RECLAIMED

Sam Albrecht

ARTIST'S STATEMENT: 

I started in the Applied Arts at David Albrecht Inc. in Manhasset, NY. My parents custom upholstery and drapery studio gave importance to creating home environments, restoring furniture, upholstery and room decors.

Those early tactile experiences, feeling the textiles, the wood, and metal while producing upholstery in fine fabrics like chintz, silks, damasks, etc, are my core experiences. Applying those skills drives my creativity. At present I'm silk screening table fabrics, one-off upholstery projects and other textiles to produce the Denman Island Map Series.

Another area of creativity has been to produce a sound scape, manufacturing meditation and gathering bells from compressed gas cylinders. These steel bells honour the "waste not want not" rule, working with these previously manufactured finds and turning existing resources to new and useful focal points.

After 50 years of working with draperies, upholstery, and servicing home decor has moved me to understand and manufacture these stimulating products. I hope their use in everyday life brings those inner sensations to you.

The image above shows 2 of my sound scape bells along with their stands. Each bell has a hand made mallet with fabricated padded leather heads for striking. along with bone, wood, or metal for handles.

The 3rd item in the image shows a Denman Island image silk screened in white on black colored textile then upholstered a side sitting chair. 

                                                                       -Sam Albrecht

Wet felted poppies, copper and silk cotton necklace
and  felted silk lined purse - Cathy Albrecht

ARTIST'S STATEMENT:

Forty years ago while walking a city street I was amazed to find so many useful items curbside. This began my career as a recycling artist.

I realized very quickly that roadside treasures could be made beautiful once again. I started with furniture and wooden boxes, refurbishing them with discarded latex paint and vintage imagery.

My evolution has lead me to working in metal, aluminum from the window covering industry, and copper from roof flashings. I turn this medium into jewellery and sculpture.

I recently discovered the pleasure of working with wool and have been fashioning purses in wet felting and animal and vegetable sculpture using needle felting method.

As I can never be sure what items are going to present themselves to me, my work is ever changing.

I divide my life between Vancouver and my studio on Denman Island, where I spend most of my time.

I look forward to meeting you and showing you my latest work.

Thank you.

                                      -Cathy Albrecht