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Artist Statement:
Metals have always been used for both their seductive nature and utilitarian qualities.
From the earliest days, advances in the use of metal measured our culture's progress.
Even today, a remarkable period in our history is referred to as the Golden Age. From
my first attempt to work with this unique material, it captured my imagination. I began to understand my need to work with a material that was technically, physically, and
intellectually challenging. The risk of failure must always be present in my work.
Recently, I have returned to the seductive nature of precious materials and polished finishes. The beauty of the material brought me back to jewelry. I quickly realized that I needed to work in a more intimate scale and that the messages contained in my larger work still needed a voice that would be reflected in the work when it is worn. I found myself combining not only silver and gold, but I was also adding steel and other materials I'd used in knifemaking.
I have always been fascinated with obscure and rare techniques. I began experimenting with historic techniques from the Middle East and Japan. Now, with over 25 years of working with both Mokume-Gane and Damascus steel, I am able to bring them out of their normal realms and incorporate their use as materials in jewelry and hollowware.
Mokume-Gane, meaning wood grain metal, and Damascus steel, named after Damascus,
Syria where it originated, are both layering techniques. The finished material can contain from 20 to 5000 layers painstakingly bonded by heat and pressure. These laborious techniques require many hours of work preparing the metal for use in the final piece.
Both Damascus steel and Mokume-Gane are very challenging materials to work with.
The blending of different metals in the fire of the forge, while maintaining the integrity of the individual components is the challenge. Literally, just a few degrees can make the difference between success and failure. Both materials are patterned for the specific object they are intended to become. The material is then contrasted with other elements of silver and gold which are used to enhance the form and message of the piece. The challenge is to use this precious material, labored over for hours, in a manner that highlights the overall object.
My work is about myth, fantasy, and the art of human interaction. It often makes a statement about our society and the world around us. The messages are not always readily apparent. They exist primarily in my imagination. The work is intended to engage the viewer and hopefully begin a new journey with them.
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