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Jewellery as Object D'art.
I have a friend who has a slate testicle.
It's not some kind of prosthetic following a nasty sporting accident, it's actually a perfectly smooth, ovoid slate pebble with a slice of silver embedded into it and finished flush with the surface.He holds it when he's feeling stressed and it's one of those beautiful tactile objects that somehow transmits something beneficial to the the holder.
Now I don’t want to say that having a piece of my jewellery is like holding my friend's testicle, but I would want all of my work to give pleasure as an object, almost like a sculpture, and not just look great as a piece of jewellery.
Whether it's a mobile phone, a car or a handbag we like to have and handle things that both look and feel stylish. It's no coincidence that much of the kind of jewellery that I produce is displayed and sold in art galleries rather than on the high street and many 'designer jewellers describe themselves as 'artists' rather than manufacturers or craftsmen.
Pleasure and treasure.
Personally, I wouldn't presume to call myself an artist. I love designing and making beautiful things and I aspire to make jewellery that has artistic merit but most of all I just aim to produce something that gives pleasure through what it is, and this means that it has to look and feel great. Where I've succeeded the piece will automatically be something that the owner will love to wear and will become a piece to treasure and to pass on. |
