BFA, Studio Art
Single Discipline Focus (Jewelry & Metalsmithing)
Certificate in Digital Fabrication & Design
rarestblueorchid@gmail.com
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Artist Statement
Lucky Luxuries
In this series, titled “Lucky Luxuries”, I explore a commonly used symbol in commercial jewelry: the heart. The ubiquitous heart shape seen in my work evokes a sense of nostalgia with a new, but uncanny, twist on everyday costume and children’s jewelry. My excessive use of the heart illustrates the cultural and historical function that heart jewelry has played; this iconic symbol, often considered feminine, is also a token of love when given as a gift and remains a part of pop culture iconography of the early 2000s. The pendants become transformed from their plastic, rhinestone origin into precious materials like sterling silver, gemstones, and acrylic inlayed elm wood. The first pieces in the series, Lucky Clover and Clover Fields, explore the negative spaces and linework of the heart using only wire. As they are repeated like lace, they begin to resemble flowers and clovers. Alternatively, Blue Velvet uses asymmetry and a multitude of heart pendants, including a puffy decorative enameled heart. For my final piece, Pocket Locket, I continue challenging color application by combining the ancient jewelry technique of using vitreous enamel with the contemporary technique of using Prismacolor pencils. The specific colors emulate the rich pastels often seen on 2000s era toys marketed towards girls. These objects, made to be worn on the body, are housed in their very own recognizable box which elevates them and emphasizes their preciousness. The jewelry box contains the most valuable and cherished items in our home; it is frequently seen as the target for thieves in burglaries, and a favorite treasure by granddaughters playing dress up. In their decorative pose and precise position, the work is secured with intention, reinforcing the spirit of nostalgia.
