FUSENEWS - October 2018

The Enamelist Society Featured Member - Lauralee Hutson

By the artist:

"I like a pictorial language that follows some of the same guidelines of written language; metaphor, personification and entendres. I am a storyteller and love the art of writing original narratives as I embrace the ensuing challenges that accompany working them into composition, not as the written word but as dimensional elements that ‘tell’ the story. The decision to title a piece has always created tensions in me as I work through myriad options, tossing them aside as I burrow further into what it is I want to say, hence some pieces are titled and some are not. To allow the viewers to bring their own meaning to the piece, while still “getting” my message and creating a passive, nearly subliminal conversation between us is my ultimate goal, for what is storytelling if the story does not enlighten, spark empathy, or simply entertain?

Although a painter of sorts since I was ten years old, I came from the medical field, early childhood education and following a great personal trauma to a BFA degree in metal in 2001. It was a circuitous journey to the formal education in art but so necessary, as I now feel that I live in my true skin. As metal is limited in color, I added enameling to the list of classes I took while at Cleveland Institute of Art. A marriage was born, not for the first time between metal and glass, as enameling is an ancient art form, but a fusion of thought processes was born in me. My sculptural forms, where most of my narratives take place, frequently incorporate enameled elements. The challenges to joinery, which metal and glass impose, fuel my creative processes and force me to address, in tandem, the properties of both materials when designing. The results add dimensions that might otherwise not be included in the pieces I create and I enjoy the benefits of that forced consideration."