Artisan House will introduce 40 metal art sculptures at April's High Point show (IHFC Design Center, Space D208) including more than 30 wall pieces, one freestanding design, three tabletop items and five sculptures suitable for indoor and outdoor display.
"Many of the pieces in this season's Artisan House collection will reflect consumers' increasing interest in steel that has been brushed, ground or made shiny," says John Shilling, President. "Artisan House offers several items infused with color. It's great to have balance within the collection, and these new pieces will help us achieve that with their intriguing metal tones."
The average price point of new items in the collection will be 20 to 25 percent less than those in the firm's two previous introductions. "This will give buyers a wider range of price points from which to select," Shilling says. In addition, there will be no price increases on existing Artisan House pieces at the April High Point Market.
Second Kinetic Tabletop Sculpture Unveiled
New Artisan House metal artwork for the High Point Market includes a kinetic tabletop sculpture - the second in the firm's new series - entitled "Roll Call." By pushing or pulling one of the shiny red balls that act as counterweights, "Roll Call" becomes a movable feast for the eyes. The coiled section of tapered steel is brushed on one side and painted a gleaming candy apple red on the other. "When you touch 'Roll Call,' the rotating coil has the look of a candy cane," says head artist Shawn Coffey.
Wall Sculptures Worth Noting
A striking quartet of unique wall sculptures will offer prospective buyers additional contemporary eye candy. "Sterling River" is the first-ever collaborative creation by the in-house team at Artisan House's Burbank studio. "I'd started the piece, become frustrated with it and set it aside," Coffey says. "One of our material preparers added a really cool grind technique to it. Then, our warehouse manager borrowed my engraver to create the look of stark winter trees." The wavy horizontal pattern on the bottom third of the design resembles a winding river, while the wider grind above looks like wind blowing through the trees. The entire piece is made of brushed, ground and engraved steel, and has black, white and shiny silver tones.
"Strapped In" boasts a "deceptively simple design," Coffey says, "And simplicity can sometimes be a very good thing." The back portion of this contemporary wall sculpture is a flat plate of steel, painted in a flat white color. To add dimension and create a riveting optical illusion, the frontal element features five strips of wavy brushed raw steel, graduated in height from bottom to top. "When you're standing in front of this piece, it plays tricks with your eyes. You can't tell if the strips bow in or out."
Inspired by the creation of new life, two-piece "Sterling Journey" features a pair of half-moons made of raw steel that are ground to give each piece a shiny exterior. "This wall sculpture literally forces the colors out of a room and reflects them on its surface," Coffey says. The ball is attached to the left-hand piece, which allows the right-hand section to be arranged at varying angles for a more personalized display.
With a rounded ball as its conductor and six half-moons as members of a surreal symphony, Coffey says that "Synchronize" represents "an elusive conductor trying to gather the assembled pieces into some sort of harmonic order." The overlapping linear grind pattern on each raw steel half-moon results in intriguing surfaces that are both shiny and dark. "This technique was used to create a sense of movement, and to catch and reflect the light in a room," he adds.
Artisan House pieces are sold in home furnishing stores, art stores, outdoor furniture stores, and at billiards, pool and spa retailers. Commercial customers include major department stores like Nordstrom, restaurants, bars, hotels and casinos.
The firm's permanent showrooms are located in High Point (IHFC Design Center, Space D208) and Las Vegas (World Market Center, Space A-300). Artisan House has also exhibited at the Tokyo Furniture Market; Interiors Birmingham; Atlanta Gift Market; New York Art Expo Show; Maison et Objet; ASEAN Furniture Show (Singapore); IMM Cologne; Ambiente Frankfurt; Furnitex, Melbourne; and Interiors UAE (Dubai).
In November 2008, Artisan House announced its expansion into the European market. The firm is committed to having an international avenue for its product and being a leader in its field throughout Europe. To help assess, develop and implement the company's European market, Artisan House turned to John Breckman. Breckman has served as a fashion agent in the United Kingdom for over 40 years. He is working to build a network of EU sales agents and warehousing and distribution capabilities.
For additional information about Artisan House, contact the company at 800.354.6873; 336.889.3426 (High Point showroom); or artisanhouse.com.
About Artisan House, Inc.(r): Founded in 1964 by partners Jerry Fels and Kurt Freiler and headquartered in Burbank, California, Artisan House designs and crafts unique, fine-quality metal sculptures for wall, floor and tabletop. Sculptures are handcrafted of rich metals like copper, bronze, brass, steel, aluminum and chrome. Each piece is hand finished with intriguing surface treatments, paints and patinas. The company's vibrant, versatile designs have been recognized as multi-dimensional "metalworks of art." Artisan House has successfully closed the gap between pricey offerings from exclusive art galleries and mass-produced decorative pieces by creating original sculptures with unparalleled designs at affordable prices. The result infuses today's indoor and outdoor environments with dazzle and dimension.