrofoam surface, adding yet another rich visual layer to the work. Continue Reading »

Interview with Resident Artist,
Tarina Frank

Posted May 22, 2013 in Blog

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

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

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. Continue Reading »

Interview with Resident Artist,
Jaydan Moore

Posted April 10, 2013 in Blog

Jaydan 2 with print

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

This week, we interviewed HCCC current resident artist, Jaydan Moore, a metal and jewelry artist who fabricates new objects from historical wares, such as silver-plated tableware and family heirlooms.  Jaydan earned a BFA in jewelry and metal arts from California College of Arts, Oakland, and a MFA/MA in jewelry and metal arts from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Continue Reading »

Interview with Resident Artist
Robert Thomas Mullen

Posted January 29, 2013 in Blog

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Robert Thomas Mullen in his studio at HCCC. Photo by Kim Coffman.

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

I’m currently working on a series of jewelry pieces that express my reactions to living in an urban environment.  I have never lived in a town bigger than 10,000 people before Houston.  My more current work focuses on urban settings, the Atlantic Ocean and cityscapes. Continue Reading »

Interview with Resident Artist
Nathan Dube

Posted June 14, 2012 in Blog

Nathan Dube working in his studio at Houston Center for
Contemporary Craft. Photo by Kim Coffman.

This week, we continue with our series of interviews featuring current resident artists. Nathan Dube is a metalsmith whose work explores his interest in childhood and play by exploring the relationship among humor, aggression, masculinity, and how contemporary adult-male identity is constructed in American culture. Continue Reading »

Hurry up and Apply! CraftTexas 2012 Call for Artists Closes March 15th!

Posted March 10, 2012 in Blog

The CraftTexas 2012 call for artists will soon be coming to an end. All of us at HCCC encourage every one of you procrastinators out there to hurry up and submit your applications before March 15th.

Continue Reading »

Soundforge: In Process (Updates # 4 & #5)

Posted September 26, 2011 in Blog

This fall, HCCC will premier a work two years in the making. In the fall of 2009, while still in residence, metalsmith Gabriel Craig began collaborating with Houston-based music composer, Michael Remson. Their project, Soundforge, will be an interactive, multimedia installation that explores forging metal as both a means of fabrication and an act of percussion. Gabriel Craig has graciously agreed to give us regular updates from his studio on the fabrication of the project. Continue Reading »

What are the current AIRs up to?

Posted August 12, 2011 in Blog

This week, we stopped by the Artist-in-Residence studios to find out what they’re working on. Next time you visit us, make sure to stop by to meet the artists and learn about their current and upcoming projects! Continue Reading »

Soundforge: In Process (Update #3)

Posted August 4, 2011 in Blog

This fall, HCCC will premier Soundforge, a work two years in the making. In the fall of 2009, while he was an artist-in-residence at HCCC, metalsmith Gabriel Craig began collaborating with Houston-based music composer Michael Remson. Their project, Soundforge, will be an interactive, multimedia installation that explores forging metal as both a means of fabrication and an act of percussion. Continue Reading »

Soundforge: In Process (Update #2)

Posted July 14, 2011 in Blog

This fall, HCCC will premier Soundforge, a work two years in the making. In the fall of 2009, while he was an artist-in-residence at HCCC, metalsmith Gabriel Craig began collaborating with Houston-based music composer Michael Remson. Their project, Soundforge, will be an interactive, multimedia installation that explores forging metal as both a means of fabrication and an act of percussion. Continue Reading »