Member Interview: Erin Austin

1. Tell us a bit about yourself

I currently live in Eureka, CA with my husband, two cats and a dog, in a cute little house that has the beginnings of a wonderful garden. I started working with metal about 5 years ago while attending Humboldt State University. I entered as a Botany student and in one semester added Studio Art as my second major. Never did finish that Botany degree, but that's another story. I guess I always new my passion was with the arts, but it wasn't until I started working in jewelry that I had the courage to make art my path. Frankly, I'm not sure how I ever lived without metalsmithing in my life. There is something powerful and empowering about transforming a glimmer of an idea captured in a sketch into a three dimension form from a piece of sheet metal.

2. Describe your work in one sentence

The organic meets the inorganic.

3. What pieces are you most proud of?

The pieces I'm most proud of are a series of fold formed rings created for the Ring A Week challenge that were inspired by the art of origami. I really enjoyed pairing the precise nature of origami with the imprecise nature of fold forming.

4. What are you favorite materials to work with?

Right now I'm really enjoying working with mixed metals. If I had to choose, I would say copper is my favorite material because I love to experiment and copper is very forgiving.

5. What direction do you see your work going in?

I think my work is moving toward larger more complex forms that continue to deal with nature and repetition.

6. Who or what is your biggest artistic influence?

Nature and science are my biggest influences. Observing the world around me and understanding how things work is what inspired me to study the sciences and is directly related to metalsmithing in the problem solving and attention to detail that the field requires. The artist that has most influenced my work in Alexander Calder. His kinetic sculptures, wire forms, monumental sculptures and of course his jewelry, have always seemed to me to be the epitome of the observation and translation of the natural world. His hand had the uncanny ability of bringing warmth and life to something cold and lifeless.

7. If you could have your work critiqued by another artist who would it be and why?

I guess I would have to choose Calder for this one. So sad that it will never happen.

8. What is the best advice you've ever been given?

I was once told that perfection is an unrealistic goal. The statement really forced me to evaluate how I view myself and my work. What I took from it was that while there is nothing wrong with striving to improve ones skills, at a certain point it becomes self defeating. There is definitely something to be said for releasing control and enjoying the process of creating and living.

9. If you could add one tool to your collection what would it be?

I go back and forth on this all the time. My wish list is about a mile long! A rolling mill is certainly in the top three.

10. What do you listen to in the studio?

Usually I just listen to the radio or work in silence, but for the last few weeks I've been rocking some Imogen Heap.

11. What is your most prized possession?

This is a tough one. I guess the 'things' that I value most are those that once belonged to others. A watch and a light meter from my grandfather, a pin and a ring from my grandmother, artwork and treasures collected by my mother, and a jar of golf tees, cigar bands, and other mementos collected by my father.

12. Do you collect anything? If so, do you display your collections?

Buttons! Displayed proudly and sorted by color in my collection of bottles.

13. How do you spend most of your free time?

I spend a lot of my free time on the computer reading about this and that. I am in awe whenever I sit back and think about the vast amount of information available at our fingertips. When I'm not online, and it's not raining, I love working in the garden.

14. What do you wish you were doing with your free time?
Traveling. There is so much to experience and time is so fleeting.

15. If you could change one thing about the world what would it be?

I think John Lennon said it best:

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too


16. Where can we see your work?

You can see my work online at:

erinaustin.etsy.com
metalmusing.blogspot.com
erinaustindesign.com

or if you are local you can stop in at these wonderful retailers:

Accident Gallery in Eureka
Essence of Humboldt in Arcata
Origin Design Lab in Eureka

I'm very happy to have 7 rings in the Ring A Day exhibition at Punch Gallery in downtown Seattle. The show features 365 rings by 65 artists and runs from May 5-29th.

I'll also be at the Humboldt Arts Festival with the NCMAG on May 14th and 15th in Arcata. Hope to see you there!