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Sculptural Form
As Schwarcz became proficient in electroplating, she realized she could use that process---rather than standard, physically demanding metalworking techniques---to create three-dimensional, sculptural forms. Her breakthrough in the early 1960s enlisted her skills in design, patternmaking and sewing, and plating to formulate a dramatically new approach and a powerful body of work.
Schwarcz conceived these pieces by first creating paper forms, maquettes of a sort, that resembled sewing patterns. Using these paper templates, she cut sheets of thin copper foil into the desired shapes. She then sewed these shapes together, often in vessel forms, using copper wire. She next immersed the still-malleable, stitched copper form in the plating tank for several days until it was substantial enough to stand on its own. It was then ready to be cleaned, enameled, fired, and finished. |