Between Geographies 1 by Helen Elliot

Jewelry

Liquid Enamel, Jewelry Enamel, Steel, Sterling Silver, Glass Threads.

Painted enamel (Limoges), sifted enamel, sgraffito

3 Inches in Diameter

My collective memory is rich with references to location and culture that harkens back to childhood memories and provides an early visual awareness combined with tactile experiences. My mother's meticulous stitchery, darning, knotted threads for adornment on dresses for my sister and I bring to mind the first marks of embellishment that caught my notice.
In contrast but equally important are the wayside shacks that are a part of the Jamaican landscape and much of my gaze during early years as we traveled throughout the country. They were innovative structures that had a certain aesthetic that was quirky and charming. This was a result of using diverse materials that came out of need and necessity. It is gathering of materials, making selection of this and that, turning inside out, working with whatever the environment throws up! Chosen materials and methods used is an embodiment of deep acknowledgment for the ancestral linkage and celebration of the handmade.

That same spirit of innovation that I had witnessed as a child became an important force as I was introduced to using the industrial material (porcelain enamel) used on steel. That has been a fascinating journey and opened up the opportunity for me to experiment and explore the potential of porcelain (a liquid enamel) as well as jewelry enamel used separately or combined. These materials of such permanence allowed me to express fades and changes inherent in memory. Enameled surfaces become multi-layered films, sometimes conveying a soft, mist-like quality ranging through to a palette rich in carefully built up veils of colored glass.

Sgraffito is so much a part of my mark-making vocabulary as the scratching through reveals stops and starts, reflection of nature, of memory, the bends and turns of things! Layers are added, partial images erased and intercepting voices create a new perspective to an unending dialogue. The viewer is invited to bring their own experiences and join with the artist to engage in a conversation that does not warrant an agreed conclusion.