Today we’d like to introduce you to Corey Ackelmire.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I’ve been working with metal since I was 12. As a child, I collected rocks and, being a child, I wanted to carry my favorite things with me everywhere I went. The way to do that with rocks is to make them into jewelry, and once I handled the silver wire, I was sold. I was fortunate to have a grandfather who worked as a machinist and he mailed me a box of his old copper scraps and tools – that’s where my journey really began. From there, I earned my undergraduate degree in Jewelry and Metalsmithing from Missouri State University, and a Masters of Fine Art in Jewelry, Metals, and Enameling from Kent State University.
Please tell us about your art.
As a metalsmith, I am interested in the ways people, make, keep, alter and manipulate objects for emotional, superstitious and practical purposes. Recently my work investigates these ideas through manipulating pennies.
The penny is America’s most superstitious and least useful coin, bearing the image of perhaps the most beloved president; one whose ideals and achievements seem particularly relevant to the current political moment.
Altering currency for sentimental and artistic reasons has a long history, dating back at least to the convict tokens of the 18th century, which were made by prisoners sentenced to live out the remainder of their life in Australia; they would engrave messages onto the surface of a coin to leave behind with a loved one.
Throughout time, this tradition of altering currency has been ironically popular among some of the poorest groups of people because of the availability and workability of the metal. My contemporary explorations are studies in texture and mark-making. They are deliberately ambiguous, intended to play on the associations we already have about pennies.
Silver spoons, which I also frequently create, in many ways represent the opposite end of the metalsmithing spectrum from copper pennies. However, they are equally culturally significant and the process of using thick sheets and rods of sterling silver to laboriously forge flatware by hand similarly calls attention to the malleable qualities of metal as a material.
The unique nature of the hand-forging process means that no two pieces of flatware I make will be identical. This creates a liveliness that manufactured utensils cannot duplicate. My goal is to pay homage to the historic roots of handmade eating implements by making functional pieces, with a contemporary design aesthetic, using traditional methods.
The seeming opposition of common copper pennies and silver spoons embodies my principal fascination as a metalsmith: metal objects tend to be both durable and malleable, common and sacred, sentimental and mundane. Exploring their place in material culture is the focus of my work.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing artists today?
The biggest challenge for artists today is also the oldest challenge – supporting yourself in a sustainable way. The internet provides great avenues to reach potential audiences, but it can also create a saturated market.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
Currently, you can view my work on my website and on Instagram @coreyackelmiremetalwork.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.coreyackelmire.com
- Email: coreyackelmiremetalwork@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/coreyackelmiremetalwork/corey
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Artist/Corey-Ackelmire-Metalwork
Image Credit:
Corey Ackelmire
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