- Tom Joyce
Tom Joyce (b. 1956) is an American
blacksmith who utilizes contemporary and traditional design elements. He is considered to be one of the most innovative and prolific blacksmiths of his time.Fact|date=May 2008Early life and career
Joyce was born in
Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1956 and now lives inSanta Fe, New Mexico . His parents being a quilter and an amateur archaeologist, Joyce learned to work with his hands at an early age. He began working for printer and blacksmith Peter Wells at age 12, an apprenticeship that taught Joyce the basics of blacksmithing in order to repair the printing machines and tools. When Joyce expressed an interest in blacksmithing, Wells offered him the shop, including the surrounding land and a house for $27 a month rent. By the age of 16, Joyce pursued blacksmithing as a sole means to make a living. [Joyce, Tom. Interview. "Memory." Craft in America. PBS. June 2007.] His blacksmithing career began with repairing tools for farmers in his surrounding community. His education as a blacksmith came from this life experience and from his studies of iron work found in museums. Joyce would create replicas of museum pieces from forged iron. [Hillenkamp, Helmut. "/project/News/Hephaist/JoyceTom.html." Artmetal. 1995. 27 Feb. 2008 [http://www.artmetal.com/project/News/Hephaist/JoyceTom.html] ] After six years of experience in blacksmithing, he began to refer to himself as an artist.Works
Towards the beginning of his career, Tom Joyce focused on architectural blacksmithing. Today his works also include vessels, sculpture, decorative hardware, furniture and special works done by commission. He has accumulated thousands of pieces in his portfolio.Fact|date=May 2008 Joyce often speaks of the history of his materials, and the history of the blacksmithing craft. In each piece he claims to recognize that his materials are the result of recycling, that they retain properties of prior usage. As Joyce explains, "While contemporary in design, much of my work carries with it some form of historical reference which may not be apparent at first glance, but offers additional depth with which to read meaning into a piece" [Andrews, Jack. New Edge of the Anvil. Drexel Hill, PA: SkipJack Press, Inc, 1994.] .
His
baptismal font at Santa Maria de la Paz Catholic Community andRio Grande gates, several of his well-known pieces, are examples of how he brings meaning to his work through recycled iron. When designing the baptismal font, he asked members of the congregation to donate scraps of steel from an object of meaning to them, and each piece wasforged into the final work. In the case of the Rio Grande gates, steel scrap was gathered from the river and forged into squares that adorn the gates [Joyce, Tom. Interview. "Memory." Craft in America. PBS. June 2007.] .He continues to work on commissions, take in apprentices, and teach at American schools as well as institutions in other countries. He characterizes his approach to teaching as catering to the individual voices and curiosities of his students. [Fields, Barry. "A Portrait of the Artist as Blacksmith." SanteFe.com. 1 Feb. 2007. 27 Feb. 2008 [http://santafe.com/Pages/507] .]
Recognition
Joyce was one of the 2003 recipients of the
MacArthur Foundation fellowship, nicknamed the "genius grant", which includes a $100,000.00 stipend. In response to receiving the honor, he was quoted as saying "But I’m a blacksmith". [Berkovitch , Ellen. "Studio Visit - Tom Joyce." Metalsmith 2004. 27 Feb. 2008 [http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nenam/tom-joyce.htm] .]References
External links
* [http://www.anvilmag.com/smith/007f4.htm Anvil Magazine's images]
* [http://www.anvilmag.com/smith/910d4.htm Interview with Anvil Magazine]
* [http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nenam/tom-joyce.htm Metalsmith Magazine Interview]
* [http://www.artmetal.com/project/News/Hephaist/JoyceTom.html ArtMetal Interview]
* [http://www.craftinamerica.org/artists_metal/story_335.php Joyce's feature in Craft In America, by PBS]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/14/arts/design/14berk.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1 Joyce in The New York Times]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ3kL2q8irM Tom Joyce discussion of his work in Youtube by New Mexico CultureNet]
* [http://santafe.com/Pages/507 Interview with Localflavor Magazine]
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