All posts by Stephen Bottomley

Stephen Bottomley trained at the Royal College of Art (1999-2001) having also studied at West Surrey College of Art and Design and the University of Brighton, with a key period working within Rhode Island School of Designs’ metal programme (USA 1998). Stephen established his first studio in 1990 in Brighton with a Prince’s Trust Grant, exhibiting his work regularly in exhibitions and at outlets like Electrum Gallery and Dazzle. He started regular associate lecturing work around the South East coast in 1992. After twelve years lecturing and leading several courses at Hasting College of Art, with the University of Brighton, he relocated to Sheffield in 2004. Between 2004-2007 Stephen divides his time between his jewellery studio and his close involvement with both academic life and the jewellery industry, being both course leader for Metalwork and Jewellery at Sheffield Hallam University and also the fourth Chairman of the ‘Association for Contemporary Jewellery’ (ACJ). Between 2007 and afour year project researching the patterns and textiles at the Fortuny Museum, Venice and a solo shows in Venice and back at Hove Museum and Art gallery in 2008, he relocated to Scotland taking the post of Head of Jewellery and Silversmithing at Edinburgh College of Art (eca). In 2011 eca become part of the world class University of Edinburgh. Jewellery is represented by the Crafts Council and held in collections by the British Museum, Royal College of Art and the South East Arts Crafts.

Play Think

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Stephen and Lindy, ‘Play Think’ ing, April 2015

I enjoyed having two very informal and relaxed sessions collaborating with Lindy Richardson, Head of textiles  and a colleague at Edinburgh College of Art.

Lindy is also an embroiderer and she was interested in weaving and making stencils to learn to enamel through, I in turn was interested in having bespoke screen created and experimenting with wet enamel to screen print with and to dry sift through.

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Lindy’s hand embroidered stencil and the resulting enamel

We decided to have these workshop days after a ‘blind’ workshop where staff revealed their research interests through tools,  objects and materials quite anonymously.

Layered Screen printed lines from Stephen's art work
Layered Screen printed lines from Stephen’s art work
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Screen print on heat proof textile

 

 

We have kept our first two sessions very loose and are now considering refining some of these areas for individual projects- I am not sure if anything will make it into Heat Exchange II, will have to see….

Stephen Bottomley

Stephen Bottomley trained at the Royal College of Art (1999-2001) having also studied at West Surrey College of Art and Design and the University of Brighton, with a key period working within Rhode Island School of Designs’ metal programme (USA 1998). Stephen established his first studio in 1990 in Brighton with a Prince’s Trust Grant, exhibiting his work regularly in exhibitions and at outlets like Electrum Gallery and Dazzle. He started regular associate lecturing work around the South East coast in 1992. After twelve years lecturing and leading several courses at Hasting College of Art, with the University of Brighton, he relocated to Sheffield in 2004. Between 2004-2007 Stephen divides his time between his jewellery studio and his close involvement with both academic life and the jewellery industry, being both course leader for Metalwork and Jewellery at Sheffield Hallam University and also the fourth Chairman of the ‘Association for Contemporary Jewellery’ (ACJ). Between 2007 and afour year project researching the patterns and textiles at the Fortuny Museum, Venice and a solo shows in Venice and back at Hove Museum and Art gallery in 2008, he relocated to Scotland taking the post of Head of Jewellery and Silversmithing at Edinburgh College of Art (eca). In 2011 eca become part of the world class University of Edinburgh. Jewellery is represented by the Crafts Council and held in collections by the British Museum, Royal College of Art and the South East Arts Crafts.

Heat Exchange 2- following a thread

 

 

 

It’s taken some time to renew my posts after Heat Exchange 1.

Posting on-line isn’t a normal or everyday activity for me- but it has been increasingly on my mind to upload some recent thoughts and ideas for the possible direction for this new body of work and also some images from the Summer when I visited Elizabeth (Turrell) in Bristol to help with the ‘Shock and Awe’ exhibition’ (see last post).

In the studio, Elizabeth and Stephen ,Summer 2014 in Bristol

In the studio, Elizabeth and Stephen ,Summer 2014 in Bristol

Work in Progress

My work, (the Masters students’ show had), and family commitments in Edinburgh had, prevented me making it to Erfurt to enamel with everyone- which was sorely disappointing. It would have been super to meet up with old and new friends and colleagues and share studio time and ideas. So I was so pleased to be able to visit Elizabeth, Roger and Jessica in Bristol and have time to experiment and play in Elizabeth’s inspiring studio and home.

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IMG_0058Evening train journey to Bristol from London
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IMG_1080Back In Edinburgh, Corstorphine Hill. View from Corstorphine Hill Tower, a memorial to Sir Walter Scott. 

B&W Trace brooch

‘Black and White Traces’ , brooch,  2014. Enamel, Rubber, Steel

Black Traces brooch

‘Black Trace’,  brooch,  2014. Enamel, Rubber, Steel

Now as Winter begins to move towards Spring there are some new shoots emerging after a long, dark and to be honest, quite difficult Winter.

My ideas turn around the samples I made in Bristol and some pieces that were part of an exhibition in Montreal “ÉMAUX AT THIS MOMENT” at the end of last year at Galerie Noel Guyomarch

Now I am looking forward to some of my own studio time again to take words and ideas forward.

Themes I am continuing to explore include:

“threads – hints- touches – marks – grids – pathways – lines – light – dark – shadows – boundaries –demarcation- delineation- discrimination- segregation- isolation”

More on how these progress next….

Work for ‘Back from the Front’, Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, July 2014

Postcards recreated from an original Postcard and photographs from my Great Uncle Maurice Dawson sent before his unit was sent to the front
Postcards recreated from an original Postcard and photographs from my Great Uncle Maurice Dawson sent before his unit was sent to the front

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the First World War I have been busy making some new work for an exhibition in Bristol curated by Elizabeth Turrell.

‘Back from the Front’ will have two components, showing simultaneously:

‘Brothers in Art’: a show of paintings by two major British artists from the First World War, Paul Nash and John Nash, both of whom served at the front and who were later commissioned as Official War Artists.

‘Shock and Awe’: Exhibited in the RWA’s extensive Sharples, Winterstoke and Stancomb-Wills galleries, ‘Shock and Awe’ is an exhibition of work by artists who have been exposed to the front-line experience of war and by those who have responded to recent conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Balkans

Alongside other invited international artists exhibiting at the RWA Elizabeth Turrell has curated a show of a small group of enamel artists from the US, UK and Europe with whom she has previously worked with on  ‘anti-war medals’

  • The artists for this exhibition: Michael Brennan-Wood, Kathleen Browne, Stephen Bottomley, Helen Carnac, Robert Ebendorf, Kirsten Haydon, Elizabeth Turrell, Jessica Turrell, Tamar de Vries Winter, Rolf Lindner,  Jonathan Ward, Bettina Dittlmann, George Coutouvidis and Susan Cross
    display of cards in progress
    display of cards in progress
    Detail of the built house of cards, in preparation for delivery and set up at the RWA in mid July
    Detail of the built house of cards, in preparation for delivery and set up at the RWA in mid July

     

  • This work developed from working directly from family photographs, in particular a recently discovered 1915 postcard sent from the Hertfordshire training camp where his Great Uncle Maurice Dawson, then aged 17, was trained as a young newly enlisted soldier. There he sent a ‘postcard photograph’ picturing him with at army camp to his mother. The card was sent to warn home that he had heard his unit was due to be transported to the next day by train and then on to military action.This project explores memory through the photography available at that time as souvenir postcards that captured one of very many individual stories and a poignant and tender moment between a mother and child.  The construction represents the real vulnerability and danger facing families caught up in the Great War.

 

‘Back from the Front’

Royal West of England Academy, Queen’s Road, Bristol, UK

18th July (PV), Public Exhibition 19th July – until the end September 2014

Stephen Bottomley

Stephen Bottomley trained at the Royal College of Art (1999-2001) having also studied at West Surrey College of Art and Design and the University of Brighton, with a key period working within Rhode Island School of Designs’ metal programme (USA 1998). Stephen established his first studio in 1990 in Brighton with a Prince’s Trust Grant, exhibiting his work regularly in exhibitions and at outlets like Electrum Gallery and Dazzle. He started regular associate lecturing work around the South East coast in 1992. After twelve years lecturing and leading several courses at Hasting College of Art, with the University of Brighton, he relocated to Sheffield in 2004. Between 2004-2007 Stephen divides his time between his jewellery studio and his close involvement with both academic life and the jewellery industry, being both course leader for Metalwork and Jewellery at Sheffield Hallam University and also the fourth Chairman of the ‘Association for Contemporary Jewellery’ (ACJ). Between 2007 and afour year project researching the patterns and textiles at the Fortuny Museum, Venice and a solo shows in Venice and back at Hove Museum and Art gallery in 2008, he relocated to Scotland taking the post of Head of Jewellery and Silversmithing at Edinburgh College of Art (eca). In 2011 eca become part of the world class University of Edinburgh. Jewellery is represented by the Crafts Council and held in collections by the British Museum, Royal College of Art and the South East Arts Crafts.

.. a thank you to my sponsors :)

Stephen Bottomley

Stephen Bottomley trained at the Royal College of Art (1999-2001) having also studied at West Surrey College of Art and Design and the University of Brighton, with a key period working within Rhode Island School of Designs’ metal programme (USA 1998). Stephen established his first studio in 1990 in Brighton with a Prince’s Trust Grant, exhibiting his work regularly in exhibitions and at outlets like Electrum Gallery and Dazzle. He started regular associate lecturing work around the South East coast in 1992. After twelve years lecturing and leading several courses at Hasting College of Art, with the University of Brighton, he relocated to Sheffield in 2004. Between 2004-2007 Stephen divides his time between his jewellery studio and his close involvement with both academic life and the jewellery industry, being both course leader for Metalwork and Jewellery at Sheffield Hallam University and also the fourth Chairman of the ‘Association for Contemporary Jewellery’ (ACJ). Between 2007 and afour year project researching the patterns and textiles at the Fortuny Museum, Venice and a solo shows in Venice and back at Hove Museum and Art gallery in 2008, he relocated to Scotland taking the post of Head of Jewellery and Silversmithing at Edinburgh College of Art (eca). In 2011 eca become part of the world class University of Edinburgh. Jewellery is represented by the Crafts Council and held in collections by the British Museum, Royal College of Art and the South East Arts Crafts.

Enamel meets Aerospace: Heat Exchangers Numbers 1-6

 

 

Heat Exchangers No. 1 – 6   2012

Copper, Bronze, Silver, Stainless Steel,

Enamel and Diamond Dust

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Bottomley

Stephen Bottomley trained at the Royal College of Art (1999-2001) having also studied at West Surrey College of Art and Design and the University of Brighton, with a key period working within Rhode Island School of Designs’ metal programme (USA 1998). Stephen established his first studio in 1990 in Brighton with a Prince’s Trust Grant, exhibiting his work regularly in exhibitions and at outlets like Electrum Gallery and Dazzle. He started regular associate lecturing work around the South East coast in 1992. After twelve years lecturing and leading several courses at Hasting College of Art, with the University of Brighton, he relocated to Sheffield in 2004. Between 2004-2007 Stephen divides his time between his jewellery studio and his close involvement with both academic life and the jewellery industry, being both course leader for Metalwork and Jewellery at Sheffield Hallam University and also the fourth Chairman of the ‘Association for Contemporary Jewellery’ (ACJ). Between 2007 and afour year project researching the patterns and textiles at the Fortuny Museum, Venice and a solo shows in Venice and back at Hove Museum and Art gallery in 2008, he relocated to Scotland taking the post of Head of Jewellery and Silversmithing at Edinburgh College of Art (eca). In 2011 eca become part of the world class University of Edinburgh. Jewellery is represented by the Crafts Council and held in collections by the British Museum, Royal College of Art and the South East Arts Crafts.

Sampling

I started the New Year with a number of projects on. Like Jessica and Elizabeth Turrell I am making work for an international show in Munich at Gallery Handswerk, ‘Enamel -a Renaissance’. I planned to build on the range of new brooches I made for the ‘Surface and Substance’ exhibition that Jessica curated so beautifully and which closed this January at the Ruthin Gallery in Wales. The new pieces I made for this show were brooches in silver and enamel that apply textile surfaces to the shell metal and augment them with pattern, movement and ultimately colour.

One other project has been making a piece for a jewellery show organised by the Association for Contemporary Jewellery to celebrate the Queens Royal Jubilee. An idea I had for this was to work with some diamond dust. Inspired by Elizabeth’s work fusing grit into her enamel surfaces I ordered industrial diamond dust and have been experimenting on how this material behaves with enamel. It has been wrought with issues of pinging off and shedding.

I now have several samples (the good, bad and the ugly, as I call them). It has been great to have these projects on and Heat Exchange turning up the heat too.  I hope to have some exciting new material to introduce into the mix here too. I can’t say too much more at the moment as it isn’t quite there yet…..(sorry to be a bit mysterious here)

Here are images of all of the above that are in this mix:

A series of Queens heads cut out for the Jubilee project to test. (the queen's head is one of the most popular names for a British pub, for those of you from outside the UK)

Stephen Bottomley

Stephen Bottomley trained at the Royal College of Art (1999-2001) having also studied at West Surrey College of Art and Design and the University of Brighton, with a key period working within Rhode Island School of Designs’ metal programme (USA 1998). Stephen established his first studio in 1990 in Brighton with a Prince’s Trust Grant, exhibiting his work regularly in exhibitions and at outlets like Electrum Gallery and Dazzle. He started regular associate lecturing work around the South East coast in 1992. After twelve years lecturing and leading several courses at Hasting College of Art, with the University of Brighton, he relocated to Sheffield in 2004. Between 2004-2007 Stephen divides his time between his jewellery studio and his close involvement with both academic life and the jewellery industry, being both course leader for Metalwork and Jewellery at Sheffield Hallam University and also the fourth Chairman of the ‘Association for Contemporary Jewellery’ (ACJ). Between 2007 and afour year project researching the patterns and textiles at the Fortuny Museum, Venice and a solo shows in Venice and back at Hove Museum and Art gallery in 2008, he relocated to Scotland taking the post of Head of Jewellery and Silversmithing at Edinburgh College of Art (eca). In 2011 eca become part of the world class University of Edinburgh. Jewellery is represented by the Crafts Council and held in collections by the British Museum, Royal College of Art and the South East Arts Crafts.

new shoots…

This is the new kiln a got last year from Germany. It is wonderful to work with. fast to heat up and very steady at holding its temperature.
Pride and joy. This is the new kiln I brought last year from the Nabatherm company in Germany. Bliss to use. Quick to heat up and very steady reliable heat control.We have a jewellery bench adjacent the enamelling area. In a small area we have a lot of equipment that can be brought out and set up

Stephen Bottomley

Stephen Bottomley trained at the Royal College of Art (1999-2001) having also studied at West Surrey College of Art and Design and the University of Brighton, with a key period working within Rhode Island School of Designs’ metal programme (USA 1998). Stephen established his first studio in 1990 in Brighton with a Prince’s Trust Grant, exhibiting his work regularly in exhibitions and at outlets like Electrum Gallery and Dazzle. He started regular associate lecturing work around the South East coast in 1992. After twelve years lecturing and leading several courses at Hasting College of Art, with the University of Brighton, he relocated to Sheffield in 2004. Between 2004-2007 Stephen divides his time between his jewellery studio and his close involvement with both academic life and the jewellery industry, being both course leader for Metalwork and Jewellery at Sheffield Hallam University and also the fourth Chairman of the ‘Association for Contemporary Jewellery’ (ACJ). Between 2007 and afour year project researching the patterns and textiles at the Fortuny Museum, Venice and a solo shows in Venice and back at Hove Museum and Art gallery in 2008, he relocated to Scotland taking the post of Head of Jewellery and Silversmithing at Edinburgh College of Art (eca). In 2011 eca become part of the world class University of Edinburgh. Jewellery is represented by the Crafts Council and held in collections by the British Museum, Royal College of Art and the South East Arts Crafts.

the new recruit..

Hello fellow exchangers,

Fashionably late to the party, but great to be here!

Enamelling in Bristol, 2006

My name is Stephen Bottomley and I live and work in Scotland. I teach at Edinburgh College of Art www.eca.ac.uk in the Jewellery and Silversmithing department and enamelling is an important part of my practice.

 

First introduced to enamel back in 1988 at Farnham College by Jane Short, I was immediately fascinated by the material and process and have increasingly integrated it into my work over the past two decades. I began to approach enamel with less ‘awe’ and more ‘bravery’ through teaching it at art school a few years later. Teaching is always a two-way experience and my enamel came to be influenced by many of the highly skilled ceramicists I worked with on the multi-disciplinary course in Hastings I worked at for 13 years.

Time spent working in Bristol with Elizabeth and artists visiting her and Jessica between 2006-10 was an incredibly valuable time. Sharing god practice and ideas was so very important then, so I suppose this is a chance to try it in a different media on line now.

A couple of moves up the UK since then I am now living happily in Edinburgh and enjoying the challenge of a busy department, the inspiring company of inquisitive students and the company of fellow makers (like Elizabeth and Jessica Turrel and last year Mellissa) who visit us and share their skill and knowledge so generously. Together we all work and play and along the way build a culture to contribute to contemporary enamel and this very special art form.

 

Last week I travelled to Ruthin, in Wales to see the ‘Surface and Substance’  exhibition devised and organised by Jessica Turrell. It is a real gem of a show! I’ll post some images and text next.

I am really looking forward to being part of the Heat Exchange and have already learnt interesting things from the blogs I have read so far and about your special interests.

Flame on!

Stephen Bottomley

Stephen Bottomley trained at the Royal College of Art (1999-2001) having also studied at West Surrey College of Art and Design and the University of Brighton, with a key period working within Rhode Island School of Designs’ metal programme (USA 1998). Stephen established his first studio in 1990 in Brighton with a Prince’s Trust Grant, exhibiting his work regularly in exhibitions and at outlets like Electrum Gallery and Dazzle. He started regular associate lecturing work around the South East coast in 1992. After twelve years lecturing and leading several courses at Hasting College of Art, with the University of Brighton, he relocated to Sheffield in 2004. Between 2004-2007 Stephen divides his time between his jewellery studio and his close involvement with both academic life and the jewellery industry, being both course leader for Metalwork and Jewellery at Sheffield Hallam University and also the fourth Chairman of the ‘Association for Contemporary Jewellery’ (ACJ). Between 2007 and afour year project researching the patterns and textiles at the Fortuny Museum, Venice and a solo shows in Venice and back at Hove Museum and Art gallery in 2008, he relocated to Scotland taking the post of Head of Jewellery and Silversmithing at Edinburgh College of Art (eca). In 2011 eca become part of the world class University of Edinburgh. Jewellery is represented by the Crafts Council and held in collections by the British Museum, Royal College of Art and the South East Arts Crafts.