Sharon Massey

Bio

Sharon Massey is an assistant professor of Jewelry and Metals at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). Her work has been exhibited in Germany, Estonia, Poland, Italy, Spain, China, Japan, Canada and Australia, as well as across the United States. She has served on the board of directors of the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG) and the board of trustees of The Enamelist Society. Massey’s work has been included in numerous publications, including Metalsmith magazine, The Art of Enameling, and Art Jewelry Today 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th editions. She received her BFA from Winthrop University in 1999, and her MFA from East Carolina University in 2006.

Statement

My Brickwork series is inspired by the post-industrial landscape of Pittsburgh and surrounding areas. As the Rust Belt region has shifted from a reliance on coal, steel and manufacturing, remnants of that past have remained. Smokestacks, chimneys, and other masonry edifices are scattered like monuments around the region. These brick structures dominate both the urban landscape and the surrounding countryside. I use copper and enamel to meticulously recreate the essence of these structures, abstracting the forms to replace the literal architecture with my own inventions.