So I’ve been back from Erfurt for over a week, and while I’ve finished unpacking (the bulk of which turned out to be enamels and steel – who knew!) I’m still processing – both the work I produced, and the experiences I had while there.

I’ll talk more about both those things soon, but I’m really keen to share a bit of a side project that I got up to while in the studios at the Künstlerwerkstätten. There was so much concentrated, or perhaps contemplative  (you’d have to ask each participant which they were veering towards in any given moment – which I admit might be tricky) silence, that was only broken by the sounds of hands busy making things. In essence, we were treated to some of the noises that normally only the solo artist would hear in her/his studio. And I found it fascinating!

So, aside from coating a lot of pieces of metal in enamel, I went around taking some (admittedly shaky) footage of artists at work, just so that I could record the noises they were producing as a part of their process.

And this is where I also introduce a couple of friends of the Heat Exchange 2 project, Annemarie Timmer and Martin Schulze (and a great video including Martin, and Elizabeth Turrell plus others from an earlier enamel Symposium in Erfurt this year.) Annemarie and Martin came along to help fill out numbers, and added their warmth to the atmosphere of exchange.

But back to sound. One of the most distinctive noises was the ‘chink, chink’ of Annemarie Timmer’s slip-trailer against enamelled steel, magnified by the curvature of the bowls that she was working on. Unfortunately in this video the background noise proved an almost overpowering an aural overlay for the tiny microphone on my camera, but you’ll get a small idea of what it was like sitting in the studio, being able to tune into every mark Annemarie made.

It was like very rhythmic crickets!

Then there was the firing. Once again, the sheer size, as well as the in-built amplification of Annemarie’s piece, made for an interesting and unique aural experience.

Stay tuned, more sounds to come…

Melissa Cameron

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.

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This is the second stage of our workshop! Check it out!!!

Kaori Juzu

Kaori Juzu lives and works in Denmark.

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So much happening, so little time with an internet connection! Here’s a few things we’ve been getting up to, in a photo diary.

Melissa Cameron

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.

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Several of the artists involved in the project have travelled to the Künstlerwerkstätten in Erfurt, Germany, to work together for two weeks over the northern summer. The first artists to arrive are staying for the whole two week long residency and have been getting busy – in the studio and out. Last night we celebrated our first Saturday night together and took our first group selfie to commemorate!

Now lest you think me too frivolous let me just say that I’ve got plenty of proper photos of work coming soon.

Melissa Cameron

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.

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