Thursday, January 25, 2018

You're Invited: First Friday Artwalk, February 2, 2018

Something special for Valentine's Day, and beyond:  Exclusively on First Friday Artwalk weekend (Friday and Saturday) we present a jewelry Trunk Show.  And what marvelous jewelry it is, from modernist metalsmith and designer Agnes Seebass.  Running concurrently is our exhibition featuring new work from Seattle glass and metal sculptor KT Hancock.  Her remarkable hand-blown glass and steel "Gems" and vases will light up the Gallery through February.




The Jewelry of Agnes Seebass
A Modernist

Trunk Show
with Michelle Tange, Gitana Fine Silver

First Friday Artwalk, February 2, 6-8pm
& February 3, 10am-5pm



February 2 - 28, 2018
New Work from KT Hancock
 Glass and Steel Sculpture


IMAGES SHOWN ABOVE:




About the Show:
A special Trunk Show, just in time for Valentine’s Day:  The remarkable work of jeweler Agnes Seebass, presented to us by Michelle Tange of Gitana Fine Silver.  Trained in Germany, France and Mexico, Agnes celebrates and honors three cultures with her jewelry while maintaining a cohesive, sophisticated style and design.  She is inspired by the forms of nature and contrasts in Mexico yet is drawn to simple geometric shapes, and has a passion for precise handcraftsmanship.  Her jewelry is sought after by experienced collectors as well as interested novices.
Visit the Gallery in person, as well as our extensive Website and Online Shop

About the Artists:


Agnes Seebass was born in 1966 in Berlin, West Germany. She says that from the time she was a young child she "loved working with her hands", and had a natural inclination for the arts.  In 1985, she studied architecture in the HHS-Architecture Bureau in Bremen, and in 1986 went to Toulouse, France, where she studied Architecture and French at the Université du Mirail.  Between 1987 and 1991 Agnes studied Jewelry Design and Techniques of Production at the Staatliche Zeichenakademie in Hanau, Germany.

Around this time, while in Frankfurt, Agnes was exposed to Mexican modern and folk art and desired to learn more about Mexican culture, especially the fabrication of metal in Taxco.  In 1992 she had the good fortune to be awarded a scholarship from the institution Carl Duisberg Gesellschaft to study silversmithing at the Los Castillo workshop in Taxco.

Later, she began creating her own pieces and opened her own workshop, first in Taxco and then in Cuernavaca. She now lives and works in Austin, Texas.

Agnes points out that while her jewelry designs were significantly enriched by the hollow-ware techniques she learned at Los Castillo, and by the styles and techniques of earlier Mexican silversmiths whose interpretations of pre-Columbian motifs define much of their work, she is a modernist whose designs only subtly reflect this influence.

I think that my designs are a mixture of German and Mexican culture. In part the forms of Mexican nature and contrasts inspire me and on the other hand I like simple geometric forms and of course I have a (German) passion for precise handcraftsmanship
.
Normally I do not draw a design. I work directly with the metal, experimenting, hammering, et cetera.
All of my pieces are 100% handmade. I do not use any industrial process. For me, pieces made by hand and with patience (time is no argument in my workshop) have a very different feeling than any mass-produced piece.

There is something very special for me about working with silver; it is like an adventure and I keep discovering new ways to achieve the results I have in mind.  Sometimes the process is very intuitive, like the pendants with texture and gold leaf painting. I manipulate the surface in a spontaneous way until they look like canvas and can provoke curiosity to get closer, to touch…
                                                                                               
- Thanks to Marbeth Schon, “Modern Maestro”, modernsilver.com

Agnes continues an extraordinary career as a jeweler, silversmith, and product designer.  She is officially certified as a goldsmith in Germany.  More of her work can be viewed in the Gallery and online in the Gitana Collection Artists' Pages.  

KT Hancock is an emerging artist based in Seattle, Washington.  With a background in metalsmithing and glassblowing, she incorporates both mediums into her work. Her pieces demonstrate an interest in the idea of preciousness. The gem-shaped objects convey an idealized adornment piece for the body. Although not wearable, these objects reflect an inherent cultural, physical and sentimental value. KT has a Bachelor’s degree in metalsmithing and sculpture from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and has also attended and worked at Pilchuck Glass School, an educational institution founded by Dale Chihuly. She has continued her practice as a freelance designer and maker.  This new work, including vases, will be available in February.  Visit her Artist's Pages to see more.

KT Hancock, Gazing Garnet.  Glass and steel



The Island Gallery at Sotheby’s

http://theislandgallery.net/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5_280&products_id=2563

RealogicsSotheby's
240 Winslow Way E, Bainbridge Island, WA
Continuing through February 28, 2018

Selected work from Gallery Artists David Berger, Pam Galvani & Jen Till
  

About The Island Gallery

Established in 2002, The Island Gallery features internationally recognized artists whose work takes traditional art  forms in exciting new directions:  studio furniture and sculpture;  museum quality textile art  and wearables; wood fired ceramics from the finest potters in America; paintings and prints; and unique jewelry creations. Monthly exhibitions include live musical concerts, featuring such genres as jazz, rock, folk, chamber music and performance art.  This, along with its reputation for excellence,  makes The Island Gallery a destination spot on beautiful Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle, and steps from the new Bainbridge Island Museum of Art. In 2017 we celebrated 15 years of collaboration with unique and talented artists from near and far.


Contact Us/Visit:




WINTER HOURS
Tuesdays - Saturdays 11:00 – 6:00 pm
Sundays Noon – 5:00 pm

Event Location: 

The Island Gallery, 400 Winslow Way E, #120, Bainbridge Island, Washington.

Underground parking is available at The Winslow off Ericksen Avenue.
 


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