Cathy McClure

As a multi-media artist with a strong background in metal design, I am seduced by the limitless potential of silver, copper, and stainless steel. My enthusiasm for the techniques and traditions of metalsmithing is rivaled only by a wild preoccupation with mechanical toys and the discrepancy between the public’s perception of an imagined techno-future and that future that we now inhabit. Exposure to the illusory magic of the zoetrope has had a significant influence on the evolution of my work. My zoetropic works are based on the two-dimensional toy, Wheel of Life, which, during the Victorian era, was marketed in the U.S. by Milton Bradley. These installations intend to mesmerize and enchant the viewer through optical illusion and sound; possessed silhouettes in flickering shadow figure prominently in these kinetic compositions, juxtaposing merriment and exhilaration with apprehension and bewilderment. The cast of solid inflexible characters engaged in repetitive motions, conjure dreamy cinematic operations and allude to a modern life characterized by escapism, frenzy, and consumption. This carnivalesque world illuminates social disparities – studies in deviance and spectacle that reflect the dynamics of attraction and repulsion. The juxtaposition of humor and charm with iconic memory and craftsmanship lures viewers into a playful state where magic is encouraged to linger. In 2003, I co-founded SID, Inc. (Sound Industrial Design). Using the plush toy as a metaphor, SID created installations and videos highlighting the societal penchant for over-consumption and over-production. The deconstruction of a grossly abundant supply of forgotten toys revealed not only the function of minute inner mechanisms, but also the unseen beauty of design and alternate personas. My recent work takes this body of work further, placing the idea of disposable multiple objects against the allure of the one-of-a-kind. Fascinated by the fleeting value placed on low-priced multiple objects farmed out of factories in record numbers, I take unstuffed, discarded, mechanical rejects and introduce new identities. The underlying plastic object embodies more potential for my imagination than the stuffed object layered with intricate marketing identities. It is these unstuffed plastic oddities that I reinvent in sterling silver. This contrast between the discarded forgotten object and the cherished precious one underscores societal contradictions and reintroduces us to the magical quality of flipping frogs, drumming monkeys, and slowly turning carousels.

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