Synopsis
Julie Verhoeven, a fashion illustrator, artist and designer worked with vitreous enamel artist Elizabeth Turrell from the University of the West of England (UWE) to produce a unique public art work for Crest Nicholson’s Harbourside development in Bristol city centre.
Description
The panels, which together form a work called Red Herring, were installed at the entrance to the new Crescent building on the waterfront complex as part of a £1 million public art programme by Crest Nicholson.
Elizabeth Turrell explains, “We worked closely with Julie over a period of three months to produce the panels. The largest is a 1 metre circle, and they cover 16 square metres in total. The images are a collage of photographic images, prints and hand drawings and it is unusual to fire different mediums together in this way. We fired the vitreous glass panels at a temp of 800 degrees C onto steel panels. Our enamel on metal kiln is the largest in the country at an educational establishment and it can fire panels up to 6ft by 8ft. Once fired the image is permanent, fade-proof and weatherproof. This is an excellent way to produce long lasting, high quality public art works.”
The CFPR hold a patent on the water-based screenprinting process which enables the photographic image to be fired onto the panel.
Julie Verhoeven, who teaches Fashion Design and Illustration at Central St Martins Fashion College in London, said, “I chose to work with the CFPR because they have a history of working on unusual projects with artists, and they are always happy to handle projects which are out of the ordinary. They have been excellent to work with, and I am very happy with the finished work.”
Julie Verhoeven
Julie Verhoeven is an artist and designer based in London. After studying fashion she began her career assisting John Galliano before working in the fashion industry as a designer, illustrator, creative director and tutor.
Verhoeven’s own fashion label, Gibo by Julie Verhoeven, was launched in September 2002, and she went on to collaborate with global brands including, Louis Vuitton, Versace, Mulberry and H&M.
Verhoeven has exhibited internationally since 2003, including solo shows at MU, Eindhoven, ZINGERpresents, Amsterdam and Vera Gliem, Cologne with the publication of three books dedicated to her work, ‘A Bit of Rough’, ‘Fat- Bottomed Girls’ and ‘Julie Verhoeven, Gas Book 13’.
Julie Verhoeven has produced a number of past commissions for public space including the Contemporary Art Society’s ARTfutures 2007 at Bloomberg SPACE and Contemporary Art Society for The Economist Plaza programme in 2006.