Fall HAMMER-IN 2003
James Viste
For this meet we had something completely different. Our demonstrator for this Fall was James Viste from Detroit. He came highly recommended, and was featured, as the cover story, in "The Hammer's Blow" a few issues back.
James Viste was raised on a farm in Wisconsin and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin La Crosse, with an emphasis in metalsmithing. He continued his studies at The Cranbrook Academy of Art, in Bloomfield Hills, MI, earning a Master of Art in Metalsmithing. Currently James runs his own studio and is also the technician for the craft departments at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit.
His demo centered around surface pattern and texture. By forge welding pieces of steel to the surface of his work he created a texture that can best be described as granulation, a technique more often associated with jewelry. As part of his demo, James forged a vessel (which by the way was the subject of our "Forging Contest"), and then applied his "granulation" to the surface. He also discussed the technical background for applying this technique and give us some insight into his sense of design and aesthetics.
This was a very good weekend, and a chance to get some creative juices flowing. In the evening in the shop James helped everyone who was interested in trying what he had demoed in the day.
James Viste
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Demonstration piece |
Demonstration piece 2
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Pull |
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