Craft in America with Harriete Estel Berman
JEWELRY ARTIST Harriete Estel Berman with her tin collection in her San Mateo, California studio. Photograph by Denise Kang.
Harriete Estel Berman creates jewelry from recycled materials, like black plastic food containers and old tin cans. As much an aesthetic choice as it is a very clear environmental statement, Berman’s work was covered in Ornament Volume 42, No. 1. Her work and philosophy were explored in the Craft in America Jewelry Episode on PBS. Here, we include the extended interview with Harriete while working on Volume 42, No. 4’s Craft in America article.
HARRIETE ESTEL BERMAN works with tin in her San Mateo, California studio. Photograph by Aryn Shelander.
Where were you when you were first approached for the Craft in America episode? How did they broach the subject to you?
Right out of the blue, in the middle of April 2021, the phone rang. Carol Sauvion called to ask if I would like to be part of the Craft In America series. Are you kidding? I have wanted to be part of Craft In America for years and years. It was a wish come true—and a bright light in the midst of a worldwide pandemic.
Carol said there would only be a small (six person) film crew. I was immediately thinking hard about the artwork that I needed to finish for a scheduled exhibition, and worried whether there would be enough time to clean my studio.
What was the filming experience like? Did anything surprise you, or stand out to you? What was it like working with the film crew?
During the video recording I was so busy trying to anticipate what we would do next, sharing ideas about what might be interesting, and then thinking ahead about how to help the camera “see” the tools or equipment in action. The reality of the crew’s presence shifted my mind into overdrive. I had been thinking of what might be interesting to film for six weeks; searching through raw materials, selecting images, showing work in progress, metalworking techniques, detailed assembly, or final content. It was all tucked up inside my brain, so that if they asked “what shall we do next or what shall we film in this spot” I was ready with suggestions. And it was amazing, they loved the ideas and readily adapted their gear, camera angles, lighting, and microphones. However, one of the biggest surprises is that there was never any practice, no “take two.” It was just a few minutes to prepare the scene, then wind up Harriete and “go.”
The crew was only at my house/studio for two days over a weekend. Wow. Wow, Wow. The crew worked quickly; everyone knew their roles and what needed to be done.
What are your thoughts on the episode itself? Were there any parts that particularly resonated with you?
IDENTITY BRACELET: TRIANGULAR METALLIC GOLD WITH LINEAR MOTIF by Harriete Estel Berman. Photograph courtesy of the artist.
I have been aching to discuss the jewelry episode with the other jewelry people. So far, for a variety of reasons, I’ve not yet had the opportunity.
The editor did a fabulous job developing several threads throughout the episode. For example, the initial segment introduced gold and precious materials with Tom Herman (all aligning with traditional definitions for jewelry), then contrasted gracefully at the opposite end of the spectrum with my jewelry made from recycled materials-trash.
That was my favorite part. I loved how it led the audience into the conventional mindset of jewelry, and then shook up every traditional definition of jewelry with my work.
There were other fascinating contrasts, such as Gabrielle Gould’s approach of pre-drawing a sketch for every necklace versus Jesse Monongya’s letting the spirit guide his construction. Or Gould’s use of soft feathers for a raw material versus Monongya’s use of stone. These sublime contrasts deftly stretched the viewers’ notions of jewelry.
I have admired Art Smith’s jewelry from the mid-20th century for many years. His work was ground breaking for the aesthetics of jewelry in his time. However, if the viewer was unfamiliar with Art Smith or the history of 20th century jewelry, there was not enough background or explanation about why his work was so interesting and collectible.
There was another recurring thread of “mentorship” in this episode as well as many other episodes of the Craft In America series. Two examples would be Tom Herman teaching his son or Joyce Scott attending a workshop from Art Smith. The historical connection of Joyce Scott with Art Smith was interesting, but I think they could have used the precious few minutes of the video to better explain why Art Smith jewelry is so interesting and for its impact on jewelers who emerged later. The curator could have done this very well.
What stood out to you as the difference between a video setup for computer video and film?
A Zoom call is just a talking head—you try your best, but it is limited to sound bites and two dimensions. The extraordinary capabilities of a video crew capture much more of reality, whether close ups of handwork or walk-throughs of your studio; from over your shoulder views of sawing or hammering to panoramic views of your neighborhood.
Each has its place and value proposition. The Zoom computer conversation accommodates immediate conveyance of information, but the professional video creates a wonderful legacy to share for a broad audience into the future.
In my opinion, the association with PBS adds a lot of credibility.
You can visit Craft in America at their website, and learn more about the Jewelry episode here: www.craftinamerica.org/episode/jewelry. For more on Harriete Estel Berman, you can visit her here: harrieteestelberman.com.
JEWELRY ARTIST Harriete Estel Berman uses recycled black plastic to create her jewelry. Photograph by Denise Kang.
Patrick R. Benesh-Liu is now Coeditor of Ornament and a lifelong participant in his parents’ creative journey. From growing up in the Ornament office on La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles to his first administrative work in the Vista, California building during high school, Benesh-Liu has had the fortune of being immersed in craft, culture and wearable art. Now as one of the two guiding editors for the magazine, he continues to reflect on the vital work his mother and father have done in advancing the historical chronicling of jewelry and clothing artists for over forty-eight years. In this special edition he contributes a review of the Craft in America Jewelry episode, where both he and Robert K. Liu were interviewed amongst several jewelry artists, all of whom have been covered in the magazine. He also writes about his mother’s extraordinary collection of jewelry, which was the subject of an exhibition at the Wayne Art Center in Wayne, Pennsylvania.
