craft | messerwerferin

Mary Button Durell

07/10/2012 by messerwerferin

When I came across the work of Mary Button Durell, a San Francisco-based artist, I was instantly drawn in. Her sculptures are otherworldly and beautiful. And I was completely surprised when I found out the simple process she employs to create them. Each is built primarily from just two simple things: tracing paper and wheat paste. The forms are carefully constructed one layer at a time to create rigid, self-supporting structures, which are then attached to one another to create complex, multi-celled systems.

The real beauty in these pieces is Durell’s use of such simple materials to capture light and redirect it into beautiful washes and shadows. The pieces are so colorful, even though (and also because) the use of color is so restrained. To read more about Durell’s process and get a glimpse into her workspace, there’s a great interview with her over at In the Make.

–via anthologymag.com

All images: Mary Button Durell

The work of Award winning and Japanese artist Akiko Ikeuchi is stunning. Born in Tokyo in 1964, Akiko received a doctorate in painting from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. For over two decades he has been hanging his delicately crafted string sculptures in galleries around Japan, Korea, and New York.

The installations are constructed from extremely delicate silk threads, and despite the chaotic appearance of the knotted webs Akiko plans each work as an architect would plan a building with precision blueprints that involve a complex internal framework. The resulting works evoke powerful forces of nature: tornadoes, whirlpools, and perhaps even galaxies themselves.

Akiko begins with first laying a foundation structure using cotton thread. Next, a second layer using fine silk thread is slowly knotted into a mesh, a process that spans nearly a month for an installation such as the one depicted. Amazing work.

AWARD AND FELLOWSHIP
1998 Japanese Government Overseas Study Program for Artists to stay in New York, USA
City College of The City University of New York, Humanities and Arts, Art Department, Visiting Scholar(-2000)

1991 Mr.O Award,Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, Tokyo