Artisans in Focus - a list by Chris

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A close-up look at working artisans today.

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Viewing 1-8 of 8 Items

Hokanson Luxury Carpets

First to recommend

Description

It may sound like characters from the latest action-adventure film, but we’re actually talking about the staff of the Hokanson custom carpet factory in Waterloo, Canada. Founded in 1992, it is one of only two privately-owned, major factories in North America devoted solely to manufacturing custom rugs and carpets. It is owned by Texas-based Larry Hokanson and managed by Maureen Catherwood. Together, they insure the very best in quality, production time and shipping. With the factory being in North America, staff and clients are always welcome to visit to experience the custom rug industry.
Highly trained craftspeople bring their exceptional skills and knowledge to this 27,000 square foot world class facility. There is an on-site dye house and dye master with an exacting eye to provide expert color matching. State-of-the-art technology allows the marking department to take color renderings for each rug and superimpose the full scale design to the cotton backing. Hokanson’s hand tufters, or “gunners”, skillfully hand gun row after row of silk and wool yarn to create the rugs. They go through an extensive apprenticeship program and after 7 years become master tufters creating breathtaking works of art. The final step in creating a Hokanson rug involves the finishers. They meticulously hand-shear, clip and at times carve the rug for a look of perfection. Hokanson’s factory employees come from all over the world, and have helped develop cutting-edge techniques in the hand tufted industry. Hokanson has built their quality process on each individual employee taking personal interest and pride in every rug and carpet they create.
The work ethic of this team, and the dedicated sales staff and artists in their showrooms across the United States, ensures the continued excellence and lasting beauty of all Hokanson rugs and carpets. (via Elements of Living)

Updated May 26, 2006

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Dante Marioni Glass

First to recommend

Description

Second-generation Italian-American glassblower Dante Marioni mines the Venetian obsession with Roman shapes, making pitchers, amphorae and other Bacchanalian vessels in luxurious, arresting colors. The languid duet of pitcher and handled goblet displays the <i>filo</i> technique, in which a vessel is rimmed with a single glass thread of contrasting color. The idea for Marioni’s Cup Box, on the opposite page, came from the cardboard boxes of the same dimension (two feet high by one foot square) where he discarded the Venetian goblets he made for play and practice. One morning in 1997 he had the notion to place the goblets in a Plexi-glas box and use it as an end table. After his baby learned to walk, he sold it to a collector. (via Elements of Living)

Updated Apr 11, 2006

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Sonja Blomdahl Glass

First to recommend

Description

Sonja Blomdahl uses the demanding <i>incalmo</i> (literally, “with calm”) technique, in which blown pieces of open-sided colored glass are joined and shaped, to produce banded vessels and roundels in euphoric color sequences. Her signature inclusion of narrow rings of clear glass adds movement to the brilliant color. (via Elements of Living)

Updated Apr 11, 2006

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James Mongrain

First to recommend

Description

James Mongrain tops cartoonishly beaded balusters with bowl shapes that recall lampshades, taxi-horns, trumpets, flutes, bubbles, saucers and laboratory glass. The blue-crystal goblets shown here are from his “Modern Venetians” series; he also makes stunning versions of the same shapes in opaque glass and saturated colors. (via Elements of Living)

Updated Apr 11, 2006

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Michael Davis Stained Glass

First to recommend

Description

Michael Davis’s vibrant orange-red vessel uses a variation on a Venetian patterning technique which he calls the “stained glass roll-up”: an unleaded panel of stained glass is heated and rolled onto a metal collar to be worked. (via Elements of Living)

Updated Apr 11, 2006

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K&K Forgeworks

First to recommend

Description

For Fergus Kinnel and Arnon Kartmazov, it only seemed natural that a business partnership could be formed from a love of metalwork, K&K Forgeworks. Specializing in custom steelwork products, from home-hardware to furniture, Portland, Oregon-based K&K Forgeworks has built a growing reputation for exquisite design and workmanship. The two blacksmiths' range of interests, techniques and objects is wide but their aesthetic is consistent. As Kartmazov puts it, "We like to combine the most modern techniques with things that have been around a long time. And we both like simplicity and achieving results with the fewest steps." (via Elements of Living)

Updated Apr 10, 2006

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Katie Love

First to recommend

Description

Near Woodstock, a town in upstate New York that is historically known as the center of hippie culture and personal freedom of expression, tile maker Katie Love sets up shop, creating each and every single piece by hand. (via Elements of Living)

Updated Apr 6, 2006

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Rodger Stevens

First to recommend

Description

Brooklyn-based Rodger Stevens's sculptures are delightful, almost Pop abtractions created entirely out of wire. His career began while working at Sotheby's, when an art specialist walked by one day and asked if she could purchase one of his wire sculptures sitting on his work desk. Soon after he pursued a full-time career out of making these sculptures, and in 1996 he got his big break with a Fifth Avenue window for Tiffany. Since then, he's done a wide range of store display work, including windows for Todd Oldham and wall installations for Yohji Yamamoto. Prices range from $200 for miniatures to $5000-$10,000 for the most intricate pieces. (via Elements of Living)

Updated Apr 6, 2006

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