Creative Casting

Creative Casting presented a survey of current casting work and illustrated a broad range of metal objects, offering insight into how the tradition of metalwork experienced a burst of creativity in the early 1960s. This innovation was spurred by artists' desire for direct involvement in large-scale metal casting. Although many jewelers were doing small-scale casting in their own studios, most large work had to be done in professional foundries and was expensive. Consequently, artists established personal studio foundries where they could work directly on a piece, rather than only creating a model that was ultimately produced in a commercial foundry. Most foundries were affiliated with university art departments, particularly UC Davis in northern California, but some artists developed their own facilities or cooperatives.

Creative Casting focused on experimentation in independent casting facilities, where new ideas could be explored more easily. The exhibition highlighted novel works by Harold Paris, who cast found elements into “pop” forms, and Nancy Glenn, who created wall sculptures from cast twigs. Renowned artists and jewelers, such as Julius Schmidt, Harry Bertoia, John Prip, Stanley Lechtzin, and Robert Winston, were also represented. Additionally, the exhibition included a section illustrating the casting process to give viewers a better understanding of the techniques involved and foster a deeper appreciation for the pieces created by the featured artists.

Curated by Paul J. Smith with museum staff.