Edge of the Sublime: Enamels by Jamie Bennett
Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, Massachusetts January — May 2008
National Ornamental Metal Museum, Memphis, Tennessee June — August 2008
Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, State University of New York at New Paltz September — November 2008
Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, Arkansas December 2008 — February 2009
Racine Art Museum, Racine, Wisconsin March — August 2009
Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue, Washington October 2009 — February 2010
The American enamelist, Jamie Bennett employs rich colors and delicate brushwork inspired by his studies of microscopic organisms, the natural world, and cultural influences gleaned during travels to Italy, Morocco, and Turkey. Edge of the Sublime traced the evolution of Bennett’s career that began with fragmented, abstract forms and grew into a celebration of pattern and decoration.
In addition to Bennet’s jewelry, the exhibition included enameled wall reliefs and oil paintings, some of the latter in compartmentalized frames with enameled forms, that documented his interest in the domestic sphere.
View of the installation at the Dorsky Museum, SUNY New Paltz.
I designed the cases with removable legs for this traveling exhibition; in addition, the delicate enameled jewelry was sewn in place to minimize handling over the course of the exhibition tour. I consulted conservators to ensure that the case interiors met conservation standards.
Edge of the Sublime: Enamels by Jamie Bennett
Exhibition Catalogue
Three essays in the catalogue approach the artist from different perspectives: they follow the trajectory of Bennet’s career, analyze his preparatory drawings, and address the conceptual aspects of his practice. It was accompanied by an exhibition history and bibliography. Curated by Jeannine Falino, with essays by Falino, Patricia C. Phillips and Karl Emil Willers. New York and Manchester: Fuller Craft Museum and Hudson Hills Press, 2008. 10 1/3 x 10 1/3 in.; 143 pages; illustrated. ISBN: 13:978-1-55595-284-6