Madison, WI 
The division between fiction and reality can be a struggle to distinguish. From Cabinets of Curiosity that were meant to document natural and manmade wonders in the past to news reports based on urban legends that are easily circulated and promulgated in the internet age, people are fascinated by and at times easily duped into believing the authenticity of fictional narratives. While at times this willingness of others to accept the fictional is a source of frustration, the sense of wonder and doubt one feels when confronted with something that feels to be stranger than fiction can be amusing.
This body of work is centered on the Cordyceps fungus. In reality, this species infects and controls the minds of insects. The fungus then blossoms from the insect’s body, killing it. The sight is at once horrifying and beautiful. Here, a variation of Cordyceps that infects human hosts is under examination. These pieces reference an assortment of tools based on surgical and dental tools of the past, as well as groundbreaking medical technologies like stem cell organ transplants that will be utilized in people in the near future.
Originally from Groveland, Massachusetts, Chloe Darke received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Metalsmithing & Jewelry from Maine College of Art in May 2011. Shortly after graduation, she attended "The Metal Tea Infuser," a workshop taught by Tom Muir, at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. This incredible experience reinforced her passion for craft and determination to make metalsmithing her career. Chloe was employed as a silversmith at Old Newbury Crafters in Amesbury, Massachusetts from October 2011 to August 2016. She and her coworkers are featured in an episode of the PBS television series Craft in America entitled "Forge." She is currently pursuing her Master of Fine Arts in Metals as a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Chloe Darke
darke@wisc.edu
chloedarke.com
Education
2019 Master of Fine Arts Candidate - University of Wisconsin-Madison - Metals
2011 Bachelor of Fine Arts - Maine College of Art - Metalsmithing & Jewelry
Exhibitions
2018
Radical Jewelry Makeover: Wisconsin - Union Art Gallery (collaborative piece) - University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Seeks Human Host - Gallery 7 (Master of Arts Show) - University of Wisconsin-Madison
InFlux - The Enamelist Society - Online Exhibition
Alchemy4 - National Ornamental Metal Museum - Memphis, Tennessee
2017
Nature and Neon - Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts - Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Swap|Meet - Quarter Gallery - University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Against Interpretation - Gallery 7 - University of Wisconsin-Madison
Forge, Form, Fabricate - University Museum - Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
We Made You a Mixtape - Art Lofts - University of Wisconsin-Madison
Nexus: The 2017 Juried Student Exhibition - Society of North American Goldsmiths Nexus Conference - New Orleans, Louisiana
Alchemy4 - Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts - Gatlinburg, Tennessee - Ohio Craft Museum - Columbus, Ohio
Making Your Mark - Providence Art Club - Providence, Rhode Island
Craft Work - Gallery 7 - University of Wisconsin-Madison
Witnesses - Art Lofts - University of Wisconsin-Madison
2016
A Metals Panoply - Art Lofts - University of Wisconsin-Madison
2015
Earthy Abstractions - Ellington-White Contemporary Gallery - Fayetteville, North Carolina
2014
Women’s Work - Freehand Gallery - Los Angeles, California
2013
Nude Attitude - Peoria Art Guild - Peoria, Illinois
2011
Thesis Exhibition - Maine College of Art - Portland, Maine
BFA Index Exhibition - Maine College of Art - Portland, Maine
Eat, Drink, and Be Merry for Tomorrow We Die - Free Street Gallery - Portland, Maine 2010
BFA Show - Maine College of Art - Portland, Maine
Thinking Outside the Body - Institute of Contemporary Art - Portland, Maine
Merit Show - Maine College of Art - Portland, Maine
Publications
2018
SNAG JAMS, Jewelry and Metals Survey Vol. 1 | 2017, (Print and Digital Publication), Society of North American Goldsmiths, p. 158, 2018
Nature and Neon, (Exhibition Catalogue), Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, p. 8, 2018
2017
Alchemy4: Transformation in Contemporary Enamels, (Exhibition Catalogue) The Enamelist Society, p. 53, 2017
2013
Forge - Craft in America - PBS - Original Airdate: October 26, 2013, Episode 10
Awards and Acknowledgements
2018
InFlux Honorable Mention Award - Juried Exhibition “Seed Pod Necklace #2”InFlux – The Enamelist Society Student Exhibition 2018
2017
Alchemy4 Exhibition Award - Juried Student Exhibition “Seed Pod Necklace” Alchemy4 - The Enamelist Society Conference 2017
Honorable Mention - Juried Exhibition “Venus IV” Making Your Mark - Providence Art Club - Providence, Rhode Island
2015
Belvedere Fund - Maine College of Art - Portland, Maine
Honorable Mention - Juried Exhibition “Venus IV” Earthy Abstractions - Ellington-White Contemporary Gallery - Fayetteville, North Carolina
2013
Third Place - Juried Exhibition “Breast Bowl” Nude Attitude - Peoria Art Guild - Peoria, Illinois
2011
Fine Metals Scholarship - Peters Valley Craft Center - Layton, New Jersey
2010
Fine Metals Scholarship - Peters Valley Craft Center - Layton, New Jersey
2007
MECA Vision scholarship - Maine College of Art - Portland, Maine
Work Experience
2017 - 2018
Wood Shop and Foundry Monitor - University of Wisconsin-Madison
2016 - 2017
Professor’s Assistant - Professor Jeffrey Clancy - University of Wisconsin-Madison
2012 - present
Jewelry and Custom Accessory Maker - JW Reilly Boston - Boston, Massachusetts
2011 - 2016
Silversmith - Old Newbury Crafters - Amesbury, Massachusetts
Guest Lecturer and Workshops
2016
Craft in America Summer Studio Workshops - Kutztown University - Kutztown, Pennsylvania
2015
Craft in America Summer Studio Workshops - Kutztown University - Kutztown, Pennsylvania
2014
Guest Lecturer - Women Who Work in Metal - Craft in America Center - Los Angeles, California
Workshops Attended
2013
En Plein Air Jewelry - Beverly Penn - Haystack Mountain School of Crafts - Deer Isle, Maine
2011
The Metal Tea Infuser - Tom Muir - Haystack Mountain School of Crafts - Deer Isle, Maine
Kinetic Jewelry - Sarah Doremus - Peters Valley Craft Center - Layton, New Jersey
2010
Forging Stainless and Damascus steel -Richard Furrer - New England School of Metal Work - Auburn, Maine
2009
Enameling - Jamie Bennett - Workshop at Maine College of Art
Silversmithing and Industry- Joost During - Lecture at Maine College of Art
2008
Forging Non-ferrous Metals - David Clemons - Workshop at Maine College of Art
Where to Buy
Work is not available for sale through the SNAG website. Please contact the artist directly to inquire about making a purchase.