EGNE 2018 “UNDER FIRE 2”
an exhibition at the Worcester Center For Craft
Juror Awards
It has been a very exciting year for Enamel Guild North East. In May, we were thrilled to hold our 26th Annual Conference as well as our summer workshops at Westchester Center for the Arts, in White Plains, NY. And now, the Board of Directors of Enamel Guild North East is very proud to present this Under Fire 2 at the Krikorian Gallery at Worcester Center for Crafts. The entries were juried by three distinguished art professionals: Aurélie Guillaume, a young enamelist whose fresh approach is already winning many awards and distinctions; Jan Harrell, a highly acclaimed enamelist, metalsmith, sculptor and educator whose thought-provoking objects are included in numerous collections and museums; Bella Neyman, an independent curator and writer specializing in contemporary art jewelry, a co-founder of the curatorial initiative Platforma, and co-founder of NYC Jewelry Week. Our jurors did a wonderful job reviewing more than 383 submitted pieces. Unfortunately, we did not have space to show all the beautiful work that was submitted. At the end of the jurying procass we are pleased to present 117 pieces in this exhibition. We certainly want to encourage all artists to continue to produce beautiful work and to share it with the greater community so that the art of enameling may continue to flourish. A huge THANK YOU to all the artists who submitted their amazing work. We must thank many people for making this exhibition possible: Worcester Center for Crafts for hosting the exhibition: specifically, Honee Hess, Executive Director, Worcester Center for Crafts and Candace Casey, Director, Krikorian Gallery & gallery store. Without their participation, this show would not have taken place. At EGNE, Judy Wukitsch, EGNE board member and Under Fire 2 Exhibition Chair who has been instrumental in all aspects of the planning and execution. And Leni Fuhrman, EGNE board member and Under Fire 2 committee member for her work as editor extraodinaire. I want to thank them both for their exhaustive work and attention to detail. It is our hope that this catalog may serve many purposes: to share advances in enameling, to encourage artists to continue to create beautiful work, as a historical record for the medium, and as documentation of the Under Fire 2 Exhibition. Enamel Guild North East wishes to thank The Enamelist Society for awarding EGNE a grant to help fund the catalog for Under Fire 2. We are fortunate that there has been a huge increase in the interest of enameling in recent years, largely due to the ability to share work on social media across the globe, impart knowledge and welcome feedback from others. In addition, exhibitions (both “live” and online) held by various centers, schools, organizations and guilds throughout the country have helped to further the art. We wish to encourage them all to continue their good work promoting the art of enameling. To all of you, thank you! Honee Hess Almost every essay for an enamels exhibit these days starts with the phrase, “the ancient art of enameling is having a revival.” At the Worcester Center for Crafts, however, enameling has been a mainstay of our Metals Department reaching back into the 1950s and earlier. The famed enamel artist, Lilyan Bachrach (1917–2015) learned her craft at the Worcester Center and Judith Danner guided its loyal and steadfast crew for over 30 years. We view enamel as a craft that has ancient roots and which has developed, changed, become more creative and more widely accepted by other craft artisans, and which is now an almost universally accepted medium in the Metals world. We are proud to welcome the Enamel Guild North East into our Krikorian Gallery for the national juried exhibition, UNDER FIRE 2 as it gives our artists and our audiences an opportunity to be inspired and to inspire contemporary artists practicing the already revived enamel arts. Aurélie Guillaume I would like to start off by expressing my sincere gratitude toward the Enamel Guild North East for inviting me to jury the Under Fire 2 Exhibition. It comes as a great honor to have been selected as a juror alongside Bella Neyman and Jan Harrell, two women that I truly admire for their strength and commitment to the craft world. Three years ago, I would have never imagined that I would be on the other side of the panel; I had just freshly graduated and had a lot of doubts and worries about starting my life as an artist, a jeweler but above all as an enamelist. Under Fire 2015 was one of the first exhibitions that my work was selected for. That was a thrilling experience because it gave me the power to believe in myself and the boost to keep working within a discipline that I am deeply passionate about. The jury process was quite intricate and laborious. As a maker, I have always placed a lot of importance on the technical execution, but technique isn’t all that matters. As a Juror, I wanted to discover and select works that not only stood out through their thoughtful designs and innovative approaches with the material, but also to choose works that revealed the unique expression and sensibility of the enamelist. And finally, I wanted to select works that have not been exhibited before and welcome new makers in our enamel community. I would like to celebrate everyone for submitting their work and making me wonder about the beauty of enamel. My special congratulations go out to the award winners for their highly ambitious pieces and fresh take on the medium. Jan Harrell Jurying the Under Fire 2 submissions was an affirmation that enamel has branched into some exciting new directions while retaining a solid background in classic technique and outstanding craftsmanship. With over 400 submissions, this was a daunting process—especially when scale, texture, and color nuances are so hard to convey in a computer image with even the finest photography. There were submissions from artists who have elevated this medium with consistently outstanding work over their careers. There were unusual pieces that called for much closer inspection and many viewings. My jurying was based on three criteria: Kenneth Bates and Margaret Seeler would both have been amazed with this grouping of enamels. The juror awards were presented for work that made an impression because of the unconventional use of the enamel combined with a fresh approach. This recognition hopefully will spark others to try different approaches using new narratives and techniques. The future of this field that I adore depends on encouraging new blood to enter shows, exhibit their art, and continue this time line. Bella Neyman The entries for Under Fire 2: A Juried Exhibition, from the Enamel Guild North East, displayed a rich breadth of work. From personal adornment to decorative objects and sculpture, we saw enamel applied to many objects. Yet the charge given to us jurors was to select work that was both artistic and well-crafted. We instantly recognized that every entry came from a master enamelist but how do we select work that is of this moment. For me, it was about work that broke from tradition, that used enamel more than just a tool for adding color. It was about enamel being the thing and also forgetting that it’s there at all, about taking a technique employed by ancient civilizations and creating a contemporary work of art that showed depth and virtuosity. It was about the next generation. Kat Cole’s X Marks articulated necklace made of hand pierced steel and liquid porcelain enamel, often used in industrial processes, is a topographical map both of ourselves and our environment; Aaron Decker’s Squished Guard Brooch is from an autobiographical series exploring the artist’s childhood as a military kid. Decker’s “draws in naïve gestures of enamel like a child with crayons…dislodging enameling as a traditional technique(s) from rigid, technical parameters allowing childlike fancy to intervene in the process.”; Jennifer Marcson’s Claustrophobia is thought-provoking for its abstract form and original use of technique and materials. As its title suggests, the work leaves us with a feeling of unease. This is not about enamel for the sake of enamel, this is about enamel as a connector between the past and the present. Please note: Gallery images are organized by artist. Each artist has an individual page offering additional information, links and sometimes, other entries included in the exhibition. Larger views can be seen by clicking on images on the artist’s individual pages.
President, Enamel Guild North East
Executive Director, Worcester Center for CraftsJuror Statements
Diving Deep
