About Stacey
Stacey Bentley graduated from Edinburgh College of Art in 2008
with a 1st class honours degree in Jewellery and Silversmithing. It
was here that she first developed a passion for enamelling as part
of the jewellery making process, inspiring her to embark upon an MA
in jewellery, also at ECA.
A visit to the Enamel Research Centre at the University of the
West of England introduced Stacey to liquid enamel, which allowed
her to experiment with more painterly, contemporary effects. Since
then she has continuously challenged and questioned the processes
and techniques of enamel, creating her own visual aesthetic.
Stacey’s vision
Through material experimentation, Stacey’s work explores the new
possibilities that industrial liquid enamel can bring to
contemporary jewellery. Her aim is to challenge the pre-conceived
ideas attached to enamel by questioning technique, process and
aesthetic.
Stacey’s elegant yet gritty structural work is informed and
inspired by the industrial city. When creating new designs, she
paints patterns and structures observed on her journeys through
urban scenes onto small scale panels using industrial liquid
enamel. She then transforms these images into tactile, wearable,
sculptural forms that reflect her ideas of the city.
Stacey comments; ‘I enjoy experimenting with the roughness of
the enamel which I combine with smooth silver wire. The strength of
the silver opposes yet compliments the fragility of the enamel
coated binding wire.’
In future research, Stacey would like to investigate the rusting
process of binding wire and the effects it would have on fused
vitreous enamel as she finds this uncontrollable element
fascinating.
Photo gallery