Clifford Rainey, British, born 1948
Benicia Hammer, from the “Hand Tools” series, 2018
Glassmaker Clifford Rainey’s studio Napa studio was destroyed in the 2017 Atlas Fire. He lost his entire artistic archive and his studio equipment—his past and future. In an attempt to work through the emotional loss, he began creating artwork using debris from the fire. This triptych consists of a charred metal hammer head, a cast glass impression and a pencil drawing of the hammer. Rainey’s work addresses the ghostly memory of the lost things we once held, in this case quite literally the burnt wooden handle. All that is left is the impression of it in the hollow glass cavity, rubbed with ashes from the fire. The remaining metal head is now ineffectual as a tool, so Rainey now uses it in a process of healing. For him, the absence of the artist’s hand tool reflects the loss of agency to establish identity, to ensure financial stability, and to create artistic legacy. Label by Kelly Conway
In this work, Rainey repurposes tools recovered from the rubble of California forest fires. The tools are placed in dialogue with both their former purpose and the fires that rendered them unusable. The blueprint like drawings that depict the tools in plain, practical form are interrupted by the smudge of ash. The glass cast of the tool captures the initial strength and form of the tool in space and time while also creating a sense of emptiness. Lastly, the incomplete section of the hammer on the left shows the charred nature of the actual tool. Each of these components of the work speaks to function and utility that has been decimated by the fires. Similarly to these tools, many individuals faced a loss of purpose and function in the wake of the fires. This work speaks to the remembrance of past purpose, while keeping in view the irreversible impact of the fires by demonstrating stark white depictions of the tools alongside the dark smudges and coatings of the burn. Label by Gwyneth McCrae