Did anyone notice that I made new stuff at Craftees? RGB shirts and Aprons....
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Tuesday, May 21, 2013
SNAG LECTURE 2013
(This is my six minute lecture I gave at SNAG this year. Hence the short and sweet of it all.)
My name is Arthur Hash. I am currently an Instructional Support
Technician for the Metal Program and the Digital Fabrication Lab in Fine
Arts at the State University of New York at New Paltz. I have an
undergraduate degree in Craft/Material Studies from Virginia
Commonwealth University and Masters degree in metalsmithing and
jewelry design from Indiana University at Bloomington. I am honored
to be invited to lecture at this years conference. This will be my
ninth conference. Thank you so much.
As a maker, designer and metalsmith it is my desire, like many, to
create an object that lures in an unsuspecting audience. For me, the
link between the audience and the piece has always been the maker. An
object, made real through the skilled manipulation of carefully
selected materials, is heavy with history, tradition and purpose. In
the world of metals, tools, and how they are used can sometimes define
a piece. My tools allow me to create a body of work that reveals a
history, my love of material and thoughtful experimentation. These
objects form a procession of sorts. One after another they march into
existence, ever evolving, increasing in number and building upon the
last, creating new trajectories for exploration. My approach is
pre-meditative, sometimes spontaneous but always compulsive.
Making to me, has become instinctual, in many ways it is like
parallel parking a car.
As you are pulling into a parking space, cutting the wheel, pausing, looking back, checking
your mirrors, you develop a spatial awareness that extends just past
the end of the hood. When you the swing the wheel and the car fits
neatly into a space you exhale and pat yourself on the back
Often you come in at an awkward angle, or maybe you underestimate
the size of the space, in either case you back up an start again.
Knowing the weight of a brooch, the size of a bracelet, the amount of
material needed to make that perfect piece becomes this instinctual
feeling, freeing you to think about other aspects of the work. Sometimes you have to
start over, sometimes you melt the piece, sometimes it just doesn’t
work out, but the more you go back to the beginning, the more you can
execute that perfect parking job.
Out there just beyond the hood, just beyond the end of the hammer,
just beyond the norm is where I like to work. Stretching my
comfort zone allows me to extend my spatial awareness and ultimately
informs the next piece.
By linking both old and new I consider myself a hybrid-craftsmen. I
do not consider myself bound by a traditional adherence to technique
and material. By having this freedom I believe that I have the
ability to move between the lines, blurring the boundaries of what
falls under the umbrella of crafts. It allows me to take on projects
that challenge my skill set and combine my traditional metals hand
skills with new methods of making. It is my dedication, to improve
upon what I know, my love of the material and my physical need to MAKE
that keeps me firmly planted within the wide world of metals.
For the most part I believe that craftsmen understand that
mastering a skill requires years of dedication. For us, reputation,
quality and credibility are built not in days but years. The path to
success is lined with hard work and sleepless nights.
The truth is, now, right now, the gap between the drawing board and
the bench is getting smaller and smaller. With the aid of rapid
prototyping, we now have the ability to design and manufacture an
object in hours not days. But like all tools, these machines need a
trained operator. Just as the skilled hand of the master silversmith
reaches for the proper hammer or graver so too shall the hybrid
craftsmen reach for a laser engraver or 3D printer. As time passes
the use of this technology will be a mainstay and the successful will
master its purpose.
This technology is changing our studios. It is changing how we
communicate, how we interact, and most importantly HOW we make. It is
not the magic fix-all, it is not an eraser and it certainly does not
make you a master. It is however closing the gap. If HOW we wield a
hammer defines us, what happens when the hammer disappears? Can just
the object be enough? Can just the IDEA of an object be enough?
This is probably one of the most important questions to the ask those
participating in our field. Does adding technology to a craft
education mean loosing craft? I certainly think that this is not the
case but I do believe that we all need be open to the possibility of
change. As email and social media have revolutionized communication the
3D printer and other digital fabrication techniques will revolutionize
the artisan craftsman.
As new makers enter the field, they come with a certain skill set that
is different than that of their predecessors. As we adapt to educate
this new breed of makers, we need to continue to emphasize the
importance of making objects by hand. Both traditional and
non-traditional approaches need to co-exist in the metals studio. A
strong connection between the brain and hand exists with the swing of
a hammer, click of a mouse or the click of a pen. Only through
experience can one gain the skills to improve…
The longer I participate in the field, the more artists I meet, the
larger the field seems. I have come to realize that there is a space for all
makers within metals and that nothing should be left out. The hybrid
craftsmen will be a new face in our field, using new technology to
understand and master traditional techniques, ultimately creating new
exciting objects that will push the boundaries of metals.
Technician for the Metal Program and the Digital Fabrication Lab in Fine
Arts at the State University of New York at New Paltz. I have an
undergraduate degree in Craft/Material Studies from Virginia
Commonwealth University and Masters degree in metalsmithing and
jewelry design from Indiana University at Bloomington. I am honored
to be invited to lecture at this years conference. This will be my
ninth conference. Thank you so much.
As a maker, designer and metalsmith it is my desire, like many, to
create an object that lures in an unsuspecting audience. For me, the
link between the audience and the piece has always been the maker. An
object, made real through the skilled manipulation of carefully
selected materials, is heavy with history, tradition and purpose. In
the world of metals, tools, and how they are used can sometimes define
a piece. My tools allow me to create a body of work that reveals a
history, my love of material and thoughtful experimentation. These
objects form a procession of sorts. One after another they march into
existence, ever evolving, increasing in number and building upon the
last, creating new trajectories for exploration. My approach is
pre-meditative, sometimes spontaneous but always compulsive.
Making to me, has become instinctual, in many ways it is like
parallel parking a car.
As you are pulling into a parking space, cutting the wheel, pausing, looking back, checking
your mirrors, you develop a spatial awareness that extends just past
the end of the hood. When you the swing the wheel and the car fits
neatly into a space you exhale and pat yourself on the back
Often you come in at an awkward angle, or maybe you underestimate
the size of the space, in either case you back up an start again.
Knowing the weight of a brooch, the size of a bracelet, the amount of
material needed to make that perfect piece becomes this instinctual
feeling, freeing you to think about other aspects of the work. Sometimes you have to
start over, sometimes you melt the piece, sometimes it just doesn’t
work out, but the more you go back to the beginning, the more you can
execute that perfect parking job.
Out there just beyond the hood, just beyond the end of the hammer,
just beyond the norm is where I like to work. Stretching my
comfort zone allows me to extend my spatial awareness and ultimately
informs the next piece.
By linking both old and new I consider myself a hybrid-craftsmen. I
do not consider myself bound by a traditional adherence to technique
and material. By having this freedom I believe that I have the
ability to move between the lines, blurring the boundaries of what
falls under the umbrella of crafts. It allows me to take on projects
that challenge my skill set and combine my traditional metals hand
skills with new methods of making. It is my dedication, to improve
upon what I know, my love of the material and my physical need to MAKE
that keeps me firmly planted within the wide world of metals.
For the most part I believe that craftsmen understand that
mastering a skill requires years of dedication. For us, reputation,
quality and credibility are built not in days but years. The path to
success is lined with hard work and sleepless nights.
The truth is, now, right now, the gap between the drawing board and
the bench is getting smaller and smaller. With the aid of rapid
prototyping, we now have the ability to design and manufacture an
object in hours not days. But like all tools, these machines need a
trained operator. Just as the skilled hand of the master silversmith
reaches for the proper hammer or graver so too shall the hybrid
craftsmen reach for a laser engraver or 3D printer. As time passes
the use of this technology will be a mainstay and the successful will
master its purpose.
This technology is changing our studios. It is changing how we
communicate, how we interact, and most importantly HOW we make. It is
not the magic fix-all, it is not an eraser and it certainly does not
make you a master. It is however closing the gap. If HOW we wield a
hammer defines us, what happens when the hammer disappears? Can just
the object be enough? Can just the IDEA of an object be enough?
This is probably one of the most important questions to the ask those
participating in our field. Does adding technology to a craft
education mean loosing craft? I certainly think that this is not the
case but I do believe that we all need be open to the possibility of
change. As email and social media have revolutionized communication the
3D printer and other digital fabrication techniques will revolutionize
the artisan craftsman.
As new makers enter the field, they come with a certain skill set that
is different than that of their predecessors. As we adapt to educate
this new breed of makers, we need to continue to emphasize the
importance of making objects by hand. Both traditional and
non-traditional approaches need to co-exist in the metals studio. A
strong connection between the brain and hand exists with the swing of
a hammer, click of a mouse or the click of a pen. Only through
experience can one gain the skills to improve…
The longer I participate in the field, the more artists I meet, the
larger the field seems. I have come to realize that there is a space for all
makers within metals and that nothing should be left out. The hybrid
craftsmen will be a new face in our field, using new technology to
understand and master traditional techniques, ultimately creating new
exciting objects that will push the boundaries of metals.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Friday, May 3, 2013
Friday, April 26, 2013
Aprons are IN! and the new store has launched!
So this is something I have been wanting to do for a while now but just have not had the time. http://craftees.bigcartel.com/
Monday, April 22, 2013
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
An Intricate Exchange: Susanna Starr and Arthur Hash
Going to setup the show. (before)
http://www.rmc.edu/Events.aspx?display=full&id={FAA92C67-2C32-422F-9CD2-AC5E2538200D}
Arthur Hash and Susanna Starr will exhibit works derivative of the traditional practices of sculpture and metalsmithing. Both artists examine these traditions through contemporary studio practices. Hash explores jewelry and other forms of body ornamentation using “new forms of fabrication technologies such as waterjet cutting, 3D scanning, CNC routing and rapid prototyping to make one-off art jewelry pieces, large archival ink-jet prints and vinyl sticker installations”. Starr investigates the possibilities of various materials to convey the complexities of color and dimension. Her materials include wood veneer, mylar, paint, and synthetic sponges. In contrast to Hash, Starr cuts her intricate works by hand.
Arthur Hash received a MFA in Metalsmithing and Jewelry Design from Indiana University, in Bloomington Indiana. He is currently the Technical Support Technician for the Metal Program and the State University of New York in New Paltz, NY. His work has been exhibited, extensively, in museums and galleries throughout the United States. Susanna Starr received a MFA from Yale School of Art. Starr has exhibited throughout the United States and abroad. More information about the artists is available at www.arthurhash.com and www.susannastarr.net.
http://www.rmc.edu/Events.aspx?display=full&id={FAA92C67-2C32-422F-9CD2-AC5E2538200D}
Arthur Hash and Susanna Starr will exhibit works derivative of the traditional practices of sculpture and metalsmithing. Both artists examine these traditions through contemporary studio practices. Hash explores jewelry and other forms of body ornamentation using “new forms of fabrication technologies such as waterjet cutting, 3D scanning, CNC routing and rapid prototyping to make one-off art jewelry pieces, large archival ink-jet prints and vinyl sticker installations”. Starr investigates the possibilities of various materials to convey the complexities of color and dimension. Her materials include wood veneer, mylar, paint, and synthetic sponges. In contrast to Hash, Starr cuts her intricate works by hand.
Arthur Hash received a MFA in Metalsmithing and Jewelry Design from Indiana University, in Bloomington Indiana. He is currently the Technical Support Technician for the Metal Program and the State University of New York in New Paltz, NY. His work has been exhibited, extensively, in museums and galleries throughout the United States. Susanna Starr received a MFA from Yale School of Art. Starr has exhibited throughout the United States and abroad. More information about the artists is available at www.arthurhash.com and www.susannastarr.net.
Friday, April 5, 2013
completed box!
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Friday, March 15, 2013
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Friday, March 1, 2013
getting it done!
I thought I would post some images of the pieces I am working on. These neck pieces will be part of the exhibition I was talking about in a previous post. I TIG welded them together and they are off to the powder coater. I got a tour of the facility and checked everything out. It is probably the cleanest powder coater I have ever seen. Here are some before shots and then sometime next week I will add some after shots. So many things to do. The bracelets are ready for their boxes. Now all I have to do is make them fit. Also just as an experiment I am going to powder coat a DMP print. Hopefully it will turn out otherwise it will be a an expensive test. Wish me luck.
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