EXPO ‘Helen Shirk: Traces’ – Velvet da Vinci, San Francisco (USA) – 5 Janv.6 Fevr. 2011

Known for her bold and unique use of color on metal, Helen Shirk‘s work can often be recognized by her technique of employing colored pencil on the surface of large vessels. In this new body of work, she explores a smaller, wearable scale of jewelry that is colored with China paint rather than pencil. The result is a more severe burst of color that has been eroded and scratched away with a coarse file following the assembly of each piece.
Helen Shirk has been the recipient of National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships in 1978 and 1988 and was made a Fellow of the American Crafts Council in 1999. Her work has been exhibited in the U.S. and abroad and included in many public collections, among them the Schmuckmuseum (Pforzheim), National Museum of Modern Art (Kyoto), Victoria and Albert Museum (London), Mint Museum of Craft and Design, American Craft Museum, Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian, Carnegie Museum, and Oakland Museum.

Helen Shirk « Green Garnet Trace » Brooch

« My relationship with nature has strengthened over the years, becoming a spiritual resource for my life and art. Currently I’m working on a body of jewelry for the first time since 1994, still using the natural world as my focus. I worry about the effects of global warming, man-made calamities, diminishing resources and species. I find myself wondering what the earth will look like for my son and grandchildren. It has made me consider the vital role nature plays in my enjoyment of life everyday. This series is called Traces. After years of making pieces that didn’t involve the body, I chose to use the smaller scale and traditional materials of jewelry to evoke a sense of intimacy and preciousness; that seemed appropriate for reflection on pleasure and loss. I’m still involved with color, but there is some violence in it. » (Helen Shirk)

Helen Shirk « Turquoise Trace » Brooch

 

Helen Shirk « Lapis Trace » Brooch

Helen Shirk « Amber Trace » Brooch

 

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