O’Neal Jones “A Rising of Notes”
72" (L) x 24" (D) x 24" (H) Hard Maple, Bird's eye Maple, Ebony, Ushi unryu paper $6,930
A Tension of Opposites, though seeming to denote a conflict, finds mediation and harmony in A Rising of Notes. The definitive black ebony and the bright white paper, though never touching, are held up and framed by the maple to bind the opposites and define their mutual dependency on one another's differences. -O’Neal Jones
Douglas Bringle “Coming Through”
clay $262.50
My fish with a smaller fish swimming through a hole in its body contrasts both big and small and inner and outer. I wonder if there might be some deep dwelling unknown marine species that actually is inner tube- like, so that its young could pass in out of its central portal and take shelter there when danger is near. - Doug Bringle
Lucy Clark “Where the Water Meets”
clay $1233.75
Here is a tension that occurs when two bodies of water flow together. A stream into a river; a river into the sea. It is that chaos that can make us think we are either being swept away and swallowed whole or the realization that we have indeed become the sea. - Lucy Clark
Ann Harwell “The Moon”
fiber- 29” x 26” $1,186.50
The moon never shows us her whole self. She swings around us and presents the side she wants us to see. Only the Sun can appreciate her oppositional nature. - Ann Harwell
Rob Herion “The Big Little Ring Box”
wood
2.75 x 2.75 x 4
$ 131.25
I played with this question: How can a box be big and little at the same time? In this piece, I discovered one that starts outs big for a little box‌and grows into an even smaller box as the lid is opened. -Rob Herion
Mana Hewitt “The Divide Brooch”
jewelry- sterling silver $ 315.00
Sharron Parker “Treasure”
fiber $ 735.00
Rocks have always fascinated me, and I've used them for design inspiration. But integrating them into a soft piece of felt is something I've only tried recently, and I do love the way they play off each other. - Sharron Parker
Kathy King “Slinky Necklace”
jewelry-hand beaded $ 735.00
My piece, Slinky necklace, obviously inspired by a slinky, which is a toy that is compact when not in use but expands when played with. I enjoy making large pieces to wear but they are hard to travel with and store, so I was intrigued to make a larger necklace that was also compact. The Tension of Opposites applies to my piece in that it is compact but also expansive, small when stored but still a statement piece when worn. - Kathy King
Steven Summerville “Chaos and Order Bowls”
clay $ 126.00 each
• Order
In the Chaos bowl, I’ve discovered in personal meditation that in the heart of chaos is where order lives. Either might ebb and flow in strength however they do coexist.
For this Order bowl it needed to NOT be equally divided. I feel tension is not necessarily a bad issue between differing sides or energies. Many remarkable issues have their birth and resolution in that tension.
- Steven Summerville
Deborah Bryant “Tension of Opposites”
fiber $446.25
There is a sense of energy created when warm and cool colors flow together, much like our natural environment where I gather my inspiration. It seems to make the eyes jump around a bit in an exciting way. Consider sunset skies, the feathers of a Painted Bunting, a splashy summer flower garden. Nature is the master of this design, I just try to follow her lead. - Deborah Bryant
Jody Ochs “Flower Pendant”
jewelry-18kt green/red gold 2 cables included $1034.50
Seeking beauty to contrast human atrocities, both aberrational and incendiary. Fusing ‘imperial’ gold to the crevices carved into industrial, cold rolled steel, shaped to represent sublime nature. Heated, the hardened steel becomes malleable -- light from the precious gold is coaxed into the voids of natural and intentional beauty to make whole. -Jody Ochs
David Voorhees “Moon Light Jar”
clay $420.00
I start with form, then tension begins. As the work progress, I must puzzle the elements of choice as they unfold before me. Round/square, large/small, containment/escape. Resolution only comes as it exits the kiln. - David Voorhees
Emerald Estock “Sand-Swept Caprice”
mixed media $ 1890.00
I feel "Sand-swept Caprice", which was taken in Death Valley, represents the tension of opposites in many ways. There is the interplay of the bright sun with the dark shadows, as well as the sharp edges created by the ever-shifting soft sands. Shapes, texture, and light interplay in many places majestic and ordinary, and sometimes harsh environments yield sensual landscapes. -Emerald Estock
Barbara McFadyen “Ode to Night and Day” jewelry- sterling, freshwater pearl, black jade bead, black/onyx druzzy teardrop, enamel
$ 4987.50
Mary Gunyuzlu “Half Sisters”
clay $393.75
The famous Townley Greyhounds, a 1st or 2nd century Roman marble sculpture depicts two sensitive greyhounds “kissing.� In profile, this delicate dog breed makes an elegant, almost modern image. Across the breed they all look very much alike with the exception of their coats. Half Sisters are twin Italian greyhounds who sport completely different finishes. One is matte white, the other a highly-textured dark grey. Like two halves of a moon, or a yin-yang they are a tension as much as they are a pair. Like sisters, they have a natural, opposing tension, despite their common parentage. - Mary Gunyuzlu
Susan Webb Lee “Find the Path”
fiber- 27.5” x 25.75” $ 577.50
My intention for this quilt was to show the relationship between color wheel opposites, Blue and Orange. I chose to use mostly muted colors which contrast dramatically with the black. The abstract design, with some sharp edges, creates a bit of tension against the softer lines of the hand-quilted stitches. -Susan Webb Lee
Rob Helmkamp “Climbing the Wall 1” Wood- silver maple, walnut, mahogany
22” x 5” x 17” $ 813.75
“Climbing the Wall 3” Wood- silver maple, walnut, mahogany
24.5” x 6” x 27” $ 1023.75 “Climbing the Wall 2” Wood- silver maple, walnut, mahogany
26” x 7.5” x 21” $ 918.75
"The last few months have seen most of us climbing the walls: waiting, isolating, pushing forward, pulling back and hoping/dreading about what might happen next. The pieces I have made for this show are inspired by this tension... a combination of a refined, precisely-dimensioned style of woodworking jammed together and confronted with a slash & burn, natural edge undulation. The resulting clash between precise machining and Mother Nature produces a unique and beautiful balance. These shelves are my hope that we can achieve and embrace the balance that our world so desperately needs right now." Robb Helmkamp Climbing the Walls(helf)
Lori Warren “Untitled Necklace”
jewelry $ 1758.75
Combining a material that is deemed precious with an element that is regarded as worthless sets up the tension of opposites. The discarded steel objects take on a new sense of worth when integrated with the gold. -Lori Warren
Penny Truitt “Enclosure”
clay – slab construction with steel $ 1260.00
Ali Wieboldt “Cat and Mouse Game Necklace� jewelry- sterling, acrylic paint on deer antler, found stones
$315.00
There's always a tension between that lovely mouse being an adorable creature and being a pest that's prey for the household hunters. - Ali Wieboldt
Betti Pettinati Longinotti “A Coincidence of Opposites: By Day or Night�
glass $262.50
Within nature there is a coincidence of opposites: Night and day, mountains and sea, sunrise and sunset. These coincidences inspire my work in fused glass. - Betti Pettinati Longinotti
Lynne Sward “Relic”
mixed media $525.00
Glenna M Fleiner “Tree with Samaras”
jewelry – $ 945
Marina Bosetti “Remembrance�
clay tiles $ 735.00
Ian Herdell “Tryptic”
wood- redwood, mussel shell $ 2310.00
Thank you for virtually viewing our group exhibition Tension of Opposites. Annually, our craftsmen come together for a theme show and the focus this year was on opposite qualities such as (but not limited to) hard/soft, rough/smooth. dark/light, warm/cool, shiny/dull, sealed/porous, big/small and how that tension can create a certain mood, tactile experience and/or stylistic expression.
If you are interested in purchasing any of the artwork or want additional information – direct all inquiries to:
craftshop@piedmontcraftsmen.org or call the gallery at:
336.725.1516
The gallery & shop hours are limited, however, we are committed to remain open for sales to support our craftsmen and the guild. All photos by: Gretchen Siebert except O’Neal Jones wood cabinet