Polymer clay is a synthetic clay, often known by the brand
names fimo© and sculpey© . It is soft and malleable when raw and cures in an oven at a relatively low
temperature. It can be drilled, carved, molded, stamped, sanded,
painted and polished. It is an incredibly versatile material that can be
made to look like anything from glass to stone to ivory.
Polymer clay is the generic term for this synthetic material made
of PVC (PolyVinylChloride). First developed in Germany in the 1940s by the
Eberhard Farber company under the brand name fimo© , it was primarily used by doll makers. In the 1960s artists in the U.S. began
exploring polymer clay's potential in the creation of jewelry and other art
objects. The publication of The New Clay by Nan Roche in 1991 fueled an explosion of excitement over this new material.
Since that time a plethora of methods of working with the material have been
developed, drawing on other craft traditions such as glass, metal, fiber and
ceramics.
Polymer clay has become the chosen
medium of many talented artists who have been exhibited in some of the most
prestigious galleries and art shows both in the US and internationally. Much
as the 'new' acrylic paint struggled for recognition in an art world dominated
by purists who considered oil the only 'serious' paint, polymer clay has faced
an uphill battle for recognition as a material of 'serious art'.
As the novelty of this material begins to wane, the
quality and strength of the art becomes the main focus. Some artists are
drawn to metal, some to clay, some to fibers and in the last twenty-five years,
some to polymer clay.
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