‘documentations of the self’

BFA Thesis April 2019

Emotional Reflections
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        I am moved by the metalsmithing process. To me, the physical process of the metal, as it is altered in many different ways - evolving by my bodies engagement with it, is central to the pieces that you see in this body of work.
         The growth and development of inner emotional-mechanisms that drive the human existential condition resonate deeply with this extensive process. The activation of this concept is grounded in the changing and adapting cycle of the metal. The genesis of this work begins with the printmaking process where copper and bronze sheet metal plates are acid etched, inked and hand printed on paper. After the initial image has been printed, an exploration in altering shapes and a cycle of reprinting begins. As the etchings flow from works on paper and become adornment, the transformations live and breathe as new objects in intimate connection with the body; a synthesis between emotion, intellect, and intuition that have informed the making process.
          The techniques used in this work leans heavily on the contemporary and blends seamlessly with the traditional; etchings are set in the structure as if they are the gemstone of the piece, meaning they can never be printed on paper again without the complete deconstruction of the jewelry. All structural elements of each object are made out of hand forged steel wire and include either the original etching plate or a paper print.
        The evolution of the material, in sync with the repetitious patterns within the process itself, acts as a mirror to external elements in the physical world; using the internal cycles and patterns that reside with the body, the emotions, and the mind to relate to elements of the natural world such as landscapes and constellations personified as mirrored beings, carrying their own emotional energy and resonance that lives on in these wearable documentations of the self.