Poems in Silver and Glass
The University of Arizona Poetry Center
2021
Vitreous Enamel Cloisonné on copper with silver, inset into walnut, poplar, maple, cherry, mahogany, and beech panels. 7.5” x 5.5” x .75” each.
The University of Arizona Poetry Center is one of my favorite places: a huge poetry library, with open stacks, where visitors are invited to browse and read. Inspired by this place dedicated to sharing this quiet art form, I created a project where visual art could live among the books.
Shelved in the stacks, dozens of cloisonné elements set into book-sized wood panels wait to be discovered by library patrons. The warm wood and cool enamel feel smooth in your hands. Each piece features a different abstract design, with tiny detail and color variations that reward close examination. My aim was to create a purely visual and sensual analog to the experience of reading a poem—to give the language part of the visitor’s mind a rest, and present them with a poetic experience in color, form, line, and texture.
Video about the project
Article about the project
Funded by an Arizona Commission on the Arts Research and Development Grant
