Juliette Bigley on metal
31.05.22. Internet.
Juliette Bigley is an artist who creates extraordinary, abstract, but somehow familiar, pieces out of metal. I first saw her work at New Designers, the graduate design show held annually in London, after she left the Cass in 2013 – and since then her career has gone from strength to strength. She has a piece in the permanent collection of the V&A; won a slew of awards; written a book entitled, Material Perspectives; and exhibited around the world.
Happily, she’s also an incredibly eloquent advocate for her material of choice and the importance of thinking through making.
In this episode we talk about: discovering metal by chance and the effect that moment had on her life; why making helps her to understand the world; how different metals have contrasting personalities; her fascination with the vessel; a love of lines and boundaries; her background in singing and healthcare; the relationship between music and making; her problem with perfection; oh and swimming the Channel (yes, really).
Find out more about Juliette Bigley
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7e0a4a13c056f6e2831156476492b31c88667a9ef0ec100fd480421b98d17edb/Juliette-Bigley--Squares-pair--mixed-metals--320x280x160--2018--photo-Nicola-Tree--high-res-12.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/68371ad4be8818fb8ee052e6d93c03a51b3fd00d570ee1dc5143d61a8e7f7827/Juliette-Bigley--Group-of-Four--Steel--320x88-each--2018--photo-Nicola-Tree--high-res-3.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/646fa355484b3ddd4d5873cadbc1cc61b82a7e997e6ccb5022dbeca008c9119a/Juliette-Bigley--Planes-4--steel-and-silver--22x36x10cm--high-res--photo-credit-Nicola-Tree-1.jpg)
This piece is part of her Planes series and is made from a combination of steel and silver.
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/39930f2a477d9d7ebce4c94054ab0975871251cc4d86fb50e58c47030655b1ab/Juliette-Bigley--Steel-and-silver-wallpiece-2--steel-and-silver--35x20x5cm--high-res--photo-credit-Nicola-Tree-2.jpg)
The power of steel and the subtlety is silver is a favourite combination for the artist. (All images by Nicola Tree)