Forge. I once visited Arcosanti, an experimental town in Arizona designed by architect Paolo Soleri. The highlight of my visit was attending an iron pour. A group of artists tipped molten bronze into forms to create the one-of-a-kind windbells for which Arcosanti is famous. The one I brought home now hangs in my porch. When the wind blows, it plays music that rings with strength. That sound, and the sturdy body of the bell that was once glowing-hot molten metal, are reminders to me of the transformative process of craft.
When putting together this issue on the theme Forge, we knew we had to include blacksmithing and jewelry, stories of artists who have forged new paths, and stories of people with the vision to create change. But this issue holds other surprises. Here you’ll discover a hip hop glass artist, Korean brassware called yugi, a zoologist turned jeweler who sources bones only from a seller with a permit from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, a veteran who transforms military uniforms into paper, a history of the ACC shows, and the story of a ceramic rooster that has become a symbol of resistance for the strong people of Ukraine.
This is an issue about people making their own way, transforming what they think needs to be transformed, and reimagining craft. We hope that it sparks new thinking and fortifies your spirit.
Karen Olson is editor in chief of American Craft.
A Cosanti Originals bronze windbell.
