Sculpture, vessels, and wearables
Inspired by enamel’s role in sacred objects across centuries and continents, I make ritual vessels for the present moment: containers for doubt and confusion and hope.
By working in cloisonné— a meticulous craft that was developed by artists in ancient Egypt, China, and Medieval Europe, I am continuing a practice that connects me with a centuries-long heritage of craftspeople. I remember the work of artists of the distant past, as I make work for an imagined future.
Lidded boxes
Cloisonné on copper with silver elements.
Each box contains a surprise detail inside its lid.
To create the cloisonné, I form fine ribbons of silver wire into the shapes, and bend them to fit the curved surface. They are glued onto the vessel, and fire them in a kiln. I apply and fire many layers of enamel, and then stone the surface smooth.
Creature vessels
Some of my vessels seem to have animal qualities, as though they are attempting to become living beings.
Blending multiple colors of opaque vitreous enamel creates a lively, variegated surface.
Vessels, Small and Tiny
From one to three inches high, these vessels feature some recurring visual themes in my work: eyes, Rorschach tests, the night sky, random walk patterns, constellations, fantastical animals, and figure-ground reversals.
They are expressions of explorations of faith, perception, art, and wonder.
I hand-grind my work to create the final surface. The time-intensive process results in a velvety surface that feels good in the hand. The glowy-matte surface also sets off the wirework, making the silver lines flash in the light.
capybara carries a vision
Poplar, cherry, copper, silver, brass, vitreous enamel
16” x 7”x 10”
The creature peers up into the sky he carries above his head, looking into a collection of personal constellations.
The dome is unusually large for a cloisonné object, and pairing wood and enamel opened ideas for new sculptures. This is the first in a series of animal-form pieces integrating enamel with other materials. The pieces incorporate echoes of wooden toys, religious relics, mythological creatures, and references to treasured works of art and literature.
The constellations are allusions to elements in the novel The Master and Margarita, a personal creative touchstone. The book— inventive, ambitious, and both deeply personal and connected to other great artworks—was written in Stalinist USSR with no hope of finding an audience. The faith Bulgakov showed in writing his masterpiece—that works of art are part of a long conversation between cultures over millennia—is at the core of my personal work.
dreamer
Vitreous enamel cloisonné on copper with silver, brass, velvet, MDF, paint 21”x19”x1”
The viewer’s eye is drawn to a shimmery planet inhabited by a tiny creature gazing up into the stars. The odd-shaped world is formed with transparent enamels over bubbled-silver foil and granulation, evoking mini volcanoes, stones, and canyons. The planet hovers in front of a dark velvet sky, with silver stars floating above.
contemplating Stones
11 elements, approx. 2.5” x 3.5” each
Vitreous enamel cloisonné on copper with silver and brass
A series of stone-like beings travel from wall to jacket to waist. Made of matte opaque cloisonné, the pieces can be hung on a wall in clusters, worn as brooches, or worn as decorative elements on a belt. These beings, with peering eyes but no means of motion or communication, were a recurring motif in my work during the pandemic: they observe and contemplate the world without the ability to engage with it.
By giving the wearer the chance to create their own compositions (on a wall, a jacket, or in a row on the waist), the stones’ subtle differences in mood and glance become opportunities to create your own connections between the beings.
