Before thinking about a ‘Heat Exchange 2’, I thought I would like to add some close ups of what happened to the ‘Companions’ to the Blog.
One of the ‘Companions’, which at this stage is fired with the grip coat only. The stainless steel blackens in the kiln. The next layer is a ‘sieving layer’ of small motifs. This is followed by a layer of wet process white enamel.
This is the same piece after finishing.
The blackened stainless steel is polished back to a silver surface. The enamel areas are gently abraded to reveal the motifs and sgraffito marks. The laser engraving is the final layer to complete the ‘story’.
Beate Gegenwart is an enamelist and educator originally from Germany who lives and works in Wales, UK. Her studio is located on the beautiful Gower peninsular and she is a Honorary Research Fellow at Swansea School of Art (University of Wales Trinity Saint David). Her large enamel works exhibit an expressive interplay between polished stainless steel and fields of delicately applied and inscribed enamel.
She is currently supported by a major production grant from the Arts Council of Wales.
Last week we installed and opened the Heat Exchange exhibition. Below are some images from the opening at the Shemer Art Gallery and Museum in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Melissa is a jewellery artist from Australia living in Seattle in the US. Her works can be found in the National Gallery of Australia as well as the Cheongju City Collection in South Korea. Her enamel works typically display subtle enamel incursions amidst precise laser cut stainless steel layers.
Since my work is on route to the gallery, I thought I would add something to the blog. As I mentioned in my last post I have been experimenting with faceted 3D surfaces and projecting them flat to create sudo optical illusions. I then use the projection as a tool path for the laser and etch them onto enamel. I have included a multi-step image of the wire-framed surface from the RHINO. I start with the distorted 3D surface and then slowly rotate my view until I get the desired top, aerial view. I am also including an image of the final piece after the enameled portion is set in a sterling frame. The “flap” or enameled surface moves with the body and pivots on the top of the frame. Both sides of the flap have been etched with the laser. The back side has a flat mesh and the front side has the projected mesh.
I am so very excited for the show.
