Curious New Brooch Design

I've been in the shop preparing for some upcoming shows (see "On the Road Again" a few posts back for a list of shows). With these pieces I was exploring space and weight. They are pretty far from anything I've created before.

Materials used are Cherry, Walnut, Titanium and Stainless Steel. All handmade in Pilsen, Chicago at Gustav Reyes Studio.

A D I D E M

O F   T H E   S A M E   M I N D


I have always been the type of person who can pick up scraps and discarded materials and create something interesting with them. Since I was a child, I was carving swords and toys out of scrap wood and branches I found laying around.

Nothing has changed as I've grown. I love scavenging through old materials and scraps and creating something new! This has and will always be a very stimulating and fulfilling experience for me.

Every once in a while, I receive a contact from the brilliant wooden spoon artist, Norm Sartorius, asking if I'd like a shipment of scraps from his shop. Norm's work flips the concept of form and function on its head by taking a very functional object, the spoon and creating a piece of art out of it. After he is done carving, the spoon is now a decorative piece of fine art and craft. I like the idea of taking a simple thing we often take for granted and placing it on a pedestal. We need to do that every once in a while. Be aware of the objects that allow us to perform everyday tasks.

This idea also relates to the belief that objects that we use everyday should be simple and beautiful. I create lamps with this idea in mind. My lamp design plays on the same concept of form and function, as norm, however in a slightly different way. I always strive to create functional pieces that could easily be mistaken for sculpture. The difference is that I want the piece to be used as well as appreciated for their form.

I've been continuing the Ad Idem collection since 2011. The majority of the work is in the form of rings. I incorporate the discarded material that Norm shares with me. They become an homage to the minds ability to produce an unlimited number of ideas, thoughts and concepts and to the ones we actually take to heart. The whisps of consciousness that stay with us.

Here is the first of the Third Edition of the Ad Idem Collection. Thanks to Norm Sartorius.

See more pieces from this collection on my Facebook Page
http://www.normsartorius.com/

New Brooch Design by Gustav Reyes

This month I have some free shop time since I don't have any shows! I'm excited to go in different directions with the work. Check out the new brooch.

Exchange of Energy

I've been gearing up for the JAWA Chic show in Bridgeport (Chicago) next month (Oct. 19-30) at the Zhou B Arts Center. I'm excited for the show. The idea of the show is to present art jewelry at an elevated level. The pieces will be displayed on the wall as if in a gallery. I have also considered my pieces to be miniature sculptures, especially the rings. I create with this always in mind. Art jewelers put as much time and thought as traditional artists and therefore I believe they should be given the same respect.

The Held Neckpiece - $350, handmade in Chicago. 

At a recent street festival in Chicago, I noticed many bulging eyes after checking out the price of the work. It's ok, I'm used to this reaction. I am confident in the craftsmanship with which my work is created and I believe in a balanced exchange of energy. Those who connect to that energy understand. Later, a lady came up to the booth, and said, "I'm happy to see that you've priced your work according to the amount of time and energy you put into it." Wow! I was so pleased. She happened to be a maker herself. She understood that it takes time, energy, focus and dedication to create. It's hard to place a value on that.

Check out the JAWAChic Website for more information: http://www.jawachic.com/
Good friend and fellow artist David Forlano will be displaying his work as well.

... to the wind and the stars
Gustav

Photo by Tom Petroff
Modeled by Carolina I. Reyes

Wearable Art Events in Chicago

Excited to share my work in my own hometown twice this year!

Chicago is an amazing cross section of art, food, industry and diverse cultures which makes it the perfect backdrop to shows featuring forward thinking art jewelers.

On October 20 and 21 I will participate in JAWAChic, a new show aimed at featuring art jewelers who create unique handmade works. Take a look at the video from last year!

Get ready for the One of a Kind Show in Chicago in early December, 6-9. The last time I participated was in 2006. How much life has evolved since then. Excited to participate for the second time this year.   For more information on the One of a Kind Show visit their website, here.

Balance of Life

So divinely is the world organized that every one of us,
in our place and time, is in balance with everything else. -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Balance of Life at the Eastbank Gallery in Chicago

The Balance of Life is a small scale sculpture that I created in 2010. This is the first non-utilitarian piece that I have made in a long time. My exploration was to express the materials stability and uniqueness. Although traditional lap joints are used to create the form, the placement of the intersections are non-traditional causing tension to the viewer who is familiar with the properties of wood.


When creating this piece, I had no set plan, the form was built up spontaneously from my desire to magnify the unusual properties of the compressed wood. The form that resulted is fluid. It's center of balance allows it to stand in different ways which makes it very exciting.


The parallel to life is the idea that an individual is a culmination of different experiences and phases of life. The negative and positive energies that wash in and wash out like the tide shape life and create harmony to the ones who seek it.

Refreshing

Sometimes the hardest part of creating something new is naming it! Any ideas for this piece? 

This is a prototype for a new piece. These square forms are totally new and feel like a breath of fresh air.