Judy Pyle
United States
“ COURAGEOUS EPIPHANY “
"Courageous is my friend's reaction to a racist comment made to her and her family: she posted her raw and powerful words on Facebook, that all-inclusive confessional. The Epiphany is mine: when I saw the post, I wanted to use it in a piece of art. I've been making enameled Visual Rhetoric for about 20 years: about gun reform and mass shootings; the inhumane treatment of immigrants; the invasion of Ukraine; lost businesses and their signs; to name a few. In my mind, and on paper, this piece quickly became an accordion book, with a small grill (in this case a confessional window) in a frame --a recurring theme in my work. I had 4" square pieces of wood that was the physical starting point; a reasonable size. I thought.
I learned how to make words with both copper wire and thin copper sheet. I began using my kiln rather than torches for firing because uneven heat distribution made rippling pieces. I made many samples. I had many surprises. I planned and replanned how I would make the offset hinges, which I'd never used before, either in real life or metalwork. Paper mockups made their appearance. I taped sketchbook pages together and over each other. I had permission from my friend to use her post, and she insisted I use her name. I edited one word, making an ugly sculpture where it would be placed. I riveted the hinges to the wood backing plates and then riveted the enameled pieces to the wood. I learned that there is always another way to approach most problems. I learned how to cut letters and will use that skill again.
So my friend's courage led to my epiphany, with the result, "What's on Your Mind?".
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