Modern Design

William Harper – Lot Essay

Artist William Harper honed his jewelry making skills at Case Western Reserve and Cleveland Institute of Art from which he graduated in 1967. Studying with John Paul Miller and Kenneth Bates, he specialized in enamel work early on and wrote the masterful book Step-by-Step Enameling: A Complete Introduction to the Craft of Enameling in 1973 at age 29. It has been his primary medium since, and like history’s best painters, his voice is distinct.

Harper’s artistic process is improvisational. He lets the materials guide him and while each piece may stand alone, his carefully titled series provide context to the work. His iconography includes diverse global cultures, religious, and gender references.

Each one-of-a-kind work is a colorful primal fantasy. The intricate cloisonné enamels possess vibrant color palettes and abstract lines. Yet, Harper’s work is not solely dependent on enamel and interplays with his master hand work as a goldsmith and his interest in assemblage.

Rare to auction, Harper’s sculptures are often containers that appear crudely created yet contain precious jewelry. Harper intentionally seeks this dichotomy. They are called “casks” or “books” and are the artist’s own expression paying homage to African Nkisi Nkondi, Joseph Cornell’s boxes, or religious reliquaries.

William Harper once said, “There are painters who are craftsmen; there are jewelers who are artists, I maintain that the finest art, in any medium, results from those who are both artists and craftsmen.”