BFA, Studio Art
Single Discipline Focus (Jewelry & Metalsmithing)
BFA, Art Education
rory.sterbenz@gmail.com
Artist Statement
In Close Proximity
This series of brooches entitled In Close Proximity, explores the intimate impact that interpersonal relationships have on my everyday life. The brooches seek to capture my relationships with those who have made impacts throughout my time in Milwaukee. This body of work is heavily inspired by traditional cameos in jewelry, as my pieces act as wearable narratives that honor the connections and relationships in my life. Portraying these personal relationships and connections into the language of jewelry allows me to reflect on the ability of these objects to capture complex emotional narratives.
Historically, brooches have functioned as intimate and personal items, which I use to explore how wearable objects can act as a vessel of memory and give viewers a look into the subject’s life. The process and technical decisions— the crisp black-and-white contrast, intimate scale of the brooch, and the time consuming quality of champlevé—creates a dialogue between object, wearer, and viewer. For example, my piece, Lacking in Depth, I have used an image of my close friend doing karaoke, combined with piercing on the backside of the brooch inspired by The Strokes album, Is This It. My relationship with my subject has been heavily fueled by our shared love of music. Through this piece, I sought to convey that connection in a way that feels personal, intimate, and emotionally resonant—using both the form of enamel miniature paining to honor the layers of our relationship.
These brooches are not merely representations of individuals, but are metaphors for the impact that these subjects have on my daily life. This body of work is an exploration of the intimacy and connection that each relationship invokes translated into a wearable object.
