THE OPULENT OBJECT IN WOOD, METAL, & FIBER
October 2, 2011 — January 1, 2012
In 2011, MODA presented The Opulent Object in Wood, Metal, & Fiber, which included work by Jon Eric Riis, Richard Mafong, and Mike Harrison.
The artists used variety of materials to create pieces suited to a number of purposes, and they drew inspiration from a plethora of sources, including costumes from Qing Dynasty China and the simple interactions of organic forms.
We invite you to learn more about each artist and his process below.
About Jon Eric Riis
Jon Eric Riis uses the medium of tapestry to explore his interests and inspirations. His work builds on an age-old tapestry tradition that was practiced in antiquity in places as diverse as Egypt and Peru. Tapestry was also an important art form in Europe in the Middle Ages, when large tapestries were both practical and aesthetic, serving as insulating hangings, functional objects, and moveable interior decorations. In Asia, tapestry was used for small-scale accessories, functional objects, and fine apparel.
Riis’ work is influenced by icons and imperial ecclesiastical textiles from Russia and by imperial court costumes from the Qing Dynasty in China (1644 - 1911). Some of the work in featured in The Opulent Object was also inspired by a trip to the grasslands of easter Tibet taken by Riis in 2006.
The artist links his work to the ancestral textile tradition by using historical iconography and traditional techniques to articulate contemporary themes. Many of his pieces reference myths, beliefs, and ideals of past cultures; they express the sacred and the ceremonial through their imagery and through the use of luxurious and sensual materials such as gold thread, freshwater pearls, crystal, turquoise, and coral beads. In this way, Riis uses the tapestry genre to investigate issues of humanity, identity, and life.
Many of the tapestries in this exhibition referred to the universality of coats and to Buddhist religious vestments. These forms are intended as a reflection of our human condition, for clothing is our second skin and the coat can be interpreted as a container for all of humanity’s attributes, both positive and negative. Coats provide protection, warmth, and status; however, all is not as straightforward as it seems. Riis played with the displayed and hidden aspects of these coats, opposing the exterior and interior to surprise viewers with hidden meanings.
About Richard Mafong & Mike Harrison
Richard Mafong and Mike Harrison worked collaboratively to design and create the metal and metal-wood objects displayed in this exhibition.
Though these luxury objects were initially crafted from elemental materials, they received their opulence from the addition of gemstones, rare woods, gold, and silver. While Mafong and Harrison’s backgrounds are diverse, the two artists share a precise attention to detail that allowed them to work together successfully. They drew inspiration from artifacts from different cultural periods; natural forms; the essential characteristics of metal and wood; and the combination and juxtaposition of color, texture, wood forms, and patterns. Mafong is a Professor Emeritus of Jewelry and Metalsmithing at Georgia State University. His work has been shown extensively in museums throughout North America and abroad and is represented in many private, public, and institutional collections.
Harrison fabricates patterns for the cast-metal industry. He creates artworks made of wood or a combination of wood and other materials such as metal, plastic silicone, epoxy, and fiberglass. He uses these originals to form the molds for cast-metal products used in automotive, aerospace, and agricultural equipment.