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
TIRESH
Sherit Levin
[1990, Illustration]
Based in Massachusetts
I create wearable art made from devoré velvet. My designs are printed on solid white fabric with a paste that removes some of the velvet pile, leaving its sheer silk chiffon backing, thus creating a burnout texture. I hand paint these patterns with brushes using dyes in a watercolor style.
I am drawn to create handmade organic forms that are inspired by and rooted in nature. The patterns are evolving or accidental and frozen in time. The varying colors illuminated in the iridescent material create moods; their combinations tell a story
What are some of the most important practices for your creative process?
I hand-paint directly on to my fabrics. The look and feel of something handmade is very important to me. Making something tactile and mixing new colors is satisfying.
How does your current creative practice tie into your time spent at RISD?
The patterns for my hand-painted textiles are inspired by nature. During freshman year in 2D class we had a project to make a drawing of an evolving form. Kind of like and Escher print where a fish is drawn over and over, changing a little in shape each time so it becomes a bird. I remember spending time in the Nature Lab and being drawn to the patterns on sea shells, in leaves and in many of the other specimens.
Now I have Pinterest and macro photographs of nature.
Any recent press, exhibitions, achievements or awards you’d like to share with us?
I will be giving a presentation on the process of my velvet scarves to the Rhode Island Sewing Network in the spring.
To see more of Sherit’s work, visit sheritlevin.com
NOAH'S SUITCASE
Kim Mast
[1974, Apparel Design]
Based in Rhode Island
Noah’s Suitcase – RISD Craft Gallery
My love of dogs and sewing have combined to give me a niche- dog coats. Each coat has been carefully constructed using bespoke touches with the latest in high tech fabrics. Interacting with dogs and their owners, making a product that works, looks great and lasts through many dog lifetimes is a joy. I am very lucky.
What are some of the most important practices for your creative process?
Living in an old farm (1765), we are surrounded by animals and a forged tradition, that plays into my art. It is the pairing of old and new that gives my work sparkle. It is a conversation with fabric, color and function that bring a product line that both owner and canine enjoy. These coats are a part of every great winter walk or rainy day outing. How fun is that!
How does your current creative practice tie into your time spent at RISD?
I have loved animals and sewn for all my life. Coming to RISD and meeting so many people who were “just like me.” It was the first time I fit in. Building on the foundation courses and perfecting my stitching, let me combine my love for animals. Designing dog coats is an odd but lucky find.
Tell us about some of your main sources of inspiration.
The British have a long history of horse and hound with the dress of the countryside. The fine Harris tweed or waxed cotton barn coat inspire me to produce a worthy version for dogs. Rugged, yet stylish, even for a dog, our best friend.
Is there a work/body of work that you are particularly excited about sharing with us at RISD Craft this year?
A departure from the dog coats, I have made my way to quilts, again the combination of old and new. It is an endless play of color, prints and texture. It informs my work in so many ways.
To see more of Kim’s work, visit thefarmcirca1765.com
KATHERINE RUDOLPH JEWELRY
Katherine Rudolph
[2009, Jewelry & Metalsmithing]
Based in Nashua, NH
Katherine Rudolph’s RISD Craft Gallery
What are some of the most important practices for your creative process?
My design process often begins with paper models which I find translate well into thin gauge sheet metal. The sheet metal, like the paper can be scored and fold into crisp forms. This is a favorite technique, as it allows for voluminous yet deceivingly lightweight forms. I work primarily in sterling silver and 18k gold, adding pops of color through the use of stones, as well as contrast and depth with oxidation. Choosing to work with stock materials such as sheet, tubing and wire allows for a degree of precision as well as interchangeability of “building components” which lend itself to the explorations of repetition and pattern. To achieve my personal vision, I try to listen to the materials to understand their properties so that I may work in symphony with rather than against these qualities, giving the final design the air of simple elegance. My jewelry ranges from easy to wear everyday adornment to sculptural art objects worn as conversation pieces.
How does your current creative practice tie into your time spent at RISD?
The time I spent at RISD undoubtedly left a lasting mark on my creative practice. Like my workspace in the Metcalf building, my bench is still piled with paper models and the studio walls are covered in architectural clippings from magazines and photos taken while traveling. Since graduating, I have often returned to my sketch books from college as well as material studies and a box of models created for assignments during my time at RISD. They have been invaluable as jumping off points for new work.
Tell us about some of your main sources of inspiration.
My work is highly inspired by architectural forms. Photos taken while traveling often serve as the origins of a design. When looking to the skyline, I enjoy isolating specific buildings and deconstructing them with an interest in understanding their logic and order. The smallest architectural details don’t go overlooked. I am continuously adding to my digital image collection and clipping file from various publications which are referenced as sources of inspiration. One of my primary challenges is the reinterpretation of these architectural references in the scale of jewelry and the body. Specific architectural references that have inspired my jewelry include: The Ca’ d’Oro -Venice, Italy. Richard Meier’s Jubilee Church -Rome. Neuschwanstein Castle-Germany. The Air Force Academy Chapel- Colorado and the aesthetic of Santiago Calatrava.
Is there a work/body of work that you are particularly excited about sharing with us at RISD Craft this year?
My current body of work further explores the possibilities of scoring and folding 26 and 24 gauge silver and gold sheet, to create voluminous yet deceivingly light weight forms. I am focusing on scoring curved lines, which when folded create a unique combination of convex and concave surfaces. The “Scored Leaf Necklace” which I designed at RISD and which won first place in the International Precious Metals Institute design competition in 2009, was the catalyst for my continued interest in this particular fabrication technique. Through exploration of line and form, the scoring and folding technique has led to my current body of work, which includes the Scallop series.
Any recent press, exhibitions, achievements or awards you’d like to share with us?
In February 2017 I was juried into the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen and will be participating in The Shop At The Fair during the annual Craftsmen’s Fair in August 4-12.
In 2014 I joined the committee of the Nashua International Sculpture Symposium and have actively been participating in fundraising and the coordination of our annual symposium. 2018 marked our 11th anniversary.
Anything else you’d like to share?
Additional pieces can be found at etsy.com/shop/katherinerudolph
To see more of Katherine’s work, visit katherinerudolph.com
KRISTEN GOSSLER
Kristen Gossler
[1989, Painting]
Based in East Providence, RI
Kristen Gossler’s RISD Craft Gallery
I am exploring the viewers interaction with the everyday experience through the expression of light and shadow in their environment.
What are some of the most important practices for your creative process?
1. Walk into the studio Daily!
2. Expose yourself to “the now” see every show you can – go down every alley (i mean real alley’s) and view everything as art
3. Draw from scientists, writers, musicians and chefs….anyone breaking new ground where fresh ideas live
4. Work
5. Evaluate
How does your current creative practice tie into your time spent at RISD?
The most important intellectual muscle I developed relates to the act of pushing through during that moment of resistance. Its at that moment that you have an opportunity to learn something. Push through…..
Tell us about some of your main sources of inspiration.
If I had to go out on stage and paint the same painting over and over for an audience, I would lose my mind. Watching how those artists remain relevant always informs my work. Additionally reaching back into time….like when we thought the world was flat, informs my work in a different way. Trying to experience the fear and unknown and really try to put my headspace back to a time when to eat and be clothed was a challenge, when spoken word was the news and you really had to feel that something was important to express it….what was that time like? It makes my daily struggle literally feel like butter. 🙂
Is there a work/body of work that you are particularly excited about sharing with us at RISD Craft this year?
Yes, my most recent exploration of light and shadow on the mundane.
Any recent press, exhibitions, achievements or awards you’d like to share with us?
RISD Unbound, Providence, RI: April 2018
Barrington Arts Festival, Barrington RI: June 2018
Show in the Hutson Gallery, Provincetown: June – Sept. 2018
Solo exhibition in Jamaica Plain Branch Library, Boston: Sept. 2018
To see more of Kristen’s work, visit kgossler.com
2018 GRADUATES
We’re delighted to announce that these brand new alumni–having just graduated in June– will be joining us for the sale this year! Visit them at RISD Craft on October 6.
CHARLOTTE HOLDEN 18 IL
ANNA MCNEARY MFA 18 PR
MARLA MROWKA 18 INTAR
CHLOE WESSNER 09 PT / MA 18 TLAD
JENNIFER XIAO 18 IL
JB FIREWORKS
Jenine Bressner
[2001, Glass]
Based in Providence, RI
JB Fireworks’ RISD Craft Gallery
The quickest way to try to communicate with other people is by adorning ourselves with cultural signifiers. I know that my jewelry has been and continues to act as an impetus for communication between strangers. Ignitions are sparked when we take risks like wearing something unusual or talking with people unfamiliar to us. I want to see things I’ve never seen before, and I strive to make work that satisfies this wish.
What are some of the most important practices for your creative process?
Experimenting, playing, and trying to do something in a way I haven’t before enable me to maintain plasticity in my brain.
Sometimes that means actually getting lost and traveling on paths I don’t know in my own town, or combining seemingly disparate materials.
How does your current creative practice tie into your time spent at RISD?
At RISD, I realized that we could do things we previously thought were impossible. The amount of effort, challenge, failure, growth, and learning we squeezed into a few days made the outside world seem very coddled, in comparison.
I learned to look more closely at what already exists to try to improve upon it, how to better budget my time, and I learned that everything is possible.
Tell us about some of your main sources of inspiration.
Since I gave birth, my time is much more limited. Having tighter parameters around when I can work reminds me of Foundation assignments at RISD. The time I have in studio is spent making glass and textile components, and I assemble those into larger wearable pieces at home while my kid is asleep.
Color and light excite me and inform my work more than anything else right now.
Is there a work/body of work that you are particularly excited about sharing with us at RISD Craft this year?
I expect to have some glass chains (which match everything by default) and I’m especially having fun playing with color and texture in my flameworked glass and merino wool earrings!
Any recent press, exhibitions, achievements or awards you’d like to share with us?
I just got back from teaching Glass Flameworking at Snow Farm in Western Massachusetts, and my work will be featured in Facèré Gallery’s “Signs of Life” book and exhibition in Seattle this fall.
Anything else you’d like to share?
RISD CRAFT has the most stylish children and dogs of any craft sale I’ve ever seen! Thanks for being such a beautiful community.
To see more of Jenine’s work, visit instagram.com/jbfireworks
THE WEAVING MILL
Matti Sloman [2007, Painting + 2014, MFA Textiles]
Emily Winter [2015, MFA Textiles]
Based in Chicago, IL
The Weaving Mill’s RISD Craft Gallery
The Weaving Mill is the collaborative studio of Matti Sloman and Emily Winter. We are an artist-run industrial weaving studio in Chicago. We make projects of our own, textile and otherwise, that respond to the practice of running a small industrial mill. We design and make fabric in collaboration with other artists and designers. Working with people of diverse textile experience, we aim to fill the space between the hand and industrially made and bring the mechanics of textile production into wider view. We design, create, and finish everything ourselves in our Chicago studio.
What are some of the most important practices for your creative process?
The Weaving Mill serves as a multifaceted organization: it’s our personal studio, a design studio, a classroom, a residency program, and a production facility. The unifying practices across all of these programs is a commitment to observation, research, and dedication to using overlooked or under-utilized resources whether it be yarn scraps, machinery or physical space. Our designed objects are mostly made with scrap or deadstock yarns. Using the materials available as the foundation, we think hard about how to design towards the best application, or end use, for the fabric we make. Aside from the Artist Collaborations, projects where we throw a lot of rules to the wayside, we strive for TWM objects to be accessible and timeless, but with playful personality.
How does your current creative practice tie into your time spent at RISD?
We co-founded The Weaving Mill in the summer of 2015 after meeting at RISD while earning MFAs in Textiles.
Is there a work/body of work that you are particularly excited about sharing with us at RISD Craft this year?
This year we will be bringing a collection of throw blankets, table napkins, bath and hand towels that we really stand behind. All the objects are machine washable, something we find to be important since we want these things to be loved and used without fear of feeling precious. The table napkins in particular are exciting since no two napkins are the same yet they are unified by materiality and by color. It’s a fun play on pattern mixing and we think makes for a stylish and unique table.
Anything else you’d like to share?
We were recently profiled for a very thoughtful piece in Ignant Magazine: https://www.ignant.com/2018/01/16/approaching-the-industrial-as-an-artist-the-weaving-mill-in-chicago/
We have been included in the New City Design 50: https://design.newcity.com/2018/03/01/design-50-who-shapes-chicago-2018/
And we were featured on Chicago Tonight for the work we do in collaboration with Envision Unlimited: https://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2018/01/10/west-town-textile-studio-finds-common-threads-community
To see more of The Weaving Mill’s work, visit www.theweavingmill.com
A.T. PRATT
A.T. Pratt
[2013, Illustration]
Based in Brooklyn, NY
A.T. Pratt’s RISD Craft Gallery
*2018 Emerging Artist Award winner
I am a cartoonist, designer, writer, illustrator, and fine artist. I make comics, illustrations, and prints that take many forms. A lot of my comics and other printed work features tricks and special features such as fold-outs, pop-ups and peek-a-boos.
I am also Chief Creative Officer of MrMiSocki, a sock brand that comes with comics about the characters (who are the socks). I have designed 12 socks so far and illustrated 3 comics that come with each set. My work was included in the Society of Illustrators’ Comics and Cartoon Art Annual 3 years in a row: 2014, 2015, and 2016. MrMiSocki won the Silver Medal in the MoCCA (Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art) Awards of Excellence in the Special Format category in 2017. Besides MrMiSocki, I write and self-publish all of my comics, which range in subject matter from semi auto-bio stories about my dog walking day job to funny animal stories featuring my own original character Miggy Mouse.
How does your current creative practice tie into your time spent at RISD?
My first assignment completed in Chris Buzelli’s Contemporary Illustration class (a class where we could answer the prompt in any way we chose), I made 3 comic pages and put them on the wall for critique. He said they reminded him of underground comics or zines, but he wished he could flip through them like they were the actual thing. So for every class after that, him and every classmate each got a little mini-comic or zine printed by me to answer the prompt for that week’s class. Printing the finished product plus distributing it to the little audience I had of my class every week was a great push in the right direction to where I am now, self-publishing and selling my work at art sales and comics festivals.
Is there a work/body of work that you are particularly excited about sharing with us at RISD Craft this year?
I have created comics and pop-up dioramas and many other printed paper products that take a great variety of forms. I like to show the limitless potential of drawings on paper to convey time and space, and although I feel I have only scratched the surface, I have many strategies and experiments to share that I hope will be inspiring to others. I am also particularly excited about sharing Mr. MiSocki, my brand of solo socks designed by me, who have leapt out of a comic book illustrated by me. This is the first example I know of fashion come to life, and I can’t wait to share these characters and designs along with the story that comes with them.
Any recent press, exhibitions, achievements or awards you’d like to share with us?
MrMiSocki Volume 1 (my first set of mismatched socks and accompanying comic book) awarded the Silver Medal in the MoCCA (Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art) Awards of Excellence 2017 in the Special Format category.
“Live at the Grelman #3: Rhu Barb” (the third in an anthology series created with fellow alumni Vinnie Neuberg and Derek Timm-Brock) selected for Society of Illustrators’ Comic and Cartoon Art Annual 2016 in the short form category.
“Pop Pup Dog Day” (my first pop-up comic book with a multi-layed pop-up fold-out presentation) selected for Society of Illustrators’ Comic and Cartoon Art Annual 2015 in the special format category.
“Stupid Cupid” (my first comic with a pop-up center fold-out spread) selected for first Comic and Cartoon Art Annual 2014 in the short form category.
To see more of A.T.’s work, visit atpratt.net
KENDALL REISS
Kendall Reiss
[2011, MFA Jewelry + Metalsmithing]
Based in Bristol, RI
What are some of the most important practices for your creative process?
In my work I combine natural and found materials with precious metal to produce jewels that are one-of-a-kind. Above all, simplicity, wearability and femininity are the primary considerations in my process of design and hand fabrication. My background in geology and my fascination with the natural world factor heavily in material choices, design combinations, and construction of the final object. Each piece is fabricated entirely by hand in my studio in Bristol, RI. The resulting work is clean and sophisticated; a synthesis of minimal forms, hard and soft elements, and texturally sumptuous materials combined to produce contemporary wearable art.
How does your current creative practice tie into your time spent at RISD?
My current creative practice spans several different areas of inquiry. While at RISD, I learned to integrate my background in science into my artistic practice at the jewelers bench. Research – be it material or theoretical is an enormous part of the work I make. Time spent at the Nature Lab, the RISD Museum, and the Fleet Library, Special Collections, and Picture Collection helped to fuel and expand the definition of what research meant for my work. I still visit these places as an alum, and I bring by RISD CE students to these places for inspiring their projects and helping them to discover their interests as artists.
Tell us about some of your main sources of inspiration.
In my work, I focus on two separate yet parallel modes of inquiry: the design and fabrication of contemporary jewelry alongside material experiments, which result in sculptural objects and time-based installations. A native of Bristol, Rhode Island, I grew up exploring the rocky shoreline of Narragansett Bay. I attended Dickinson College where I received a BS in Geology, which provides the visual training and hands-on approach I now use to conduct and record my studio-based investigations.
Any recent press, exhibitions, achievements or awards you’d like to share with us?
I am joining the full time faculty at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University in Boston this fall as a Professor of the Practice and co-director of the Senior Thesis Program. The position officially began in September!
Recent interview with Josh Fenton for GoLocalLive: http://www.golocalprov.com/live/Artist-Kendall-Reiss-Is-Helping-to-Drive-the-Rhode-Island-Economy
Recent interview with Boston Voyager: http://bostonvoyager.com/interview/meet-kendall-reiss-kendall-reiss-gallery-studio-gallery-located-bristol-rhode-island-however-teach-full-time-boston-school-museum-fine-arts-tufts-universi/
Nominated for the 2017 U.S. Small Business Administration, Rhode Island Woman Small Business Owner of the Year Award.
Anything else you’d like to share?
I operate an art venue in the East Bay called Kendall Reiss Gallery & Studio. The gallery is located at 469 Wood Street, Bristol, RI 02809. I opened the gallery officially on July 21, 2017 after purchasing the property in January of 2017 and undergoing six months of renovations at 469 Wood Street. I partnered with South Eastern Economic Development (SEED) Corporation, Rhode Island Commerce Corporation, and Bank 5 to secure funding for the project.
The summer exhibition at the gallery featured work by Alyn Carlson, Tanya Crane, and fellow RISD alum, Arpie Gennetian. Surface to Substrate explores the concept of landscape through the lens of three contemporary artists. Works in the exhibition employ a wide variety of media including Carlson’s paintings and drawings inspired by the stark Icelandic landscape, delicate mixed media collages by Gennetian, in combination with Crane’s intricate sgraffito enamel jewelry. [On View: July 2 – August 31, 2018]
To see more of Kendall’s work, visit kendallreiss.com