The 2018 International Polymer Clay Awards were announced March 14, 2019 via facebook live. The entries were judges by Georg Dinkel, John McKinnon, Lena Vigna and the active members of the International Polymer Clay Association.
Emerging Artist Members' Choice
Mixed Media: Dozen Rays, Cindy Gordon, United States
Nonfunctional Sculpture and Hanging Art: Fish Pod, Cindy Gordon, United States
Functional Containers: Wildling Bowl: Deep Sea, Christine Bergman, United States
Wearable Jewelry: Secret, Martina Buriánová, Czech Republic
Emerging Artist Jurors’ Choice
Mixed Media: Whale, Cindy Gordon, United States
Nonfunctional Sculpture and Hanging Art: TIE: Fish Pod, Cindy Gordon, United States and Prisoned Spirit, Elissa Hishawaka, United States
Functional Containers: Wildling Bowl: Deep Sea, Christine Bergman, United States
Wearable Jewelry: Deep in the Sea, Martina Buriánová, Czech Republic
Applicant Artist Members’ Choice
Mixed Media: Wedgewood Wave, Donna Greenberg, United States
Nonfunctional Sculpture and Hanging Art: Inspiration, Claire Fairweather, New Zealand
Functional Containers: Autumn Box, Sarah Machtey, United States
Wearable Jewelry: Britannia Brooch, Christine Dumont, France
Applicant Artist Jurors’ Choice
Mixed Media: Wedgewood Wave, Donna Greenberg, United States
Nonfunctional Sculpture and Hanging Art: Embedded Heart, Laurie Mika, United States
Functional Containers: TIE Black Forest Reliquary, Susan Detwiler, United States and Para Vessel, Margaret Polcawich, United States
Wearable Jewelry: TIE Britannia Brooch, Christine Dumont, France and Crazy Quilt Ensemble, Linda Leach, United States
Best of Show
Members’ Choice: Mardi Gras, Laura Tabakman, United States
Best of Show Jurors’ Choice: Mardi Gras, Laura Tabakman, United States
Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to everyone who participated! Our polymer community is vast and incredibly talented. Give yourselves a hand!
The International Polymer Clay Association is honored to introduce you to our jurors for the 2018 International Polymer Clay Awards: Lena Vigna, John McKinnon and Georg Dinkel!
Lena Vigna is currently Curator of Exhibitions at the Racine Art Museum, where she oversees the production and implementation of 10-15 exhibitions per year, Lena Vigna has a particular interest in the contemporary fields of adornment, sculpture, fiber, and installation. She has curated numerous solo and group exhibitions and written several essays that explore issues relevant to contemporary art and society.
John McKinnon is Executive Director of the Elmhurst Art Museum. He has over ten years of curatorial and administrative experience at major art institutions. He has introduced a number of new initiatives and projects at EAM including restorations and site-specific exhibitions in Mies van der Rohe’s McCormick House. Previously he was the Program Director for the Society for Contemporary Art at the Art Institute of Chicago. From 2007 to 2010, McKinnon was the Assistant Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Milwaukee Art Museum. He has independently curated exhibitions at a variety of nonprofit spaces and written for publications such as Artforum, Art Papers, XTRA, and Flash Art.
Georg Dinkel is a polymer clay artist and professional photographer living in Franconia, Germany. He is known for his unique PMC work including big shrines for digital devices and medieval inspired sculptures.
This year’s theme was “To Boldly Go.” There were 28 competitors from 11 countries. The juror and members' choice winners will be announced on August 16 at the Synergy4 closing banquet. The winners will be posted here shortly thereafter.
Dozen rays wall hanging sculpture, hand sculpted hand painted, mounted on a wooden base.
Ellen Prophater: United States
Mixed media…..the more mixed, the merrier. This piece mixes silver, polymer mokume, glass, crystals and artists.
Collaboration with another artist is adding a new dimension to my work. I have always loved mixing a plethora of materials to accomplish my mokume, but working with Sherry Moser has added a whole new level of possibilities. Knowing Sherry and her kaleidoscopes and dichroic glass creations has led to a synchronism of our aesthetics. We start to create and then come together to see how our beginnings can meld into a combined thing of beauty. On this occasion, a shard of black glass revealed its true color of underlying green shades that led to color mixing experiments. These led to the color variances of the layers of mokume, with the glint of silver leading to a call for the sparkle of Swarovskis and the embrace of a silver bezel. Ideas lead to drawings in a true collaborative fashion, that lead to a partnership that is solidified in this exquisite piece, “Reversal of Shards — A Union”.
This piece is bezeled in roller printed silver that holds the piece of Bullseye glass that has been set with tiny Swarovski crystals. The glass is surrounded by polymer mokume that is the result of layering tinted translucent clay that was skinner blended and stacked with composite silver. The crackled silver repeats the sparkle of the crystals. The translucency of the clay melds with the shading of the glass and repeats its depth. The piece is 44mm wide, 56mm long and 24mm deep. It is on a 1.5mm round omega 18” sterling silver cable.
Cindy Gordon: United States
Polymer clay whale, hand sculpted and painted, with a concrete base, and hand folded paper boat.