REDEFINING A TRADITIONAL CRAFT: PRACTICES OF BLACKSMITHING IN THE ARTWORK OF TOM JOYCE PAOLA WARRENDER A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Fine Arts by Dissertation. DECLARATION I declare that this dissertation is my own unaided work. It is submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree of Master of Arts in Fine Arts at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. It has not been submitted before for any degree or examination at any other university. ----------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- (Paola Warrender) Date i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my supervisor, Professor Walter Oltmann, who has been a constant support and guide throughout my research. His own interest in craft-based approaches to making has greatly informed and broadened my own creative work and research. I would also like to thank Professor Jeremy Wafer and fellow students and lecturers at Wits University for their valuable input and advice during studio visits. My thanks also go to Professor Karel Nel for introducing me to the work of Tom Joyce. A huge thank you goes to the blacksmiths and learners at Vuka Design for their assistance in realising my sculptures: Duduzile Khumalo for enabling me on all levels as a person and in helping me to carry out this work; Joseph Mabesa for his blacksmithing skills and willingness to always assist with enthusiasm and commitment, even in performing a coat for the video recording; Blacksmiths Joseph Sibiya, Jonga Mpambo, Simon Sithole and Juda Moya who assisted with production. My thanks also go to the many learners who inspired me, made small hooks and bells and expanded my world to know so much more. Thank you also to photographer Brian Hitchings, graphic designer Marcel Buerkle and video-sound specialist Paul Carlos for recording my work and documenting process. Finally, I would like to thank my Family: My mother for her support with my young son Owen and for always believing in me; my father, brother and sister for their ongoing support; my helper at home, Nobesta, and finally my husband, Graham, and son Owen, who have stood by me all the way in completing this journey. ii ABSTRACT In this study I focus on the creative practice of American artist Tom Joyce and examine how his work can be seen to redefine the traditional craft of blacksmithing. Joyce uses traditional and contemporary blacksmithing techniques to form contemporary sculptures as well as functional items such as custom made architectural and lighting fixtures, vessels, and furniture. He thus brings together fine arts and traditional craft practices in bridging the categories of fine art, craft and design. Through appropriate design, the recycling of selected metal materials and community involvement he creates social awareness around environmental issues as well as highlighting cultural craft practices. The imparting of metalsmithing skills that Joyce has been involved in through teaching groups and individuals by way of apprenticeships and workshops is of particular interest to my own artistic blacksmithing practice. As a maker of forged sculptural works, I have over the last ten years used my work and experience of blacksmithing in facilitating life skills training for South African children and youth, recognizing the value in passing on such skills and experience. The primary aim of my research is to examine how the adoption of a traditional craft practice such as blacksmithing into the realm of fine art may be shown to provide a tool to invigorate sculpture within social and educational contexts. In my research, I draw mainly on writings in the fields of anthropology and craft theory. Texts by anthropologists Tim Ingold, Alfred Gell, Mircea Eliade and Charles M. Keller and Janet Dixon Keller are consulted in my examination of the craft of blacksmithing as an “essential alchemy of art” (Gell in Adamson (ed.), 2010: 464) in which materials and the ideas associated with such materials are used and transformed. Looking at the craft and mythological significance of metalsmithing in relation to Joyce’s creative practice, I go on to consider the potentially transformative experience that the development of metalsmithing craft skills can entail. Writings on contemporary craft by Glenn Adamson, Howard Risatti, Bruce Metcalf and others are brought into my discussion to further elucidate on the value of craft-based work. I finally outline my own creative work produced for this degree in relation to the above. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION .......................................................................................................................................... i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................................... ii ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................................... iii TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................................................. iv List of Illustrations ................................................................................................................................... v Introduction: Tom Joyce: artist-blacksmith ........................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1: The craft and mythological significance of metalsmithing ................................................ 23 Chapter 2: Tom Joyce’s studio craft practice and the imparting of metalsmithing skills. ................... 41 Chapter 3: Learning the skills of metalsmithing .................................................................................. 56 Chapter 4: Coats: Garment sculptures and assembled drawings ........................................................ 74 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 96 Bibliography ........................................................................................................................................ 100 iv List of Illustrations Figure 1: Joyce, K. (1997) Assembling the Rio Grande Gates. [electronic print] Available at: http://www.craftinamerica.org/ artists/tom-joyce/ From Craftinamerica.org. From Craftinamerica.org [Accessed 9 Jan 2015]………….2 Figure 2: Swansen, E. (2014). Tom Joyce studio outside of Santa Fe. [electronic print] Available at: https://touchingtheshutter.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/joyce-50.jpg From Eric Swansen’s touching the shutter [Accessed 9 Jan 2015} .......................................................................................................... 7 Figure 3: Long, M. (2003). View of forging area in Tom Joyce's workshop. [electronic print] Available at: (http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nenam/tom-joyce.htm From Ganoksin.com [Accessed 12 March 2014] ............................................................................................................................................ 9 Figure 4: Warrender, P. 2012, Vuka Design burglar bars at Norah’s Educare Centre, Daveyton, JHB.[Photograph] .................................................................................................................................. 11 Figure 5: Warrender,P. 2009, Vuka Design Gate at St Vincent School for the Deaf, Melrose, JHB.[Photograph] .................................................................................................................................. 11 Figure 6: Warrender,P. 2013, Vuka Design forge demonstration and learner work, Mayibuye Primary School, Tembisa, JHB.[photographs] .................................................................................................... 12 Figure 7: Warrender, P. 2014, Vuka Design 2014 Learners work.[photographs] ................................. 12 Figure 8: Merrick, N. (1999). Tom Joyce Baptismal font with detail, Santa Maria de la Paz Catholic Community, Santa Fe, New Mexico [electronic print] Available at: http://www.anvilmag.com/smith/910d4.htm. From Anvilmag.com [Accessed 9 Jan 2015] ............... 16 Figure 9: TL Magazine. (2010) Tom Joyce, Installation of seven two-to-one benches outside of the Museum of Art and Design, New York. [electronic print] Available at: http://blog.tlmagazine.be/wp- content/uploads/2015/02/16.jpg From Tlmagazine.be [Accessed 4 March 2015] .............................. 16 Figure 10: John Michael Kohler Arts Center Arts/Industry Program, (2002). Skewed Visica: Ash to Ash, 2002 .Cast iron, ash, sand, soil. Largest: 203 mm x 230 mm/ 50 mm x 203 mm [electronic print] Available at: http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nenam/tom-joyce.htm. From Ganoskin.com. [Accessed 9 Jan 2015]. .......................................................................................................................... 21 Figure 11: Joyce, T. (1998) Tom Joyce's slide lecture "Life Force at the Anvil: The Blacksmiths Art from Africa" Iron smelting furnaces from Africa with wooden belows. [Online] ArtMetal & Tom Joyce. Available at: http://www.artmetal.com/project/Features/Africa/page1.htm [Accessed 9 Dec 2013] 26 Figure 12: Warrender, P. (2008). Forge with bellows, Botswana. [Photograph] .................................. 29 Figure 13: Berkovitch, E. (2005). Bloom