Like some kind of sports equipment or protective device that’s been subject to hard use, American artist Aaron Patrick Decker’s brooch is a trompe-l’oeil, a technical trick where hard metal appears to be soft foam or plastic. It is only touch that dispels the illusion, and in turn reveals the skill that allows the ancient technique of enamel to create such a contemporary adornment. Decker studied at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, graduating with an MFA in 2015. That same year he was awarded the Marzee Graduate Prize, from Galerie Marzee in Njimegen, and the Mercedes Benz Financial Services Emerging Artist Award 2015, which provided a residency at the esteemed Kunstlerhaus Bethanien in Berlin. His work has been shown in solo and group exhibitions in the United States, the Netherlands, Germany, and China.
Aaron Decker
SQUISHED GUARD
2017
enamel on copper, silver, and nickel
1 5/8 x 4 x 1 1/4 inches