SOFA Chicago Photos Featuring Beads
November 08, 2011, 16:27 pm Posted by Nathalie MornuSince my focus at Lark is on beading books, you know that while I cruised the SOFA expo floor, I had my eye peeled for any type of work made with beads. Before sharing photos with you, I want to mention names of artists whose work I saw and photographed on my first night there. Aaarg! Due to technical difficulties with the camera (give me a hammer—I’ll fix it once and for all!) I lost those images, but you can check out these links:
Iris Eichenberg–the head of Metalsmithing at Cranbrook has used beads in some of her work. To see these pieces, once you’re on her website, check out the series called Pink Years Later.
Iris Tsante–Beads? Not beads? Let the arguing begin! (Do weigh in by leaving a comment.)
Isabell Schaupp—a jeweler who uses beads in a yummy, caviar-like way.
John Garrett–a basket maker who uses beads with some frequency, as shown in this link.
Marcus Amerman–I just saw one beaded vest, but his website features other types of really interesting work.
Okay, now on to the photos.
In conjunction with SOFA Chicago, there were galleries showing outsider art. Hill Gallery was showing a collection of 33 whimsical beaded objects made by Native Americans---Ojibwa, Iriquois and others---for the tourist trade, circa 1900 to 1935.
Betsy Youngquist standing in front of her work. Check back soon for an interview with her!
Another piece on display in the outsider art expo. An image of a beaded church made by Mrs. B. Auer in 1905.
Delicate bead and fiber jewelry by Lara Knuston.
Ilya Schar describes his work as contemporary gemstone painting. He uses not only minerals in the rough (some the size of beans, others as small as grains of sand) but beads and pearls
By Jeanette Ahlgren
A brooch belonging to Gail Brown, made by Joyce Scott
Cherry Goldblatt attaches seed beads to porcelain and wood armatures.
More outsider art. I can't find the name of the artist in my notes.
Presumably by the same artist.
Another piece by Joyce Scott.
By Bradley Levin
This cuff wasn't exactly on display at SOFA. Jeweler and Lark author Joanna Gollberg loaned it to me to wear, and boy did I get noticed!
