Artist Statement
It was the physicality and precision involved in Jewelry and Small Metals that drew me to the craft and it is the intimate platform for conceptual debate and social interaction that keeps me interested. When I work with my hands I am reminded that every man made object was derived through someone’s hands, translating an idea into three dimensional form. This connection to humanity, history, and invention gives me a sense of power and liberation. In my work I strive to find my voice through form and concept, by telling a story or evoking conversations and new ideas through an object, and by relating to the viewer/wearer on an intimate level that can only be achieved by holding an entire work in one’s hand, slipping it onto one’s body, or leaning in close to see the nuances captured in each piece.
Much of my work deals with the observation of nature and humanity. I am interested in our attempts to define, control, and manipulate that which is found in nature as well as the social constructs that we place on ourselves. I am especially interested in cultural associations dealing with family, mechanization, and humanities use of the natural world. My interest in these topics stems from a background in the arts as well as the sciences. I feel that the two disciplines are directly related through a core emphasis on the observation and the understanding of the world around us. Repetition, abstraction and the juxtaposition of nature and industrialism are often employed to convey these motifs.
Topics I've explored in the past include is that of possession: the possession of physical property and wealth as well as the possession of people through contracts and social norms. In my piece “Possession”, I have created a ring of betrothal that clearly spells out possession as well as physically possesses the wearer; however, it is also meant to challenge the historical social norm of a woman being possessed by a man through marriage by allowing the wearer to participate in the act of possession. Another concept I am exploring deals with the possession of the natural world through the metamorphosis of the natural into the mechanical. The first of these pieces, entitled “Metamorphosis”, presents the viewer with one outcome that might be reached through the observation, abstraction, and transformation of a moth into a man made tool. “Metamorphosis” is meant to illustrate the process of observation and manipulation of that which is natural into that which is used to define and manipulate the natural world.
I recently finished a project to create a ring a day for 1 year. I was lucky enough to hear about the project on crafthaus and joined the flickr group, created by Nina Dinoff, in March of 2010. The group was full of many fabulous jewelry artists of all levels. Many of the rings were featured in PUNCH gallery of Seattle, WA during the 2011 SNAG conference. 700 rings from the project were also selected by Marthe Le Van from Lark Publishing which was just released August 2011. For the last leg of my RAD journey I focused on paper rings which have lead to an exploration of paper craft in metal. Our propensity to immortalize accomplishments and benchmarks with plaques, statues, trophies, etc. has always interested me. When we want something to stick around for the next generation we immortalize it in bronze. When we want to spend an afternoon making something delicate, interesting, or thoughtful for a friend we often choose paper. I hope to continue to investigate the parallels and contrasts of the two mediums.
