Bali’s Jon Anderson has been slow to warm to the social network scene and just launched a new website and Facebook fan page. Hop right on over there to greet this prolific polymer artist and make him feel at home online.
You’ll recognize Jon’s richly cane-covered animal sculptures which are carried widely in US gallerys and have ended up in the collections of such notables as Carlos Santana, Dave Abbruzzese, and Bill Clinton.
Jon creates massive complex canes inspired by Moroccan images and limits his colors to his favorite palette.Though we’re familiar with Jon’s work, his reclusive nature has made him something of a mystery in the polymer community. (You may remember his custom guitar designs from an earlier PCD post.)
We’ve been waiting since last fall when Canadian polymer artist and textile expert Barb Alexander scheduled a tour of Jon’s studio for her group of Bali visitors. Jon and his wife, artist Skid More, were working then to prepare the site.
This copper bowl, made from scrap copper telephone wire hammered by local artisans and covered with Jon’s signature cane slices, is part of his most recent collection. Browse and enjoy.
Gina ,
amazing work. it reminds me of the detailed terrazzo work my grandfather did. i’ll definitely be following Jon’s facebook page, thanks for posting this.
Sonya's Polymer Creations ,
Fantastic work, Jon! Love the combination of the bowl and the lizard, not to mention the wonderful canework on both. Keep going!
Ronna Sarvas Weltman ,
Beautiful. A meander through his website was a fabulous way to start my day. Thank you for sharing this with us, Cynthia.
Anja ,
I’ve seen Mr. Anderson’s work at wholesale trade shows and it is lovely. I know it is customary to only post positive comments, but may I remind Mr. Anderson that polymer clay is a form of polyvinyl chloride – a fossil fuel based plastic. I find his website’s artist’s rant on our oil dependence a bit hypocritical considering he makes his livelihood selling items made in part from fossil fuels. It’s amazing he can live in Bali,one of the most “organic” places I’ve ever seen and choose to make plastic art. Let’s keep it real out there!
Jana ,
Yer killin’ me….this vessel is unbelievably beautiful! Thanks for featuring this, Cynthia..
Lorrene ,
Thanks for the post. I’ve admired his work for years. I have had clients of my pc work call and tell me the purchased a piece during their travels. They KNEW I would know of his work.
BTW you can feature his work a gazillion times …. never get tired seeing it.
Meisha ,
A Bali tour with Barb Alexander must be fantastic. I hope to join her for a tour someday. Thanks for sharing Cynthia.
Sheri L. Williamson ,
Anja, it’s not so much that your comment is negative as that it is an unjust and inaccurate attack on a single medium and all the artists who use it, not just Mr. Anderson. Traditional painting, sculpture, ceramics, and jewelry aren’t exactly “green,” either: stones, metals, and earthen clays have to be mined, many pigments are made from toxic minerals (mined) and/or synthesized from petroleum (so much for “keeping it real”), forests are leveled to produce wood for sculpting and pulp for paper, canvas and rag fibers come from plants raised using fertilizers, pesticides, and dwindling water resources, foundries and kilns burn huge amounts of fossil fuels, and toxic solvents and pigments pollute our air and water. Even computer art is made possible by fossil fuels and other non-renewable resources.
Travel, too, is a big user of fossil fuels: You might have burned more petroleum jetting around the world than the readers of Polymer Clay Daily have used in our artwork. You may not like “plastic” art, but making art from petroleum beats burning it, don’t you agree?
Anja ,
Hi Sheri – I’m sorry that the point of my post was unclear. I’m a polymer clay professional myself and it is 100% of my livlihood. My comments were not meant to criticize the medium of polymer clay or any art media. I was speaking to Mr. Anderson’s artist’s statement on his website. See direct quote below:
“The Oil Age will end, because we will run out of oil. With polymer clay, I create artifacts of mind, my visions and experience with other cultures, ethnobotanical art that will endure long after the oil has run out. Oil has vandalized this planet. I’m trying to do something that leaves behind a carbon footprint of beauty rather than destruction. And give my chosen medium the nobility it deserves.”
I thought it was a bit over the top considering the providence of polymer clay. But he is right on one point….”Vinyl is final” and his use of polymer clay as his chosed medium will last long after the oil runs out 🙂
Sheri L. Williamson ,
Yes, I understand what you were responding to, and I still think it was your response, not Jon’s statement, that was “over the top.” It certainly didn’t sound like the opinion of someone well informed about polymer, oil, or environmental issues in art. No artist or medium is immune to criticism on environmental grounds, and Jon’s artist statement indicates that he has given a great deal of thought to the issues of using a petroleum-based medium.
Penny B. ,
This piece is gorgeous!!
Dixie103 ,
Anderson’s work always leaves me in a stupor. He’s in a class by himself.
Abigail Smycken Handmade ,
Wow, the complexity is astonishing! I’ve known this artist for some time and I think it’s nice that more men work with this medium and do such amazing things.
Sarah at Hip Earth Designs ,
I love how he has a color palette he uses fondly for most of his work – I am pretty fond of certain colors and tend to use them a lot more than others, as well.
His website is definitely an inspirational treat – the sculptures are amazing!