Craft Artists

Recently, I updated my blog with contemporary installation artists, interior designers and now I will follow those up with craft artists who also explore space in some form.

Andrea Mastrovito

Andrea Mastrovito expertise lies in the specialism of paper crafting and cutting, and manipulates the carefully fashioned paper art forms into beautiful installations which I find to be imaginative and playful yet awe inspiring at the amount of precision needed to carry out such careful manipulations. The secret to his work, is in fact freedom. He has explained previously that freedom is the key influence in her work, as most work is commissioned by retailers seeking a ‘whimsical’ installation by the famously Italian born artist. Mastrovito has received worldwide praise and commission for his multimedia work, including his inspirational butterfly installation for Dior Homme, Paris in 2008. This year, his installation for Sephora consists of large cut-outs on imported Italian paper, forming silhouettes of figures and snow fallen trees which is a perfect example of the craftsmanship which this art emits. This creation required patience and the ability to integration of Sephora's "I'm Dreaming of..." holiday theme which then lead the artist onto using photographed models, transferred into large drawn figures, then hand-cut and gold-leafed images. The pieces, including two custom-built steel framed dioramas, were installed over the course of five evenings. I feel that the collage effect that Mastrovito has mastered epitomizes the skill that can be applied to any setting, and explores space at a greater level. The application of depth with any 2D material requires expertise to the extent that Mastrovito accomplishes, and through this exploration of space, an all-new conception is established. I was initially drawn to this craft artist through his ability to create quietly brilliant installations through the use of simple materials while also exploring space and ‘inviting’ the viewer to come closer and discover every inch of his work. His butterfly installation for Dior Homme in Paris is another prime example of this manner of work and is extremely appealing to me as it screams contemporary installation. It proves that art surrounds us everywhere, not just in art gallery’s as Andrea Mastrovito amazingly puts together a breath taking yet simple construction of butterflies swarming flawlessly throughout Dior Homme. I like the use of Light and Dark which create a distinct contrast between the harsh and geometric structure against the soft shapes within the butterflies. The immaculate finish also compliments the surroundings as Mastrovito would have had to consider the high quality garments that would fill the space she was working in when creating this installation. Personally, I find this to be an incredible installation which takes the viewer through spaces cunningly as they follow the trail of butterflies. In relation to my own work, I feel that I also produce art that evokes a certain sense of ‘depth’ and I am also starting to explore other forms of installations as I continue to explore ‘space’. The level of precision within Mastrovito’s work is an aspiration of mine, as I attentively strive to produce creations which require a conscientious and delicate ability and therefore I feel I can relate to this type of artwork and take this type of craft into my own work.

Kirsten Hassenfeld

Kirsten Hassenfeld is known for using traditional media such as paper and card to create her installations. She then transforms this conventional medium into well-structured pieces which ooze with luxurious tendencies as she plays on her own fantasies to create magical installations. Since 1999, Hassenfeld has used paper, the most ordinary of materials, to create ornate, obsessively detailed objects that reference luxury goods, classical architecture, and decorative arts. Described by Hassenfeld as "dreams on the edge of vanishing," her ethereal sculptures explore her own fantasies of abundance and plenty. Once again, like Mastrovito, Hassenfeld focuses on her ability to achieve precision to an all new level as her work continues to magnify every inch the perfectionist that she is. A prime example of this work is ‘Dans la Lune’ in which Hassenfeld creates radical shifts of scale to create the illusion of a ‘fairytale’ setting. I believe this piece is supposed to have been developed on the basis of honeycomb forms yet I find it looking like chandeliers which have been plucked straight out of a children’s mythical novel. I like how Hassenfeld concentrates solely on the one thing and adapts it and pushes the boundaries of that particular media to accomplish something unexpected. I also like the decorative appeal this has, as I could imagine it in an extravagant home as a show piece due to the architectural aspects this installation holds with geometric shapes along with gentle curves. To me, the thought process was mythical and possibly made to recreate a dream like scene the artist once had as the sheer velocity of the piece is enough to suggest that it was from a fairy-tale. They also seem to look like they are evolving, which could imply transformation within the artist as she discovers differing techniques as she describes this type of craft as ‘escapism’. Personally, I like the way the artist can evoke an emotion through her play on space, by creating something which is usually seen to be small, much larger to create the effect that we are stepping into an enchanted realm. The interpretation of space is also a factor of exploration that I hope to take further into upcoming projects, and again translate ideas into an altogether new outcome.

 

Michelle Brand



Michelle Brand is a Manchester based designer whose work always reflects her concern for environmental problems. She is also the recipient of the Gold Award in the Environmental section of British Female Inventors and Innovators Awards 2007 as her designs extend the aesthetic life of a mass-produced object by giving it a second use. In addition this body of work highlights society’s throw-away culture and the need to provide additional resources for recycling within our cities. Every bottle base in her designs represents a bottle that has been creatively diverted away from landfill and therefore frees up environmental space, by reusing material that would otherwise be disregarded. This artist looks at the space in an all new light, and this is what I am focusing on rather than purely the artist’s eco-friendly designs. Brand uses the end of plastic bottles to recreate aesthetically stunning as well as economically beneficial artworks such as a wedding dress made from bottle ends, as well as cascade lamps, and ‘flowerfalls’ which can be used as room dividers or window hangings again reiterating the ability to invade space with craft abilities but with the use of eco-friendly resources. The translucent bottle bottoms are intricately connected by string in complex geometric patterns that allow ambient light, as well as the bulb's own glow to pass through. Her cascading light chandeliers epitomize this process well by creating an iconic and dramatic focal point within any interior or infact exterior, as any cascade would look mesmerizing hanging from a large tree which would be symbolical in my eyes to the mode of recycling as one thing can stem into many more once disregarded. The bottle ends depict flower petals so effortlessly but from a distance, it is hard to believe that is what the chandelier is made from and the difficulty to tell which material the creation is made from almost draws the viewer in closer, and greatens the appreciation of the craft once realized. Overall, I feel that the ability this artist has to choosing a material, then manipulating it to create something almost unrecognizable is inspiring to me, and opens up the way I choose and see materials. As this is the final craft artist I am looking at, and this one differs slightly from the others, I decided to research what craft is actually defined as and found that it is all about the making of objects and the infinite possibilities that are born with materials and the process they go through in order to manufacture something extraordinary and in saying this, I feel that this artist excels on this front by inspiring others that something used in everyday life, and disregarded again can be transformed.