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Suzanne Pugh received a BFA in jewelry and
metals in 1995 from The University of Georgia and in 1998 received
an MFA from Kansas State University. For six years she was Metals
Studio Coordinator at Penland School of Crafts, and is currently a
studio artist in San Francisco and on faculty at City College of San
Francisco and Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts. Her work has been
published in many publications including Metalsmith Magazine,
The Metalsmiths Book of Boxes and Lockets,
The Art of Enameling: Techniques, Projects,
Inspiration, The
Penland Book of Jewelry, and
The Art & Craft of Making Jewelry : A Complete Guide to Essential
Techniques. |
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The focus of
my work is functional containers that relay personal narratives to
which most everyone can relate; stories describing fear, love,
volatility, frustration. The intricate surfaces and narratives serve
as lures to the viewer, inviting him or her to investigate the
container, read its account, study its texture, play with its
intricacies, become obsessed with it, and ultimately use it. Ideas
for these pieces are obliquely derived from country and western
singers’ costumes from the ‘40s and ‘50s, flashlights and neon
signs, other containers, Vic Chesnutt, Linda Barry, bluegrass music,
and matchbox graphics.
When I take
breaks from making narrative pieces, my work typically gravitates
toward jewelry, mainly brooches and rings. These pieces are inspired
by wildly diverse things, from modern paintings to ancient Roman
appointments-shields to jewelry. In these pieces I focus on more
formal matters such as balance, proportion, and scale. I find the
challenges that come with making jewelry refreshing; the technical
challenges of working on such a small scale and making new
mechanisms such as pin backs stimulate my relationship with metal
and with object-making.
Recently I have been investigating pewtersmithing. I find this media
quite exciting, as the metal cooperates with me more than any other
material. Pewter lends itself to fast work, meaning a teapot takes a
few days as compared to a week or two in silver. I have been
focusing on large hollowware; teapots, vases, and tumblers, all
based on architectural forms. I find these forms lend themselves
well to what I am after--a well designed piece with structural
integrity. Buttresses, columns, and other supports, along with
arches like those supporting ancient aqueducts, impress me and urge
me on to the next piece. |
