Sculptor/metalsmith
Kurt Madison infuses his
extensive education and unique
talent into Rings & Things'
customer service

By Melissa James
Rings & Things Staff

Unlike the one in Oz, this metal man has plenty of heart. Kurt Madison, resident Art Clay Silver expert at Rings & Things, has spent 25 years creating works that strikingly capture his affection for the arts. His pieces contain value beyond aesthetics; they are thought-provoking, unconventional and uniquely inspired. The Wisconsin native made his first piece of jewelry in 6th-grade art class, which influenced him to learn forging, raising and smithing in high school. Kurt's early fascination with metals would lead to a rich, diverse career in art. His chock-full resume includes:

His formal artistic studies began with a fine-arts degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, completed in 1976. His work there included metalsmithing, sculpture, drawing and lithography. He later studied philosophy at Chisholme Institute in Scotland, before earning a master's degree in sculpture from Tyler School of Art at Philadelphia's Temple University in 1987. Kurt didn't truly find his muse until a couple of years later, when he met artist Margot Casstevens. The pair wed in 1991 and went into business together, opening what is now known as Punctum Studios. "It has been a whirlwind of art, travel and family ever since," he said. Their studio and son have accompanied them around the country.

Art Clay Silver came into their studio in 2000, and both artists have created some well-known and even award-winning pieces with the material. In 2003, Kurt began working for Rings & Things after discussing metal clays with owner Russ Nobbs. He took on the role of getting customers started with ACS and answering their questions, both by phone and in the online discussion forum. That same year, Kurt became an official ACS master instructor. He now teaches workshops to help others gain various levels of ACS certification. He also leads courses in stained-glass creation and design, drawing, introduction to art, mold making and sculpture. While making art is his passion, Kurt also enjoys sharing his knowledge with other artists:

"I subscribe to the theory that too much information is not enough," he said. "I can go on [lecturing] for about 4 hours, off the cuff, without taking a break."

Philosophy and Inspiration

"Something that's not as prominent in North America is the contrast between old and new. In Istanbul, you can stand in one place and see a 1st century Roman aqueduct, a 9th century mosque, an 18th century palace and a 20th century skyscraper in one view," he said. "In Scotland, the character of age and contemporary mix is also fairly striking."

"I don't want you to think 'x.' I just want you to think. Once [people] have interacted with the work, they'll think something different."

He refers to this phenomenon as "the juxtaposition of tradition vs. innovation," and said he could see its influence in his sculpture, metalwork and garden work." Even the name of his modern studio is rooted in an ancient word. He came upon the Latin term "punctum" in a Roland Barthes book called Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography.

Figuratively, "punctum is what you will feel and remember about an art piece that you can't translate into words," said Kurt. Literally, it means to pierce, wound or touch. In the same sense, Punctum Studios aspires to make art that moves you.

Ideas are his favorite subject matter to portray. Kurt's work has an underlying ideological commentary but never an agenda.

"I don't want you to think 'x.' I just want you to think," he said. "Once [people] have interacted with the work, they'll think something different. They may hate the work, but they'll be moved." For this reason, keeping the idea/conceptual base is what Kurt identifies as the most important lesson he's learned as an artist.

"You need to find a way not to undercut your original inspiration; don't make it different just so you can afford it," he said.

Kurt's Creations

Another memorable piece is "Lost Memories," honorable mention winner in Art Clay Silver's "Fond Memories" 2003 Silver Accessories Contest. The pin successfully blends dichroic glass, porcelain and pearls with silver in Kurt's impressionistic interpretation of the film Blade Runner. It too displays a quotation, lifted from the end of the movie: "All of these moments will be lost in time like tears in the rain." It measures 4x4x0.75"."

Both "Found Object" and "Lost Memories" are in the spirit of the half-century-old art jewelry movement. Kurt has also made jewelry in collaboration with other designers. The stunning necklace shown below (which sold for a handsome sum last winter) was created alongside artist Chris Chorvat. It's composed of borosilicate glass and ACS 650 overlay paste, which Kurt says is especially compatible with glass.

Art Clay™ Silver

Kurt describes ACS as "extremely easy to improvise," providing "a broad way of working." He said he finds the high success rates exciting, and he stresses the art of experimentation, or as he calls it, "the experimentiverse." ACS offers countless possibilities, giving each artist the opportunity to take it in a new direction.

What's the most important thing to know when working with ACS? "Keeping the moisture balance," Kurt said. "Make deadly sure it's dry before you fire it!"

This silver-tongued artist answers all your ACS questions in his user-friendly discussion forum. He will help you over the phone (when he's not off creating somewhere!) at 1 (800) 366-2156, ext. 120. You can also call this number to arrange Art Clay seminars with Kurt; as a master instructor, he works well with both newcomers and veterans.