Description

My primary artistic focus is concerned with the making of jewelry— its links to artistic expression, the tradition of adornment, and culture— and how it is interpreted in a contemporary context. Over my career I have become interested in the idea of technology in craft and its relation to glamour, value, meaning, and power. My work deals with technology in its broadest sense, from the melting points of metal to the emergence of artificial intelligence, in attempts to investigate the way in which precious objects are made. I am fascinated by craft and its inherent meanings, the stories that the processes themselves tell, the way in which a unique object opens itself to a user or wearer. I am interested in the fundamental elements that make up jewelry: The stone, the setting, the symbol, the weight, the size, the expression. I am interested in how these elements combine with the wearer to fulfill a relationship and create a meaningful narrative. I am dedicated to understanding the relationship of culture to the medium of jewelry. My research practice incorporates elements of critical theory – and its specific relationship to the act of making. Craft and technology tell the story of a complex cultural history, including its systemic failures. My role of an artistic researcher in craft is specifically tied to developing research around material production, globalization, and exchange of value. Intrinsic in the very basics of jewelry are all the components for complex sociological conversations. Gender, power, value and conciseness are just a few examples of topics that are inevitable when viewing jewelry through a critical lens. I see the research process as an opportunity to keep my own studio practice in constant question through professional critique, cross-disciplinary exchange, and the publication of peer reviewed articles and papers. I am enthusiastic about collaboration, and maintain a working practice with the craft / design collective, Critical Plus, that I founded with Annika Pettersson and Charles Mathis in 2013. I see craft as a spectrum of disciplines and challenge my own practice by engaging in related fields, often connecting with artists and mediums based on my current context and space in which I create. Finally, I am interested in the tension inherent within jewelry – As a symbol of class and wealth – as an icon of both the genuine and the counterfeit. I am equally inspired by browsing gold chains on Canal St. in New York City as I am looking at the Venice Biennale in Italy – and I make sure to engage with that scope of influence on a regular basis. The act of owning and wearing jewelry is a responsibility and as a maker I am keenly aware of what I ask of those who choose to adorn themselves with what I create.