This is a group show honoring the tradition of gathering around the table among friends and socially producing art for pleasure. It will feature multiple mosaic artists, metal sculptures, craft jewelry, knitted critters, crochet, cast paper, glass tableware and original lighting designs, all sourced from reused materials. We open this show on November 17th from 5-7pm and it will run through January 5th 2018.

“From the very grandest scale to the very minute, my artwork is a medley of recycled and discarded materials. I enjoy working alone, as well as collaborating amongst many! Gathering together with fellow artists has been a meeting ground of genuine support and swirling creativity. It has taken me out of my darkest moments, inspired me, and brought depth to my art, that left alone would not have arisen.”

Haideen Anderson works with a variety of materials in her sculptures but focuses mainly on paper-casting for mask-making and mild steel for nature and dream influenced sculptures. With both the masks and the metal, she is interested on exploring pairs of opposites and the healing potential in art.

The masks that she makes are from reused materials – paper grocery bags for the casting with the surface collaged on with out-of-date calendars, old magazines, cigarette packages, etc. Much of the metal she uses is also made from scraps. In a few sculptures this is obvious. They are constructed from car parts, door knobs, cake pans and other recognizable objects.

She is glad to be part of Reclaimed Room’s exhibit “for the LOVE of ART” with so many artists who are a part of the Art Nite gatherings. Making art is often such a solitary activity. Coming together, each person with their own project to work on, balances the lone time. Old friendships are strengthened and new ones are formed on Art Nite. The atmosphere is warm and supportive. Love of creativity is the unifying force.

Lauren Becker can occasionally be found at the yard (B R) sorting re-usable window glass and shelves for her work. The up cycling process involves cutting the glass to size and a kiln firing that softens the glass just enough to render it flexible. In this state it can be embossed with design from below, enhancing the aquatic virtues of glass and the natural aqua tint present in plate-glass. An extensive line of functional tableware with dishes, bowls and serving pieces has evolved in a wide variety of sizes. Currently working through a pile of glass display shelves from See’s Candy warehouse in Daly City, Recycled Glassworks has been diverting plate glass from Bay Area landfill since 1996. More info on her work can be found at recycledglassworks.com

 

“I am a self-taught jewelry designer and work with traditional and uncommon materials. Every collection is designed and hand-made be me one at a time. I work in a tiny art studio in the historic Dogpatch District near the central waterfront in San Francisco. I have been designing wire and glass jewelry since 2003. In 2010 I entered my first competition in the recycled category and won. The excitement of winning inspired me to explore more options of designing jewelry with broken, found or discarded trash.”

“It’s been almost a decade since the recycling design challenge. Since then I have rescued over 48 different waste items and made many pieces into reclaimed and wearable art. Some of these rescued items have included chop stick rests, retired traffic signal lenses, key hole covers, chandelier crystals, bullet casings, champagne boxes, calendars, credit card tape cores, buttons, quilter’s scraps and vintage spools..”

“I love sketching new ideas and discovering the value in what others may consider junk. Creating new jewelry from broken, found and discarded objects fulfills my current creative instinct. There is no such thing as away. When we throw anything away it must go somewhere.”

 

“When I rediscovered crochet in 2013 there was an ‘A-ha’ moment. I was bed ridden in post-trauma-recovery, and this act of crocheting was Good Medicine. It tickles both sides of my brain as the process blends the sensual aspects (texture, color, visual aesthetics) and thinky-thinky (math & structural engineering.) The first hook I used was MacGuyver’ed from a chopstick, duct tape and a paper clip. About 95% of my materials are secondhand scores. I enjoy experimenting with non-conventional materials and find great inspiration while Crafternooning with friends!”

 

Mike was drawn to shadows and light, natural forms, and dumpster diving at an early age. These influences are ever present in his work with lamps and light fixtures.

 

Angel Gurgovits has been a recycler her whole life.  She has worked at Building REsources for 13 years and counting, the last two years also curating the Reclaimed Room Gallery as well. She began to make mosaic art with Dana Albany back in 2010 and the advent of Art Nite was born. The duo was joined by others and they collaborated on many great projects together, including the Youth Educational Spacecraft which toured Maker’s Fair , Burning Man and Las Vegas in 2013.

“Learning how to mosaic really changed and enriched my life. I feel like I can recycle anything into something beautiful with just a little glass and glue. My favorite projects now also include functional light fixtures,  and each day I am inspired to make more!”

 

 

“I love knitting. Since I learned to knit in 1st grade (in Denmark), knitting has been a big part of my life. I can never just sit, must have needles in my hands. These creatures, composed of re-used materials, have been so much fun to make.”

 

“I think of mosaic as life! When life falls apart (and our dishes) we have the option to transform the results. We pick up the pieces and glue them back together, allowing the unlimited possibility of fun colors to reflect the beauty in our world.”

 

Pauline Tolman is a San Francisco artist best known for her large scale sculpture and architectural installations. She has achieved three major public commissions as well as a number of site specific commissions. She also enjoys figurative bronze work. During the pour for one such sculpture she was fascinated by the “splash,” the over pour of bronze into the surrounding sand. The very raw, primal forms created by this splash are the core and inspiration for the wall charms displayed here.

 

“All of us who are in this show have spent time at the table, collaborating on something together and enjoying each others company whilst doing so. We have formed a strong bond with one another and continue to work together as often as we can. It is with great pleasure that we present this show, for the LOVE of ART.”