I think there is something compelling about things, anything really, made from wire or metal. There is a craft quality to the work; so much of it has a wonderful hand-made feel. And there’s also an interesting graphic element where the pieces can look like a 3D scribble and throw beautiful shadows.
1. One guy working in metal is well worth digging around for – at least I thought it was a guy. Curtis Jere sounds like a perfectly legit name but it is actually a hybrid of partners Jerry Fels and Kurt Freiler. Together they created work for Artisan House in the 1960s. Their pieces range from sweeping branches and blossoms to star bursts and ocean inspired objects. A lot of it seems to surface on Ebay (just type C. Jere into the search engine and a tonne of pieces will pop up). If you are Ebay-adverse the wonderful Jonathan Adler has bought the license to reissue a few of C. Jere’s cooler designs. I love the sea urchin.
2. For a more contemporary take on wire go no further than Rebecca Niederlander. I came across her abstract scribbles suspended above a kitchen table on a Los Angeles house tour and I fell in love with her work.
3. When we were in Maine this summer I discovered Ellen Weiske who works mainly in wire. Amazing work – I just wish I could have slipped one into my suitcase. The piece pictured here consists of wire intricately wrapped around a small porcelain plate.
4. Also have a look at French designer, Marie Christophe’s, wonderful whimsical collections
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Those animal lamps are so cute!
Those sea urchins are amazing!
we must pay homage to Calder and his inspiring, whimsical circus! http://www.whitney.org/www/calder/images.jsp
whoa–those table lamps are fantastic! also check out barb of knack studio’s new wire hanging lamps. she just posted about them yesterday and they are beautiful!
These wire creations bridge the craft-contemporary art gap because they are quite conceptual.
I can see (actually, have seen) similar works in Chelsea’s art galleries.
Marvellous those Marie Christpohe’s wire lamps! Really!!
This is such a brilliant idea for artwork/chandeliers in your home. I will definitely being giving this a looksy on ebay … thanks for the great tip!
l adore the wire!!!!! l love to makes things with wire …is very very creative .beautifull marie christophe!!!! thanks for this!!!!! hasta pronto from buenos aires!!
I was just flipping through my Oct. issue of House & Home and fell in love with a gold metal starburst. I wondered where I could find one. 5 mins. later I find them on your blog. I can’t believe it! Thanks so much, I’m heading off to Ebay to find one!
Check out the work of iconic Bay area artist Ruth Asawa, who was the subject of a recent retrospective exhibit at San Francisco’s de Young museum. She is THE MASTER of “crocheting” wire into astonishingly complex and beautiful sculptural forms beginning in the late 1940′s.
I’m blown away by Marie Christophes lighting. It’s truly amazing.
WOW. We had that sea urchin thing hanging over our fireplace for years! I always knew my mom had a ton of style! Wonder if she still has it. hmm……
i love those animal lamps, just exciting, very attractive
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