A Copper Alliance Member
Copper in the Arts
Issue #11: March '08 - Cont'd
Apprentice and Alchemist: Tanya Garvis
Tanya Garvis is a perfect example of an artist who found just the right niche. She was feeling burned out from her work in marketing and the restaurant business. Then, one day, she happened upon an art gallery where she was immediately drawn to the unusual vitreous enamel artwork on display. In the spirit of serendipity, She left her name and phone number with the owner, hoping to apprentice with the artist.
By the time Dennis Berry finally picked up the phone, it was two years later, and Tanya’s initial response was, “Who is this?” She had almost forgotten about leaving her name and number that fateful day. Berry wanted to retire and was looking for someone of integrity to continue his work. A few other artists were interested, but it was Tanya that he chose, and after apprenticing with him, she was convinced that she had found her calling.
Tanya has only been making her unique copper and glass wall art since October 2006, but has already sold numerous pieces through individual sales, gallery shows, and commissions. “I’m making a living! Who knew?” she says. “I feel really lucky.” But, considering the attention her artwork has garnered in little more than a year, talent would appear to have more to do with her success than luck. Her shows have included the Stone Arch Festival in Minneapolis, the Telluride and Vail Festivals of the Arts, and One of a Kind Show and Sale in Chicago.
Tanya’s craft is an ancient vitreous enameling process that is rarely used for wall art today. Believed to have originated in Greece, the materials used--metal and glass--remain the same after all of these years. Tanya’s application of the craft creates one-of-a-kind art that evokes images of clouds in water or fire absorbed into rock with colors blending into each other like marble. Her pieces range from small works framed in copper or brass that depict nature designs to large free-floating abstract mosaic collages.
Tanya’s process is long and quite physical. She begins with a thin piece of copper that is only about .005-millimeter thick. She cuts the copper into shapes, some of which she uses to create her collage designs, and some of which she uses to create frames. She prepares the surface of the copper through sanding, and sifts powdered glass over the top of the metal. She then kiln-fires the copper, takes it out of the kiln, rolls it with a rolling pin, sifts more glass over the top, and kiln-fires it again.
In order to fuse the elements together and achieve the desired effect, she may kiln-fire the copper and glass as many as five times at temperatures ranging from 1000-1600 degrees F. Tanya gets her powdered glass from Thompson Enamel in Kentucky or J Ring Glass Studio and Store in St. Paul, and the majority of her copper comes from Thin Metal Sales in California.
“When I work, I try to work inside of five to six hours at a time,” Tanya says. Otherwise, she risks very sore muscles and exhaustion. Still, she sometimes finds herself working happily into the wee hours in her studio, which she created on her family’s porch in Deephaven, Minnesota.
Tanya says that her work is very intuitive, often inspired by nature and travel destinations. Trips to Italy, France, and Barcelona have sparked creations, some of which are reminiscent of the tiles found in the architecture there. She even has a piece inspired by the Eiffel Tower. “But you wouldn’t know it unless I told you,” she says.
So far this year, Tanya plans to show again at the One of a Kind Show and Sale in Chicago, as well as the Edina Art Fair in Minnesota. Her commissions have included several Minnesota businesses, and right now, she is working on a commission for a new Westin Galleria in Edina. The piece, which will be in earth tones per the client’s specifications, will grace a 37-foot section of wall in the lobby. Tanya will spend two months completing the piece, which will be free-floating with no matting or frame and sitting about an inch from the wall.
Tanya loves every minute of creating her distinctive copper and glass art.
“Freedom for me is paramount to my survival,” she says, “and creating art has become my version of freedom.”
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Vitreous enamel artist Tanya Garvis
Photograph courtesy of Tanya Garvis
Tanya has only been making her unique copper and glass wall art since October 2006, but has already sold numerous pieces through individual sales, gallery shows, and commissions. “I’m making a living! Who knew?” she says. “I feel really lucky.” But, considering the attention her artwork has garnered in little more than a year, talent would appear to have more to do with her success than luck. Her shows have included the Stone Arch Festival in Minneapolis, the Telluride and Vail Festivals of the Arts, and One of a Kind Show and Sale in Chicago.
Tanya’s craft is an ancient vitreous enameling process that is rarely used for wall art today. Believed to have originated in Greece, the materials used--metal and glass--remain the same after all of these years. Tanya’s application of the craft creates one-of-a-kind art that evokes images of clouds in water or fire absorbed into rock with colors blending into each other like marble. Her pieces range from small works framed in copper or brass that depict nature designs to large free-floating abstract mosaic collages.
Winter Storm, Tanya
Garvis
Photograph by Tanya Garvis
In order to fuse the elements together and achieve the desired effect, she may kiln-fire the copper and glass as many as five times at temperatures ranging from 1000-1600 degrees F. Tanya gets her powdered glass from Thompson Enamel in Kentucky or J Ring Glass Studio and Store in St. Paul, and the majority of her copper comes from Thin Metal Sales in California.
“When I work, I try to work inside of five to six hours at a time,” Tanya says. Otherwise, she risks very sore muscles and exhaustion. Still, she sometimes finds herself working happily into the wee hours in her studio, which she created on her family’s porch in Deephaven, Minnesota.
Tanya says that her work is very intuitive, often inspired by nature and travel destinations. Trips to Italy, France, and Barcelona have sparked creations, some of which are reminiscent of the tiles found in the architecture there. She even has a piece inspired by the Eiffel Tower. “But you wouldn’t know it unless I told you,” she says.
So far this year, Tanya plans to show again at the One of a Kind Show and Sale in Chicago, as well as the Edina Art Fair in Minnesota. Her commissions have included several Minnesota businesses, and right now, she is working on a commission for a new Westin Galleria in Edina. The piece, which will be in earth tones per the client’s specifications, will grace a 37-foot section of wall in the lobby. Tanya will spend two months completing the piece, which will be free-floating with no matting or frame and sitting about an inch from the wall.
Tanya loves every minute of creating her distinctive copper and glass art.
“Freedom for me is paramount to my survival,” she says, “and creating art has become my version of freedom.”
Sculpting Copper: Movement through Welding
Conversion, copper and bronze
Photograph courtesy of John Sanders
“It’s considered old fashioned to be a welder,” says John Sanders, sculptor from New York. It's also expensive and time consuming. He started off working with stone after receiving his MFA in Sculpture from Berkeley in California, and then migrated into steel, bronze and copper.
Sanders sources his copper by another old-fashioned method---He scrounges around junkyards for it.
"I've hit every scrap yard with 150 miles of New York," he says. "It's like gambling. When I find some copper it's so exciting."
One time he found three-inch thick copper furnaces once owned by IBM that he snapped up quickly. He'll take scrap, preferably ½ inch or 3/8, and cut shapes out of the plate, then bend it to get the forms he desires.
"The fantastic thing about copper is that it lends itself to cold bending in a vice just like blacksmithing and you can move it. If I get one inch thick I can get rigidity from the copper, but I have to forge it."
His penchant for movement is clearly evident in his sculptures. Though he also sculpts with steel, even wood, he says "copper has the ultimate advantage of movement in metal, unlike the difficulty of stainless steel.” His preference is to use bronze and copper together as complementary metals.
“Bronze, which is 90% copper, welds together in a beautiful way. When you get good at it, it’s like working in wax. It moves so quickly and liquefies. But, the minute you stop, it freezes the way steel does.”
This flexibility allows him to create virtually any shape he wants. His sculptures, abstract and replete with negative space, are always in the process of morphing into another shape as they bend and flow. And, if he’s dissatisfied with the outcome, he can forge the work into something else.
“Copper flexes and has this timelessness,” he adds. “It’s beautiful.”
Sanders carves his copper with a plasma arc and attains the colors he wants with the different heats he uses when welding. Like most people, he has a fascination with the way copper ages, admiring the variety of patinas and verdigris that copper can assume.
"People are deeply attracted to copper because of the color," he notes. But Sanders goes another step. "I lacquer my copper pieces so they age from the inside out. Copper is permanent to the weather…it tarnishes but won't rust."
Sanders works out of an old dairy farm 40 feet wide and 300 feet long, deep in the heart of the Catskills Mountains where he draws inspiration from the natural environment around him. Directly outside his studio doors are expansive views of the surrounding hills. Just like in nature, there are virtually no hard right angles in his work.
“I’m confronted with magnificent views and it affects me,” he says. “I’m very influenced by my environment. My pieces are organic, almost too organic, so I throw these solid pieces into the sculpture. Most of my ideas come from my mistakes.”
His work is large and heavy, precluding too many shows, though he has shown extensively in New York as well as shows in Germany, Berkeley, Massachusetts and Washington D.C. A 2000 commission in China called Average Hectic Day weighed in 55,000 pounds, looming at 18 feet high. Most pieces are smaller, but still there is significant cost to move them.
His preference is for guests to visit him at his studio. He is currently negotiating with Stone Ridge, a sculpture garden and gallery, for a show in the summer of 2008 in New York.
“When you work with copper it’s like a love affair,” he says fondly. “I adore it and will do it forever.”
Copper in the Arts: EVENTS
- Palm Beach Jewelry, Art, and Antique Show
Feb 15, '13 - Feb 18, '13 - Native Expressions: Dave McGary’s Bronze Realism
Mar 7, '13 - Jun 30, '13 - Evolving Character Head Demonstration with John Coleman
Mar 9, '13 - Mar 9, '13 - More Upcoming Events...
Copper in the Arts: HISTORY
Rediscovering the Geddy Foundry’s Colonial Roots
Interpreters demonstrate colonial techniques in Colonial Williamsburg's Geddy Foundry
Photograph contributed by Karen Mortensen
Personally, I think the best way to experience this kind of history is through living history museums. And Colonial Williamsburg is like the Disneyland of living history museums, as far as Virginia goes. You get there, drop your jaw, and say, “Honey, maybe we should stay for more than one day.”
You know, some people get their kicks in Vegas. I’d rather watch a guy show me how a brass candlestick was made in 1750. And that’s exactly what they do today in Colonial Williamsburg at the Geddy Foundry, just like it was done back in the 18th century.
An integral part of the Colonial Williamsburg’s business community, the Geddy Foundry legacy began when Scotsman James Geddy Sr. started a foundry behind his home circa 1738. However, only six short years passed until he died suddenly in 1744, leaving his entire estate to his wife, Anne. She was bright and assertive, which was fortunate, considering James had left her with eight children: four boys and four girls.
The oldest boys, William and David, had probably had enough exposure to the business before their father’s death, and took over the foundry. In addition to gunsmithing and brass founding, they advertised their services as buckle makers, cutlers, and sword cutlers.
While David may not have been involved in the business after 1751, it’s clear that William managed and grew the foundry for more than 30 years. Even William’s son, William Jr., became involved as an apprentice.
Sand mold for candlestick and carriage window
latches
Photograph contributed by Karen Mortensen
Today, the Geddy Foundry in Colonial Williamsburg stands as a testament to the talent and determination of this artistic family. To preserve the history of brass and bronze casting as both craft and technology, it operates today much as it did more than 250 years ago, except now it welcomes visitors to become part of the experience. A shop master, journeymen, and apprentices create pieces using the same methods employed by the Geddys.
When the Geddy site was excavated in 1968, researchers found a variety of metal artifacts that had been cast, including candlesticks, buckles, and watch keys. Visitors to Colonial Williamsburg see many examples of cast metalwork in the reconstructed foundry, learning about the process from expert historians.
Casting pieces in brass and bronze in colonial times was truly an art—it wasn’t production work. Craftspeople at the foundry explain and demonstrate how pieces were designed and made individually.
Each item required its own mold—and mold-making was the most difficult part of the process. In addition to making the mold, many more steps were involved in creating a single piece, all of which required considerable skill and experience.
Visitors to Colonial Williamsburg learn that 18th century founders were generalists, making a wide variety of objects. In fact, it wasn’t until the industrial revolution came to America in the 19th century that mass production became the norm in the U.S.
It goes without saying that mass production is here to stay. But it would be a horrendous mistake to lose the skills we once had—to forget how we used to do things. This is why the individuals preserving our artistic and technological history at the Geddy Foundry are so vital.
History isn’t just about the shift of world power and politics and wars and dates, although that is all important. It is also about the way art and technology progressively work with or against each other, or put simply, how the creation of a candlestick changes over time. And it’s about standing in a hot workshop in Colonial Williamsburg in a muggy July heat wave, thinking, “This is fascinating, but next time, I’ll come in the spring.”
Resources:
Colonial Williamsburg, Geddy Foundry, Williamsburg, VA, (757) 229-1000
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Copper in the Arts: NEWS
The NSS Presents 75th Annual Awards Exhibition - May 16, 2008
The National Sculpture Society’s (NSS) 75th Annual Awards Exhibition is on view through May 30. This juried show features figurative works by fifty-six members as part of the Society’s Annual Sculpture Celebration Weekend festivities, from May 16 to 18. At the conclusion of the show in New York City, the exhibition will travel to Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina where it will be on display from June 28 through August 24.
The Annual Awards Exhibition is the NSS’s most popular exhibition and more than 200 artists applied to this year’s show. The sculptures on display encompass a variety of media, from bronze, marble and wood, to cast glass and stoneware, all representing the diverse styles, backgrounds and disciplines of NSS members.
Sculptors featured in the exhibit include Béla Bácsi, Richard Becker, Joy Beckner, Richard Blake, Marlys Boddy, Paige Bradley, Betty Branch, Burt Brent, Mary Buckman, Ernest Caballero, Chapel, Judi Charlson, Tim Cherry, Judeth Davis, Jane DeDecker, Thomas Durham, Russell Faxon, Cathy Ferrell, Daniel Glanz, Jay F. Goldstein, Carol P. Harless, Lee Hutt, Martin Isler, Amy Kann, Tuck Langland, Stephen Layne, Roger Martin, Antonio Mendez, Friedrike Mercke, Paul Moore, Ken Newman, Marilyn Newmark, Vala Ola, Dan Ostermiller, Louise Peterson, Rosie Irwin Price, Toni Putnam, Carrie Quade, Carl Raven, Jim Rennert, David Rogers, Randall Rosenthal, Rosetta , Molly Sawyer, Adam Schultz, Michael Shacham, Tim Shinabarger, Stephen H. Smith, Bill Starke, Charles Stinson, Shirley Thomson Smith, Marsha Tosk, Steve Worthington, Eun Nye Yang, Gary Yarrington and Ann Zerger.
The NSS was founded in New York City in 1893 by a group of America’s most prominent sculptors, and its members have created much of this country’s public sculpture, coins, and medals since the late 1800s. It is the oldest organization of professional sculptors in the U.S., and has been hosting exhibitions for over a century. Leading U.S. sculptors and architects founded the organization in the nineteenth century to "spread the knowledge of good sculpture". Today, the NSS continues to encourage excellence in sculpture throughout America, coordinating regular meetings, gala weekends, educational programs and exhibitions to bring artists together for conversation and networking. The NSS runs many programs dedicated to encouraging good sculpture, and educating young artists in this medium. Scholarships, competitions, and opportunities to exhibit works in New York and elsewhere are a few of the ways the NSS reaches out to the next generation of sculptors. Currently, this not-for profit organization features more than 4000 members in the U.S. and across the globe.
The Butterfly Swimmer,
bronze, Antonio Mendez
Photograph courtesy NSS
Sculptors featured in the exhibit include Béla Bácsi, Richard Becker, Joy Beckner, Richard Blake, Marlys Boddy, Paige Bradley, Betty Branch, Burt Brent, Mary Buckman, Ernest Caballero, Chapel, Judi Charlson, Tim Cherry, Judeth Davis, Jane DeDecker, Thomas Durham, Russell Faxon, Cathy Ferrell, Daniel Glanz, Jay F. Goldstein, Carol P. Harless, Lee Hutt, Martin Isler, Amy Kann, Tuck Langland, Stephen Layne, Roger Martin, Antonio Mendez, Friedrike Mercke, Paul Moore, Ken Newman, Marilyn Newmark, Vala Ola, Dan Ostermiller, Louise Peterson, Rosie Irwin Price, Toni Putnam, Carrie Quade, Carl Raven, Jim Rennert, David Rogers, Randall Rosenthal, Rosetta , Molly Sawyer, Adam Schultz, Michael Shacham, Tim Shinabarger, Stephen H. Smith, Bill Starke, Charles Stinson, Shirley Thomson Smith, Marsha Tosk, Steve Worthington, Eun Nye Yang, Gary Yarrington and Ann Zerger.
The NSS was founded in New York City in 1893 by a group of America’s most prominent sculptors, and its members have created much of this country’s public sculpture, coins, and medals since the late 1800s. It is the oldest organization of professional sculptors in the U.S., and has been hosting exhibitions for over a century. Leading U.S. sculptors and architects founded the organization in the nineteenth century to "spread the knowledge of good sculpture". Today, the NSS continues to encourage excellence in sculpture throughout America, coordinating regular meetings, gala weekends, educational programs and exhibitions to bring artists together for conversation and networking. The NSS runs many programs dedicated to encouraging good sculpture, and educating young artists in this medium. Scholarships, competitions, and opportunities to exhibit works in New York and elsewhere are a few of the ways the NSS reaches out to the next generation of sculptors. Currently, this not-for profit organization features more than 4000 members in the U.S. and across the globe.
Resources:
National Sculpture Society, 237 Park Ave., New York, NY, (212) 764-5645
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