2011 Fire & Light Soirée Art Auction Items
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Fire & Light Soirée Art Auction Items |
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Metal Table
forged and fabricated steel
$900
Carla Hall has been making decorative ironwork for over 15 years. She was greatly influenced by the experience of growing up in central North Carolina with a family history of tobacco, cotton and moonshining. She has a diverse education including studies at Penland Craft School, the Evergreen State College – where she received her BFA in metalwork, and through multiple apprenticeships. She has a strong belief in arts education and in empowering youth through exploring industrial arts. Her greatest creative influences come from Japanese folk art and architecture and from old industrial structures. She currently runs Red Frog Metal Design and is the Youth Program Director at The Crucible.
redfrogmetaldesign.com |
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Fire Flower
copper, fire
Value: $200
Charles Gadeken creates beautiful sculptures incorporating mixed metals and fire. His art is uniquely organic, using fire to enhance and complete the sculpture and engage his audience in a physical way. Charles is a founding member of the Flaming Lotus Girls and has helped the group create fiery art for the past eight years. He founded the Illumination Project, creating monumental kinetic sculptures for the opening of Treasure Island SF, The Santa Rosa Museum of Visual Art, Reno Art Town, and Burning Man. His art has been displayed at Burning man, Robodock in Amsterdam, and the Big Day Out Festival in Australia. For the past six years he has designed and built custom fire art for individual collections.
burningart.com |
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Blown Glass Vase
blown glass
Value: $250
Since 1997 Zachary Rudolph has been developing his unique style of glass art. He interprets age old traditional form and technique, while creating modern works of art. Zachary is dedicated to uncovering the mysteries of glass, and his vessel designs continue to evolve. A Bay Area native, he has traveled extensively to mentor with some of the world’s most accomplished glass artists, including Dale Chihuly, Richard Royal, Paul Desomma, and Michael Davis. Zachary also teaches at The Crucible.
zachrudolphglass.com |
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Red, Black & Yellow Frit Bowl
cast glass spun with glass frit
Value: $3,500
As a graduate student in architecture at the University of California at Berkeley, John Lewis was introduced to blown glass by professor Marvin Lipofsky. John founded the first private hot glass studio in California and later received his MA in design in 1970. His early work in blown glass led to an interest in glass casting. With the help of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, he built an experimental facility to explore the possibilities of cast glass. At his state-of-the-art casting studio in Oakland, Lewis designs and produces cast glass sculpture, tables, vessels, and site-specific architectural projects. He has completed numerous commissions for private and corporate clients and is represented by galleries internationally.
johnlewisglass.com |
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Untitled
carbon pigment print
Value: $1,200
Durwood Zedd’s photography celebrates the beauty of simplicity in natural and man-made design. A long-time art collector, auctioneer, and fitness trainer, Durwood’s passions are evident in his work. His appreciation for art and design, his curiosity about the objects that shape and bring enjoyment to people’s lives, and his respect for the human form are clearly visible in his photographic images. He prints in silver gelatin and iris, as well as pigment on canvas. A self-taught photographer, Durwood began experimenting with 35 mm in 1999 and quickly moved to larger format cameras. Well received by the San Francisco art community, his work was immediately sought after by private collectors and designers across the country. |
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Nude Descending Staircase
kiln cast and coldworked glass
Value: $350
Warren has been cold working and kiln casting glass for more than 20 years. His education includes four years of study at the California College of the Arts, one semester of study in the Czech Republic, and Kiln Casting with David Reekie and Glass Engraving with Jiri Harcuba, both at Pilchuck Glass School. Warren acquired cold working experience as Clifford Rainey’s assistant for nearly four years. Warren teaches glass engraving and other cold working techniques at The Crucible. For nine years he has offered cold working services at his own cold working studio, where he works full-time creating his own kiln cast and engraved art work.
rabbitdenstudios.com |
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Ferric Repose
copper infused cast iron with steel base
Value: $1,500
Alexander Smith was born in Berkeley to a family of teachers, machinists, and craftsman. At an early age he realized he had the knack to form materials and quickly got his hands dirty in his family garage. Alex earned his BFA at the University of California at Santa Cruz. He has taught the tradition of bronze casting for the past nine years at The Crucible. For eight years he has been apprentice and project manager to world-renowned metal sculptor Fletcher Benton in his San Francisco studio. Alex’s cast and fabricated works, inspired by his travels and love of form and nature, can be found at the Sculpturesite Gallery in downtown San Francisco.
alexanderthesmith.com |
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Stratus
steel, fused glass, neon
Value: $1,500
Gabrielle Kuzsel started working with glass through classes at The Crucible, drawn to the vivid colors and possibilities of form. Always appreciative of combinations of function and beauty, she designs a line of tableware and lighting meant to be enjoyed for entertaining and everyday use.
Steven Young Received his MLA from the Graduate School of Fine Arts at The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. His work is inspired by a minimalist esthetic and focuses on combining materials to form clean modern lines and hand formed surfaces. Steven believes that every day objects should be artful and inspiring. His work incorporates steel, glass and light including neon and fire. Steven has also worked on a number of award winning large-scale public art installations around the Bay Area. Now serving as the Executive Director of The Crucible, the importance of the art of making has become central to his efforts. |
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Sundarban Wetlands
cherry wood and vinyl
Value: $1,400
Joey Gottbrath was born and raised in Louisville, KY. He received his BA in Functional Design from Murray State University, where he studied with Kentucky furniture maker Paul Sasso. Gottbrath received his MFA in Sculpture from Arizona State University in 2002, studying with woodworker Tom Eckert and sculptor Mary Bates Neubauer. In 2004 Gottbrath was a recipient of the Arizona Commission on the Arts Artist Project Grant, one of five artists in the state to receive the grant. Venues that have exhibited Gottbrath’s work include Mesa Museum for Youth, Tryptich Gallery, Andorra Gallery, Gallery Materia, Boxheart Gallery, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Diablo Valley College Art Gallery, Oakland International Airport, and the de Young Museum. About this piece: The Sundarbans, on the Bay of Bengal, is the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world. This piece was created by placing book-matched aerial images of the wetlands on top of a Queen Anne pie crust tilt-top table.
gottbrath.blogspot.com |
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The Transitory Nature of Seeking a Home
recycled window glass, house pipe, car parts, electrical parts, computer parts
Value: $2,300
Mary Bayard White is a glass instructor and Co-Head of the Glass Casting and Fusing Area at The Crucible. She was the Head of the Glass Program at the School of Art and Design at San Jose State University 1985-2005. She holds an MFA in Glass and BFA in Ceramics from California College of the Arts. Her current investigations include images of dwellings and use of recycled materials. During 2009-2010 White was a Fulbright Scholar at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin Ireland |
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Rump Stumpling
wood, steel
Value: $1,200
Matt Wolpe graduated from The Evergreen State College in 2005 with an emphasis in Urban Studies. He has worked with a variety of nonprofits whose goals were to link design, community and education. These included The Center for Urban Pedagogy, The Riverside Park Fund, and a Post-Katrina Design/Build trip with Designcorps that provided experimental relief structures to refugees from the hurricane. Matt has studied woodworking, natural building, sustainable design and carpentry at Yestermorrow Design/Build School in Vermont and is currently the head of the Crucible’s wood department.
Kevin McElroy is a part-time fabricator, part-time winemaker, and full time thinker, tinkerer, and artist. McElroy is interested in collaborating to create beautiful and functional objects. He enjoys working on a broad range of projects, including sailboat and bicycle parts, furniture, commercial space design, and sewing. Of particular interest is re-imagining old materials and objects. Kevin has a B.S. from Stanford University and volunteers regularly at The Crucible.
justfinedesignbuild.com |
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Candlesticks
hammered copper
Value: $1,450
A Wisconsinite by birth, metalsmith Gregg Hessel works his magic on hammer forged copper in the San Rafael-based Hessel Studios, which produces over 60 different hammer forged copper candlesticks designs. Each design has its own distinctive personality, and each is given a mythical or romantic name, like Callisto or Flirtation, which is engraved on the underside of the base. The polished surface can be maintained, though some prefer to keep the surface un-polished, so that over time it develops a rich warm color, reminiscent of a fine antique.
hesselstudios.com |
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Chalice
hammered copper
Value: $850
A Wisconsinite by birth, metalsmith Gregg Hessel works his magic on hammer forged copper in the San Rafael-based Hessel Studios, which produces over 60 different hammer forged copper candlesticks designs. Each design has its own distinctive personality, and each is given a mythical or romantic name, like Callisto or Flirtation, which is engraved on the underside of the base. The polished surface can be maintained, though some prefer to keep the surface un-polished, so that over time it develops a rich warm color, reminiscent of a fine antique.
hesselstudios.com |
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Rustic Kitchen Knife
steel and wood
Value: $300
Cliff Bohm specializes in Bladesmithing and Decretive Blacksmithing. He finds beauty in the juxtaposition of polished steel next to the rough “unspoiled” textures generated by the forging process. He strives to create well-crafted objects with appealing design but which also possess a timeless quality… To leave the viewer wondering if they are looking at a rare antique or a newly created object. Cliff currently teaches Introduction to Blacksmithing and Bladesmithing at The Crucible. |
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Strong Wind
metal
Value: $700
Rob Nehring received his BFA from the University of Milwaukee, Wisconsin in Inter-arts, which included theatre, dance, and sculpture. After professionally dancing for 17 years and 18 years in the candy business, he dropped everything to take a class at The Crucible. Driven by the definition of sculpture as “something you back into when looking at a painting,” he strives to produce thought-provoking, yet whimsical work in three dimensions. An accomplished artist, Rob’s sculptures are in galleries and private collections throughout the United States. His sculptures are created from 99% recycled materials. Through found scrap materials, Rob lets the materials dictate what they will become. Rob runs Rusty Noodle Studios and also teaches and is the Adult Program Director at The Crucible.
rustynoodlestudios.com |
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Expansion
picasso marble on steel base
Value: $1,650
William Rose began creating art more than 30 years ago designing and building xusom homes, all the while traveling to many locations throughout the United States creating sand sculpture. In searching for a more permanent medium William joined The Crucible three years ago and began stone carving under the guidance of instructor and master sculptor Barry Baldwin. William’s focus has recently expanded to include welded sculpture. |
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Genetically Engineered Bat
kiln cast glass
Value: $500
The concept of genetic engineering has dogged Daniel Stauber’s artistic philosophy for about fifteen years. He sees the 20th century as the era when science became a religion and criticism of science became heresy. Humans began in earnest to play God following the discovery of DNA with virtually no oversight of genetic manipulation. Daniel is compelled to make artistic statements on this subject. In this case a slight modification could lead to a bat with reptilian characteristics that is no longer interested in fruit. |
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Six Inch Bell
bronze and aluminum
Value: $900
Nick DiPhillipo has channeled his interest in burning and melting things into relatively non-destructive activities. For almost 30 years he has worked as a professional metal caster in the areas of sandcasting and lost wax casting, with a focus on designing and building equipment used in the casting process. Nick also teaches and heads the Foundry Department at The Crucible. |
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Optic Flame
lead crystal glass and neon-air gas plasma
Value: $1,800
Ed Kirshner’s glass and gas plasma sculptures have been exhibited in shows and galleries across the United States and in Taiwan, Japan, Australia, Austria, France, Switzerland and Turkey. He has been included in numerous shows at the Museum of Neon Art (MONA) in Los Angeles where he was a member of the board of trustees and its treasurer for several years and continues to serve on its Technical Advisory Board. Ed’s sculpture has also been represented in such public venues as the International Terminal at the San Francisco Airport. His work entitled “Cone of Chaos” was a Corning Glass selection for the year 2000 and was published in the October 2001 issue of “Neues Glas” as well as in the recent book, “25 Years of New Glass Review” by The Corning Museum of Glass. Examples of his work have also been featured in several other glass art publications including the World Art Glass Quarterly. The DiRosa Fine Art Preserve in Napa, California as well as the Swiss Science Center, Technorama, near Zurich, Switerland, have acquired examples of his glass and plasma sculptures as have numerous private collectors across the U.S. and Europe.
aurorasculpture.com |
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Journey to the Center
recycled steel and ceramics with LED Light
Value: $600
Kristen Hoard’s journey with metal sculpture began in 1999, when she enrolled in her first class at The Crucible; she has been hooked ever since. Kristen regularly participates in art festivals throughout Northern California, and her work is often featured at local galleries. Recently Kristen has begun to explore sculptures that incorporate fire, flames, or neon lighting. She has also completed several large corporate sculpture pieces in metal that can be seen in office lobbies throughout the Bay Area.
kristenhoard.com |
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Flat Vase Duo
blown glass
Value: $850
Jeff Benroth formed his Jeff Benroth Studio in 2002 after nine years as a blower and production manager for other glass studios in the Bay Area. His thorough knowledge of the custom glass production environment and experience in reconciling clients’ ideas with the material have made the studio a valuable resource for the design community in the Bay Area and nationally. Jeff’s interests in architecture and industrial design have honed his eye for integrating glass into larger systems and designs. Jeff received his BFA in Glass from the California College of the Arts; he has also attended workshops at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts and the Pilchuck Glass School.
benroth.com |
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Morph Large Bottle in Ivory
blown glass
Value: $365
Guy Corrie, designer, glassblower, and master craftsperson, with the help of his wife and business partner Leanne, carved out their vision for a contemporary art glass studio, and in 1980 Union Street Glass was born. By fusing innovative design concepts with old world glassblowing techniques, Guy, Leanne, and their studio continue to forge new interest in and appreciation for their unique art form. Through Guy’s commitment to creating fresh innovations and his obsession with hand blown glass, Union Street Glass has grown into a 10,000 square foot studio in Richmond. Guy’s award winning designs have been seen in many prestigious galleries and museums in the United States and abroad.
unionstreetglass.com |
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