s t o r y b y
Joy ce L o v ela ce
p h o t o g r a p h y b y
D ouglas K ir k la n d
*
N
THE CENTRAL AMER-
ican country o f Costa Rica, the
free spirits have a saying:
Рига
vida.
Literally “ pure life,” it’s
both an everyday expression
(“H ow ’s it going?” “ Рига vida.”)
and a state o f mind.
“It means everything’s O K ,
it’s life, it’s all good,” says artist
Hannie G oldgew icht, w ho hails
from the lush tropical paradise.
“That’s the mentality, definitely.”
G oldgew icht lives in Los
Angeles now , but her earthy,
nature-inspired vessels radiate
pura vida. Part pot and part bas-
ket, each is a sensuous clay form
w oven to a supple coiled neck,
or band, o f pine needles. Hard
and soft, vibrant and muted,
smooth and textured—G oldge-
w icht blends it all into an el-
egant hybrid.
“ I’ve always looked for w ays
to integrate materials, mix me-
diums,” says the 34-year-old.
“T h e material, the workm an-
ship, getting your hands dirty—
that’s the biggest inspiration for
me. Bending the metal. W o rk -
ing the clay. Finding a w ay to
make things look good
together.”
On a recent morning, Gold-
gew icht w elcom es a visitor into
her small 1950s house on a quiet
street o ff a busy boulevard in
the San Fernando V alley. She’s
warm and friendly, w ith tousled
honey curls, a golden tan and
the barest trace o f a Costa Rican
accent. “It’s kind o f a m ess,” she
apologizes; she’s just back from
an art fair up in Palo A lto and
hasn’t unpacked all the
Goldgewicht creates her
signature vessels in a
variety of shapes and
sizes, at a range of pric-
es. “To survive as an
artist,” she says, “you
have to be able to do a
little bit of everything.”
058 american craft dec/jan n
