Eelco Veenman
- Conceptual silversmith
- The Netherlands
I bought the PUK to increase my possibilities in materials and techniques. After an initial period of experimentation to get to know the device, I made my first work with it, The Utah Teapot. I entered it for the 18th Silver Triennial International and won first prize, the Ebbe Weiss-Weingart Prize.
Jury statement: The sculptural quality of the object The Utah Teapot is impressive. The classic form of the teapot has been skillfully altered through breaking it down into facets, while its function as a pot has been convincingly nullified: the lid cannot be opened, the pot has no bottom, and the spout is closed. Through the use of a 3-D computer model of The Utah Teapot from 1975, an exciting further development of the application of digital media has been achieved. The execution took advantage of the PUK welding technique for the decoration of the object; the surface is confident in its sensitivity and elegance.
Next to making connections that are difficult or impossible with conventional goldsmithing techniques, I also often use the PUK for pre-fixing difficult silver solder joints and making my own tools and accessories.
The great thing about a PUK is that it works very intuitively, you don’t have to be a scientist to use it, especially if you always make some tests, first.
The device is in line with the way of working that suits a goldsmith, it requires – and shows – the motor skills of your hand, because you can always hold your workpiece in your hand during welding, not much different than sawing, filing or even drawing … almost like handwriting.
Eelco Veenman
Conceptual silversmith
The Netherlands