Sparkling Wit

There are other glitter painters in the world...all of them operating on the same principles that we explored in elementary school--sprinkling glitter into pools of glue.  Then Claire Joyce-Johnson came onto the scene.  The glitter painting world will divide itself into two eras: BC (Before Claire) and AC.  Her solo debut will be unveiled tomorrow at Atlanta's Fay Gold Gallery.  Did I mention that I married her last year?

To commemorate the occasion, Felicia Feaster wrote a fantastic article in today's edition of Creative Loafing. 

Glitter is also Joyce's preferred medium, one she has wrestled away from its lowbrow, crafty riggings and invested it with wit, meaning and a virtuosity that allows her to render a cherry-blossom branch or a leopard-striped pillow with a remarkable photo-realist veracity.

I've written about her work in Extreme Craft before.  Her graduate thesis show (which was only last year) was a paragon of ambition.  The triptych of 8-foot by 4-foot panels that made up that show took a solid 9 months of work.  The new show, which has to be seen to be believed, consists of 7 works as large as 4 feet by 6 feet that took nearly a year of backbreaking labor.  The Creative Loafing article references the sand mandalas that Tibetan monks make, and I can't think of a better comparison for the detail, labor, and process involved in Claire's work.  The show opens at Atlanta's Fay Gold Gallery on Friday, April 20th (4:20, y'all!).  The reception will be held on Friday from 6-8 p.m.

LINK to Creative Loafing article

Comments

[Lillian]

Awesome! I can't wait!

[ygg]

Ok. I've been reading the article and your post on the subject, but like many craft, art, or related items, I'm struggling to understand the HOW.

The artworks are gorgeous, and if were anywhere near Atlanta I'd definitely go see them in person. But my question: are the works comprised entirely of glitter? It would seem so - as opposed to glitter over paint or another medium - which is all the more remarkable indeed. It also makes me curious as to how the gradations in color are achieved, though that could easily be partly ignorance on my part as to how many colors of glitter exist.

For me personally, a work that makes me wish I could scrutinize it with a magnifying glass is a pinnacle, so congratulations to your wife all around :)

[Garth]

I soooooo wish you could see them in person. I've watched Claire make this work for two years now, and I'm still as baffled as ever. It's all skill. There's nothing more than glue--she puts down a pretty good glob of it, mostly directly from the glue bottle, but sometimes with the aid of a tiny brush. Then, she sprinkles the glitter on top of the glue and gives it a little pat to embed the glitter. The gradations in tone totally blow my mind. She's able to sit and patiently make the gradations by sprinkling the different colors....it's like microscopic pointillism. Claire's kind of a genius with color theory, and knows just what glitters to combine to make colors--most of the colors have to be mixed. Totally mind-boggling.

[ygg]

sweet fancy moses on buttered toast.

that's really amazing, and my suggestion for her birthday present is a massage chair.

[sappmama]

I have seen some shit in my day. But I ain't never seen nothing like your wife's work. I mean, she is a serious badass. I hope her work shows all over the world because it is truly, truly spectacular.

[Ashley]

Are there available for purchase?

veronicamars911@yahoo.com

[Garth]

The pieces in the current show are all for sale via Fay Gold Gallery. Their contact info is:

http://faygoldgallery.com/gallery.info.php

Thank you all for the great response. I'm a lucky, lucky man.

[kate]

everything looks fantastic! have a great opening!!!

[dean jordan]

i know some grrrls in the st. pete area that have a saying you might be interested in..." a grrrl without glitter, is a grrrl without hope..."

Beautiful!