cnc mokume-gane video

 

Here is a video about the CNC Mokume-Gane I made this summer.

cnc mokume gane

Earlier this summer I was asked to do a job for Nicole Jacquard. She had James Viste create a couple of mokume-gane billets for her so that she could CNC cut a pattern into the billet and then have him flatten the sheet to make a larger patterned sheet. I believe her goal is to smith a creamer or some kind of container out of it. 

It's really cool to think about mixing digital techniques with the ancient technique of mokume-gane. i was all onboard for this, as it's right up my alley of combining old and new in the hopes of reinvigorating the old or at least building upon the traditions that form the foundation for a specific area of study.

Nicole had previously tried a different machine shop with a different combination of metals, but James was not happy with the result due to the machining done by the machine shop. Nicole asked if it was something I thought I could do on my Tormach and so she sent me some billets and I ran a few tests for her in HDPE before cutting the real deal.  I was able to bang the job out in a couple days. It honestly took more time to make sure the result was what Nicole wanted and to set-up the billets on the machine, then it did to cut them. I was really pleased with the finished result. I sent the billets to James for him to take over.

James sent me the last two images as he was flattening things out. I'm anxious to see the finished piece made from these two sheets of material.

 

dan neville

I just received this exhibition card from Dan Neville. If you're not aware of Dan then you need to follow him on Instagram. I have so much respect for Dan's work and I love the in-depth investigation into material and process. His practice reminds me of the practice within the Metalsmithing field that got me hooked on creating; a practice that involves knowledge and research that pushes the field of metalsmithing forward through discovery and mastery. His work builds off those individuals who you can find oral histories from on the Archives of American Art; people like Brent Kington, Fred Fenster, Gary Griffin, Arline Fisch, and many others. Seth Gould is a current contemporary Metalsmithing practitioner that I would compare him to (by the way Seth is killing it with his recent locks). He is someone you need to watch out for, becuuse he has the work ethic and drive to do monumental things. I have to admit that I have never spoken directly to Dan, but I encountered him and his work when I went to SIU Carbondale when I went to the Metals Conference there last year. It was so great to get this card in the mail and to see what Dan has been up to. I bet his show is amazing!

Dan Neville Artist Statement: 

The idea of service has become a key concept to my understanding of craft and design, therefore creating objects with purpose or function is satisfying to me. Through the format of the vessel, I am able to achieve this concept and at the same time invoke a greater meaning in my work. Manipulation of pattern commonly found in industry has been a recent interest to me and can be seen throughout my work. Strong attention to handwork and detail aid me to produce a clean uninterrupted piece. 

Biography:

Dan Neville received his BFA in Metalsmithing at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. Dan is currently a graduate student at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, and has taught numerous classes and workshops about forming and alloying metal. In the summer of 2014, Dan taught a semester-long class at SIUC with an emphasis on mokume gane and pattern development. This past summer he taught this workshop again at the Steneby School in Dals Longed, Sweden. Dan is currently focusing on creating his thesis exhibition and working for blacksmith Rick Smith.