Craft in America: FORGE 2

Pictured: Albery Paley

Credit: Courtesy of Mark Markley

See the work of metalsmiths who create powerful art — from delicate jewelry to monumental sculpture.

Craft in America, the Emmy-nominated and Peabody Award-winning series dedicated to exploring  craft in our nation, begins Season Five with FORGE, premiering on WXXI-TV Friday, October 25, 2013 at 10 p.m., and re-airs Sunday, October 27 at 2:30 p.m. Forging is an ancient method where metal is heated and reheated, strengthened and hammered into sinuous, extravagant curves. Through this mysterious process, featured artists, including Rochester's Albert Paley and his Park Avenue project, express their creativity and skill.

In May 2013, WXXI launched its production of Paley on Park Avenue: New York City. The six-part web-only series, shot in high-definition, gave web viewers a firsthand look at the creation of the 13 sculptures and the story behind them. To watch the webisodes, visit: wxxi.org/paleynyc

See a Preview:

Artists include:

Albert Paley, as he prepares for the most ambitious project of his fifty-year career: Paley on Park Avenue. Thirteen monumental sculptures will be on view on Park Avenue in New York City from June 17 - November 8, 2013. Amid the flying sparks and the red-hot steel, we witness Paley’s mastery of all the processes necessary to turn sheets of metal into seemingly weightless ribbons undulating twenty feet above the ground. Paley has pursued a career that has consistently challenged his abilities. “I have a very aggressive, assertive personality and it is made manifest through the materials”, Paley says. From fabricating art jewelry, to forging iron gates, to the creation of large-scale sculptures commissioned for public and private spaces worldwide, Albert Paley is now ranked among the most successful and prolific sculptors in America. 

Iraq war veteran Tom Pullinforged his life in the military, turning to the GI Bill to pursue training at the Corcoran College of Art + Design in Washington, DC. For Pullin, metal work is a healing path to exorcize the chaotic, confusing, horrifying experiences of war. Pullin works with instructor Davidé Preteand fellow veteran Jeremiah Hollandto combine ancient techniques of forging and casting with cutting edge 3-D printing technology. They create a metal skull, a haunting reminder of a young Iraqi girl whose grave was disturbed in a search for a downed Marine. Retired Brigadier General Nolen Bivens, nationally recognized champion of the Army Arts & Crafts program, emphasizes the importance of creativity in the military and the incalculable benefits of the arts to America’s warriors.

The craft of silversmithing in New England existed even before America’s most patriotic silversmith, Paul Revere, made his famous ride. Old Newbury Crafters in Amesbury, Massachusetts was one of the best at the time. Fourteen generations later, it is now in the capable hands of a young metal artist, Chloe Darke. She leads the company in hand forging extraordinary objects and declares “there’s a rebirth of craft for people in my generation who are interested in traditional ways of making things.” Retired silversmith Robert Lapham says Darke “is exactly what this company needs for the future.”