Winslow has become a draw to many talented artists over the years. One who has made Winslow his home is John Suttman, a well-established artist and longtime resident of the Southwest. He grew up in Albuquerque, N.M., where he attended the University of New Mexico.
Now Suttman has left his mark on Winslow with his intricate gates and walkway lamps featured at historic La Posada Hotel.
Suttman’s artistic talents appear to know no limit as his skill extends to working with metals, glass, paint and any other materials that appeal to him. His pieces include furnishings with an Alice in Wonderland appeal featuring unconventional lines and design. Each piece of furniture seems to defy gravity as it bends and flows in unconventional ways. Although each piece has the illusion of being made of wood, they are actually created out of metal. When asked about the inspiration behind creating these pieces, Suttman said it was simple: “I thought, what can I do in steel that I can’t do in wood?” He creates the illusion of antique wood furniture using patina and paint.
Although his more recent endeavors differ from his unusual furniture, they still have the surreal effect of taking the traditionally unyielding and structured medium of steel rods and incorporating glass to create graceful, fluid-like structures.
Suttman crafts each piece by hand, a technique that is no longer commonly used. Using various pieces of steel stock, he heats them to red hot temperatures of up to 1,500 degrees in a gas forge. Then, using an anvil and a variety of other self-made tools, he manipulates the steel into the form in his imagination. “The process must be done quickly and the metal has to be reheated many times to achieve the desired effect,” he noted. For efficiency, he sometimes uses a large hammer that weighs 500 lbs. Although this type of practice is traditionally done by blacksmiths, in Suttman’s hands it is the tool of a sculptor.
The glasswork within his pieces creates an opposing element of fragility. “It adds a whole other dimension. There’s more going on,” said Suttman, adding that his glasswork involves an entirely different process. He cuts multiple layers of glass, illustrates a design for it and creates a silk screen. He then prints it onto the glass and uses enamel paints to add in desired details. Finally, he puts the painted glass layers into a kiln that heats up to 1,450 degrees, which fuses the layers.
Although both practices take much skill and effort, the glass element is not as developed as Suttman’s metalworking abilities. “I’m a metal guy,” he claims, “but a total novice when it comes to glasswork,” although the beauty of his glasswork belies the three years experience he’s invested in the practice.
Suttman has an eclectic mixture of inspirations for every piece he makes. For some, he creates an almost utilitarian aesthetic, which he describes as a “Rube Goldbergian” feel. “I want it to look like it does something, even though it doesn’t,” he explained. In other pieces he shows more attention to symmetry, which he commonly relates to nature. Another inspiration he draws from is classical, more specifically, medieval art. When visiting his uncle in Italy after high school, he was heavily impacted by its classical art.
The artist is currently working to create a studio space located in downtown Winslow next to the Snowdrift Art Space on Second Street. The building that once housed an auto body parts store is being completely renovated to include two studio spaces, residency rooms, a gallery for artists’ works and an 800 sq. ft. courtyard in the center. The courtyard will feature glass panels Suttman created, adding yet more appeal to Winslow’s growing arts community.
This chair is an example of John Suttman’s flowing metal furniture.
