“As a woman, I’m expected to want everything to be nice and to be nice myself. A very English thing. I don’t design nice buildings – I don’t like them…”[i] -Zaha Hadid Considered a superstar of the architectural world, Zaha Hadid is internationally recognized for her ingenuity. Her bold, but elegant designs transform landscapes with […]
“I am what time, circumstance, and history have made me, certainly, but I am also, much more than that. So are we all.” –James A. Baldwin The ceramicist, designer, and painter Margarete “Grete” Marks experienced many obstacles over the course of her career.[i] She not only faced great tragedy in her life, but her gender, […]
I am rather silent, resolute, and industrious. I respect and admire persons of probity and morality, moderation and temperance. I can use any tool or machinery with dexterity…[i] – Harry Bertoia, 1937 What comes to mind when you hear the name Harry Bertoia? [ii] Most people probably think of his wire chair designs for Knoll […]
…In creating a work of art, besides my personal experience, my concern is how it emotionally and intellectually engages the viewer…[i] – Albert Paley Albert Paley is internationally known for his monumental sculpture, elaborate gates, intricate furniture, and striking jewelry. His metalwork, which exudes great strength and energy, is skillfully executed utilizing a range of […]
Hester Bateman (née Needham or Neden) was an English silversmith known for creating high-quality, lightweight home wares in the 18th century. Bateman’s Training Like many craftswomen in 18th century Europe, Bateman was trained in her craft as part of a family business, rather than through apprenticeship with a master craftsperson outside her family. Her husband, […]
Billie Jean Theide is an American artist known for creating sculptures and ornamental works in both metal and ceramics, which sometimes also incorporate found-objects or recycled materials. She is also an art professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a curator of many exhibitions, and served as the President of the Society of North […]
Lurelle Van Arsdale Guild accomplished more in one lifetime than most would attempt in seven.[1] Guild was an avid collector of antiques, a successful illustrator, an accomplished writer, an amateur architect, and most importantly for our purposes here, an industrial designer. Guild had an immense impact on American industrial design in the twentieth century. He […]
This octopus-shaped vessel by Miel-Margarita Paredes is a fully functional teapot with a removable lid over the hollow space in the head that forms the body of the teapot, and a curved tentacle forms the spout. Paredes is a metalsmith and artist known for creating sculptures based on naturalistic animal forms. Some themes in her […]
This small sculpture by contemporary jeweler Leah Meleski is a clever use of the teapot form as wearable art. The sculpture is actually composed of a set of jewelry. It disassembles into two bracelets from the teapot handle and body, an earring from the spout, a brooch from the lid, and a pendant from the base. Additional pieces such as the brooch fastener and necklace […]
