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In the early 1960s, enamel artist June Schwarcz's husband Leroy, a mechanical engineer, constructed an electroplating tank so she could plate raised designs to fill with champlevé and cloisonné enamels. Schwarcz was also fascinated by textiles, and she maintained lifelong friendships with Bay Area fiber artists Lillian Elliott (1930–94) and Kay Sekimachi (b. 1926). Based on her experiments with electroplating and her knowledge of textiles, Schwarcz developed a remarkable method for electroforming vessels. After finalizing a pattern in paper, she crafted the shape from thin copper foil by cutting, folding, gathering, and stitching with copper wire—almost treating the material like fabric. Schwarcz then submerged the form in her electroplating tank, which deposited a layer of metal that strengthened the vessel. In later years, Schwarcz substituted copper screen for foil, drawn to the screen for its lighter weight and fabric-like qualities. A very special thank you to Forrest L. Merrill for making this exhibition possible. See “June Schwarcz: Unconventional Enamels,” on display, post-security, in Harvey Milk Terminal 1 and online at: https://bit.ly/UnconventionalEnamels
This image was posted on February 02, 2024.