LAURA ZINDEL
Laura Zindel
[1985, Ceramics]
Based in Brattleboro, VT
Laura Zindel’s RISD Craft Gallery
Laura Zindel is an artist and designer who combines her passion for ceramics and naturalist illustration into unique housewares. Her work integrates techniques from the Arts & Crafts movement with modern industrial design practices and decorative arts inspired by the natural world.
A ceramist by training, Laura has always loved to draw with a pencil. Her initial drawings on the surface of clay with a glaze pencil ultimately led her to the transfer process. Her drawings are now silk screened and printed as enamel transfers on a wide variety of tableware pieces from platters to mugs. Her work is hand made in her studio in Brattleboro, Vermont.
What are some of the most important practices for your creative process?
Problem solving is an everyday thing. Clay is a material that doesn’t always do what you expect it to do. I have a studio now where I work with other artisans during every step of our process. There is always something new happening and we all work together as a team and I rely on all of them to use their talents to achieve what we do. We are always learning something new and trying to figure it all out. The thing that I value the most in my personal process is quiet time. It is hard for everyone to come by and when I don’t get enough of it, the creative process can shut down. I think it is important to let your mind have time to be able to wander where it needs to go.
How does your current creative practice tie into your time spent at RISD?
My current work is a progression from all of the work that I did while at RISD. I was a ceramic major and.. I took a lot of drawing classes. I didn’t actually combine the two processes until much later, but everything you do inspires what you do next. My ceramic work at RIDS was hand built and narrative. I have always loved low fire glazes and working with the surface of clay. I spent a lot of time making molds, mixing glazes and learned how to make my first ceramic transfers. I always thought of drawing as a side job as a student but now I am glad that I found a way to combine the two things that I love the most. The exposure I had at RISD to so many artists that shared their knowledge, techniques and different style of working with us as students is what I carry with me everyday.
Tell us about some of your main sources of inspiration.
Nature is my main inspiration. I feel like there will never have enough time to draw everything in the world that I find curious. I choose something that presents a challenge for me to draw like a new texture that I haven’t tried or things in the natural world that have a form or pattern to explore. Because I make tableware I look at what is going on in my industry. I also love fashion. I am not that fashionable but I find that fashion inspires and has an influence on almost everything that we use, put in our homes and want around us everyday. I read a lot of books, and I rip a lot of pages out of magazines..they litter my house.
My main goal is garnish the surfaces of everyday objects so that they will wind up in someone’s home and make them happy.
Is there a work/body of work that you are particularly excited about sharing with us at RISD Craft this year?
I just finished a Coastal Collection. It took me more than a year to complete. I found that I just couldn’t stop…I really don’t think it is complete, but I had to stop somewhere. I was inspired by so many experiences I have had by the ocean. I can’t remember a time in my life when being by the water was not the end goal. Spending time by the water with my family and friends is always where I am the happiest.
Any recent press, exhibitions, achievements or awards you’d like to share with us?
This July we opened a showroom for the trade at the Americasmart in Atlanta. We have partnered with JK Adams, another family established Vermont company that makes wood cutting boards. We are very excited to bring our companies together and proud to both make handmade products in Vermont.
Anything else you’d like to share?
I am really looking forward to being at RISD Craft. It is always wonderful to be back in Providence. I love how much the city has changed and stayed the same over the years. Providence was a construction zone when I was a student in the 80’s. Now the canals are open and it is such a beautiful place and it continues to be one of the best places to eat and see music and art. I am also hoping to reconnect with old friends and to see some current students that that are the children of my favorite alumni.
To see more of Laura’s work, visit laurazindel.com
SHE-WELD
Marsha Trattner Trattner
[1987, MFA Sculpture]
Based in Brooklyn, NY
I make hand-forged steel home objects. Some pieces, as in the bowls and lamps, are made of an accumulation of forged pieces. Each piece, even in series, is made one at a time, and created much like a drawing in space. I hand hammer the metal to give it form and texture, and then weld parts with a torch to give visual flow to the pieces. To make pie pans and pizza pans, I hand-cut steel plate into circles or ovals. Then I forge (hammer & shape) the metal at 1800 degrees around various forms to create the desired depth and shape. Forged handles are welded to some of them. No two are exactly alike and viewers/clients respond to having choices in form and texture and finding that special one!
How does your current creative practice tie into your time spent at RISD?
RISD gave me my first exposure to torch work, although I did not realize at the time it would function so fundamentally in the development of my work and daily practice.
More intrinsic perhaps is the exploration of drawing- line, building spaces, finding a methodology of creating, that developed and cemented itself while I was RiSD. This is because the RISD Sculpture MFA program allows this exploration without needing to compartmentalize the arc of thought and action.
What are some of the most important practices for your creative process?
Drawing is the basic and the foundation of all my work.
I love working with other artists and my students as there are always new conversations. Developing custom pieces for clients is my favorite activity, in that we come up with the unexpected: a new work that is unique to the collaboration, and only exists because of combined ideas and serendipity.
If I am feeling stuck in the studio, I start where I left off. Just the act of doing, of initiating action, oils the rusty parts! And look at artists work that inspire me.
Is there a work/body of work that you are particularly excited about sharing with us?
I have some public pieces: New York City Department of Sanitation garbage cans (see above image).
“Progress Pavillion” Project for FacebookNY in conjunction with International Women’s Day
Any recent press, exhibitions, achievements or awards you’d like to share with us?
Press:
- Vogue Magazine: my stair bannister made for Cynthia Rowley
- NY1 Television Feature with Roger Clark
- Popular Mechanics: feature on my studio, and workshops I offer
- Japanese TV: “Made in NY”
Exhibitions:
- “New Art from an Old Craft at Gallery Flux”, Ashland VA, in conjunction with the Artist-Blacksmith’s Association of North America
- “Material Matters” at Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition.
Plus, I recently taught bartenders to make bar spoons at my studio, in collaboration with American Craft Council and The Balvenie.
Anything else you’d like to share?
I have a new studio in Red Hook, Brooklyn!
To see more of Marsha’s work, visit she-weld.com
MATHILDE
Claudia Middendorf
[2005, MFA Graphic Design]
Based in Pawtucket, RI
Mathilde celebrates the sustaining power of beauty and comfort in daily life. These European-inspired heirloom quilts and throws are made of carefully curated natural materials; imported linen and 100% cotton sourced in the U.S.A. With each washing, the fabric becomes softer and the intricacies of the pattern work and texture more apparent. I focus on quality, a respect for the timeless power of the handmade, and hold firm to the belief that reconnecting with beauty and comfort will keep us more balanced and in good company with our hectic world.
What are some of the most important practices for your creative process?
I plan the layout with great care. The stitching of every quilt and throw is mapped in a way that emphasizes their texture and I’m keen on the way the character of each piece is enhanced after each washing. It’s like wearing your favorite pair of jeans–after each wash, they just get softer! I’ve always collected blankets and throws–I like how functional and beautiful they are, and I am very interested in using natural materials such as 100% linen and cotton. These are designed for layering in all seasons, as they are very breathable, and entirely machine washable.
How does your current creative practice tie into your time spent at RISD?
I was trained as a graphic designer, but my true joy is working with linen and creating functional heirloom quilts and throws that can be used every day. My studies had started by looking at patterned language. I’ve taken that concept further by using it with textiles. I love the tactile quality of the fabric and designing how scale changes work with different patterns. The surface designs are intricate yet simple—a blend of influences, subtle references to structure and line elements.
Tell us about some of your main sources of inspiration.
My great-grandmother was a French-Canadian seamstress. I have two of her aprons she made for my mother and I admire her simple attention to detail. I’m also a architecture enthusiast and I enjoy walking around the east side of Providence and looking at how builders constructed details on old houses. You can see the window and roof line references in my work. Like them, I focus on quality, a respect for the timeless power of the handmade, and believe that reconnecting with beauty and comfort will keep us more balanced and in good company with our (sometimes) hectic world.
Is there a work/body of work that you are particularly excited about sharing with us at RISD Craft this year?
This is the first time I will be introducing these heirloom quilts and throws in a curated fair. I’m proud to be part of the RISD community. I have many friends that are also participating and I’m excited to be part of this incredible array of artists and designers.
To see more of Claudia’s work, visit mathildehome.com
GLAZE
Akeem Glaze [2012, Industrial Design] +
Stephanie DelVecchio [2012, Industrial Design]
Based in New York, NY
We create lifestyle products designed with distinct attention to detail, and an emotive experience in mind.
We launched our studio, glaze, in 2017 and our first product introduction was a handmade wooden matchbox. It is a statement piece for the home, and an art object that amplifies the experience of striking a match. We make each matchbox by hand with wood sourced from American lumberyards. Our process begins with cutting all wooden components to precise dimensions, and assembling and sanding each box down to a perfect tolerance. We then finish each matchbox with clear polyurethane, buff the exterior, paint the interior, apply a striking surface, and stuff with custom cut matches.
What are some of the most important practices for your creative process?
Our attention to detail is of utmost importance in our product creation process. Every decision we make in regards to form, color, material, etc tells a story and is designed to create a unique emotive product experience.
How does your current creative practice tie into your time spent at RISD?
RISD has taught us to approach our projects as artists, and to execute them as designers. At RISD, we learned the fundamentals of form and the importance of implementing design thinking into problem solving. As Industrial Design majors, we also learned how to work with our hands and hone our craftsmanship, which is imperative to what we make today.
Tell us about some of your main sources of inspiration.
Nice cars, beautiful beaches, and good music. We combine Palm Beach with the Northeast, so we look at both lifestyles as our main sources of inspiration for colors and materials. Akeem filters everything through what he has coined the “comfy country club lifestyle.” Traveling and escaping our day-to-day is also important to keep our minds fresh and to spark new ideas. We live right next to the Botanical Gardens in Brooklyn, and even a brief escape from the city to spend an hour in the garden always triggers inspiration.
Is there a work/body of work that you are particularly excited about sharing with us at RISD Craft this year?
We are most excited to share our U Candle at RISD Craft this year. It is a hand-poured, dual-burning, 100% white beeswax candle that is secured in place with a hand-polished brass holder. It is a play on form, and a reinterpretation of how a conventional taper candle is secured – from the top-down instead of from the bottom-up. We are also very excited to share our two new matchbox additions – Birdseye Maple and Purpleheart.
RICHARD HAINING
Richard Haining
[2005, Furniture]
Based in New York, NY
*People’s Choice Award winner [RISD Craft 2015]
How does your current creative practice tie into your time spent at RISD?
RISD introduced me to the work of some amazing artists. George Nakashima’s understanding of material’s inherent soul, the stack laminating and subsequent hand carving seen in Wendell Castle’s work, and Andrew Goldsworthy’s premise of taking materials as you find them to create new work are all a constant source of inspiration.
What are some of the most important practices for your creative process?
RISD instilled in me the importance of problem solving in all aspects of the creative process (regardless of major, medium, or situation). But, patience is required to successfully problem solve. Patience does not always come easy to me, but my chosen work is a very methodical and meditative process that is a constant reminder me of the importance of patience.
Tell us about some of your main sources of inspiration.
Waste was the initial source of my inspiration. My current body of work, STACKED, uses salvaged wood. When I first started making STACKED pieces, it was due to lack of financial resources. But very quickly I became engrossed in the challenge of using very small parts to create a larger whole. There is such an over-abundance of scrap wood being thrown out in local woodshops and from the plethora of pre-war building materials being trashed from NYC’s architectural landscape. This material other people deemed “waste” was in my eye perfectly good, and became the building blocks for my work. Using salvaged wood just requires a bit more time and patience to create the finished piece. I love that my process allows me to create something that cannot be found in nature. There is no burl or spalting that will ever match the mosaic quality my finished pieces take on. Unlike segmented work, I have no preplanned math. Since I build piece-by-piece, layer by layer, the result is an insanely beautiful random patterning. My choice of sculpting the exterior of each piece by hand (there is no lathe work on any of my work) results in a finished surface with subtle undulations similar to that of hand built pottery.
Any recent press, exhibitions, achievements or awards you’d like to share with us?
I was recently commissioned by ASID’s NY Metro Chapter to design and create 10 awards for their 2018 Honors Gala which took place at the Conde Nast office’s in One World Trade Center.
I also received an award from the James Renwick Alliance for Innovation in Craft at the American Craft Council Show in Baltimore back in February of this year.
To see more of Richard Haining’s work, visit richardhaining.com