PRESS RELEASE: 12 April 2014
Edinburgh-Based Artist Jeff Zimmer Wins Prestigious Award at 2014 Coburg Prize
Edinburgh-based artist Jeff Zimmer has won Second Prize at the 2014 Coburg Prize, hailed as 'the most important event... show(ing) contemporary works by artists who work with glass.'
The award was announced 12 April at a ceremony by The Kunstsammlungen of the Veste Coburg (Art Collections of the Veste Coburg, Germany), who have organised the European-wide competition only four times, in 1977, 1985, 2006 and 2014.
Zimmer's two works, The Disconnect Between Action and Consequences (Drone 1) and (Drone 2), explore the disconnect between actions and consequences, particularly relating to power. Politicians, executives, and financiers rarely experience the harshest repercussions of the decisions they make. Like the remote operators of unmanned drones, they have the power to disrupt and destroy without exposing themselves to the consequences they inflict on others.
Zimmer has developed an innovative method of image-making. His three-dimensional works are constructed by hand-painting enamels on many layers of glass, using techniques and materials used for centuries in stained glass. Each layer of glass is fired many times in a kiln to 560°C to permanently affix the enamel to the surface. Because of the depth of the layers of glass, each image has a palpable sense of three dimensions.
For the 2014 Coburg Prize, The Veste Coburg (Coburg's commandingly-sited castle) and the European Museum of Modern Glass in nearby Rödental are exhibiting 170 works of art by 150 international artists from 26 nations. With increased migration, national borders and characteristics are becoming less fixed. Europeans have migrated around the world, and Europe has become the home for many artists from America and Asia. This exhibition reflects that diversity.
According to the organisers: "Alongside painstakingly designed objects created with the utmost precision, many works with a more conceptual approach are also on display. The striking thing about them is the use of different materials and media. For example, wood, metal, iron, photography and video stand on an equal par with glass. In the past few years, glass has been used in a wide variety of ways and now commands a firm place in modern art."
Scottish-based artists are well represented in the exhibition, including: Karen Akester, Juli Bolaños-Durman, Rachel Mary Elliott, Carrie Fertig and Anne Petters,
The international panel of judges consisted of Sven Hauschke, Kunstsammlungen der Veste Coburg, Milan Hlaveš, Museum of Decorative Arts, Prague, Susanne Jøker-Johnsen, Bornholm, Peter Layton, London, Jutta-Annette Page, Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo/Ohio, Anne Vanlatum, Musée-Atelier départemental du Verre, Sars-Poteries and as a non-voting member Klaus Weschenfelder, Kunstsammlungen der Veste Coburg, has selected from the participating artists eleven prize winners. There will also be a Visitors Award.
There is a bilingual, fully illustrated catalogue for € 29.00 available at the museum galleries or for circa € 39.95 from bookshops (Schnell & Steiner publishing house).
The award was announced 12 April at a ceremony by The Kunstsammlungen of the Veste Coburg (Art Collections of the Veste Coburg, Germany), who have organised the European-wide competition only four times, in 1977, 1985, 2006 and 2014.
Zimmer's two works, The Disconnect Between Action and Consequences (Drone 1) and (Drone 2), explore the disconnect between actions and consequences, particularly relating to power. Politicians, executives, and financiers rarely experience the harshest repercussions of the decisions they make. Like the remote operators of unmanned drones, they have the power to disrupt and destroy without exposing themselves to the consequences they inflict on others.
Zimmer has developed an innovative method of image-making. His three-dimensional works are constructed by hand-painting enamels on many layers of glass, using techniques and materials used for centuries in stained glass. Each layer of glass is fired many times in a kiln to 560°C to permanently affix the enamel to the surface. Because of the depth of the layers of glass, each image has a palpable sense of three dimensions.
For the 2014 Coburg Prize, The Veste Coburg (Coburg's commandingly-sited castle) and the European Museum of Modern Glass in nearby Rödental are exhibiting 170 works of art by 150 international artists from 26 nations. With increased migration, national borders and characteristics are becoming less fixed. Europeans have migrated around the world, and Europe has become the home for many artists from America and Asia. This exhibition reflects that diversity.
According to the organisers: "Alongside painstakingly designed objects created with the utmost precision, many works with a more conceptual approach are also on display. The striking thing about them is the use of different materials and media. For example, wood, metal, iron, photography and video stand on an equal par with glass. In the past few years, glass has been used in a wide variety of ways and now commands a firm place in modern art."
Scottish-based artists are well represented in the exhibition, including: Karen Akester, Juli Bolaños-Durman, Rachel Mary Elliott, Carrie Fertig and Anne Petters,
The international panel of judges consisted of Sven Hauschke, Kunstsammlungen der Veste Coburg, Milan Hlaveš, Museum of Decorative Arts, Prague, Susanne Jøker-Johnsen, Bornholm, Peter Layton, London, Jutta-Annette Page, Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo/Ohio, Anne Vanlatum, Musée-Atelier départemental du Verre, Sars-Poteries and as a non-voting member Klaus Weschenfelder, Kunstsammlungen der Veste Coburg, has selected from the participating artists eleven prize winners. There will also be a Visitors Award.
There is a bilingual, fully illustrated catalogue for € 29.00 available at the museum galleries or for circa € 39.95 from bookshops (Schnell & Steiner publishing house).
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DATES:
Award ceremony: 12 April, 2014 Exhibition: 13 April - 14 September |
CONTACT:
Jeff Zimmer +44(0)791 639 4858 [email protected] Dr. Sven Hauschke Director, European Museum of Modern Glass Kunstsammlunng der Veste Coburg Veste 96450 Coburg Germany Tel. +49 (0)9561-87911 [email protected] |
VENUES:
Veste Coburg 96450 Coburg Germany |
European Museum for Modern Glass Schloss Rosenau 96472 Rödental Germany |
Images (click on images below to download)
The Disconnect Between Action and Consequence (Drone 1)
Multiple layers of hand enameled and etched glass in lightbox, vintage frame 54h x 25w x 14d cm/21"h x 10"w x 5.5"d 2013 Photo: © Jeff Zimmer 
Jeff Zimmer working at lighbox
(click on image to download) Photo © Jeff Zimmer |
The Disconnect Between Action and Consequence (Drone 2)
Multiple layers of hand enameled and etched glass in lightbox, vintage frame 54h x 25w x 14d cm/21"h x 10"w x 5.5"d 2013 Photo: © Jeff Zimmer Official Flyer for the 2014 Coburg Prize |
