I was struck by two artists featured in this months American Craft magazine. Both show a serious dedication to sustainable craft, albeit in two very different arenas. Fine artist Geoffrey Gorman creates animals out of “rusty metal, canvas, wire, bundles of sticks, mountain bike tires, inner tubes, and other cast-off odds and ends.” What is interesting about his work is that, unlike many other artists using discarded materials, he manipulates them so that you can not see what they once were. They take on a new “life” in his animals. Lucky Chicagoans can see his work at the SOFA Chicago Art Fair in early November.
The second is clothing designer Lizz Wasserman and her eco-friendly line Popomomo. The clothes are made from “sustainable materials such as bamboo, soy, and organic cotton; recycled fabric; and remnants from major textile manufacturers.” Wasserman set out to prove that fashion forward clothes can also be sustainable. I’d say she is doing just that.
For more info about the state of craft in America read Craft: State of the Market by Meribah Knight. Now get off the computer and go make something!
