April 15 – May 8, 2016

Artists’ Reception: Friday April 15, 6-8pm

Velvet da Vinci’s third group exhibition focusing on the ancient form of ear adornment and its current production in the realm of contemporary art jewelry.

Featured Artists:

Carolina Andersson, Jill Baker Gower, Lynn Batchelder, Kristin Beeler, Jesse Bert, Elisa Bongfeldt, Ashley Buchanan, Raissa Bump, Liz Clark, Kat Cole, Nikki Couppee, Cara Croninger, Lisa Crowder, Lisa and Scott Cylinder, Donna D’Aquino, Anna Davern, Jeffrey Lloyd Dever, Sandra Enterline, Nicolas Estrada, Joanna Gollberg,  Caroline Gore, Liisa Hashimoto, Brandon Holschuh, Daphne Krinos, Maia Leppo, Tara Locklear, Kristin Lora, Judy McCaig, Owen Mclnerney, Jillian Moore, Robert Thomas Mullen, Seth Papac, Meghan Patrice Riley, Cynthia Rohrer, Vina Rust, Yuka Saito, Biba Schutz, Caitie Sellers, Karin Seufert, Leslie Shershow, Rachel Shimpock, Eric Silva, Jan Smith, Boline Strand, Amy Tavern, Julia Turner, Lauren Tickle, Myung Urso, Aric Verrastro, Sam Woehrmann, April Wood, Mizuko Yamada, Sayumi Yokouchi

Yuka Saito, Luminous-T, Polyester, sterling silver. Photo: Ralph Gabriner

Daphne Krinos, Myra earrings, oxidized silver, ruby doublets, diamonds, smokey quartz

Anna Davern, Rocks Earrings, Sublimate printed steel, sterling silver

Jan Smith, Folded Form, Sterling silver, pearls

Eric Silva, Antler Earrings, Brass, Antler

Brandon Holschuh, Earrings, Oxidized sterling silver, black spinel, diamonds, 14k gold

Karin Seufert, Earrings no 415, PVC, silver

Vina Rust, Aerenchyma Earrings, Sterling silver, 18K & 14K gold

Nikki Couppee, Studs, Plexi, brass, sterling silver, fine silver

Seth Papac, Torn Hoops, Vermeil

Meghan Patrice Riley, Waft Earrings, Nylon-coated steel, sterling silver

Aric Verrastro, Garden Earrings steel, sterling silver, 14k gold, thread, acrylic paint

April Wood, Scalloped Fan Hoop Earrings, Steel, silver

Liisa Hashimoto, Yellow Square Chair with Shadow Earring, Silver, brass, acrylic paint

Lauren Tickle, $16.00, Currency Converted, US Dollars, Silver, Monofilament

Lynn Batchelder, Teardrop Stud, Steel, silver posts

Tara Locklear, Fancy Flats Collection FFVII, Broken skateboards, sterling silver, stainless steel

Raissa Bump, 4 Hemisphere Earrings, Oxidized sterling silver, red glass beads

Cara Croninger, Drops, Polyester resin

Nicolas Estrada, Guava Skulls, Guava wood, silver, gold, quartz

Carolina Andersson, Dogwood Cluster Earrings, Sterling silver, 24k gold, freshwater pearls

Jillian Moore, Red Stretched Droops w/ Chrome Lips, Polymer clay, paint, resin

Robert Thomas Mullen, Earrings, sea shell, antler, coral, petrified Alaskan white pine, crustacean and silver

Julia Turner, Ballast Earrings (Walnut/Pink), Walnut and sterling silver

Donna D’Aquino, Large Steel Structure Earrings. Steel, 18ky gold

Myung Urso, Earrings Random II, Found objects, ss, thread, lacquer

Sayumi Yokouchi, “NOIRE” Stud Earring Series, Oxidized silver, diamonds

Maia Leppo, Silicone Flower Posts steel, silver, silicone rubber

Ashley Buchanan, 6pc Chain Dangles – Light Grey Gradient, brass, powder coat, silver

Kat Cole, Box Hoops Yellow, Steel, sterling silver, enamel

Kristin Beeler, Magdalena’s Pearls, 18k, pearl, ink

Jill Baker Gower, 3D Doily Dangle, Oxidized steel, bronze Infused, argentium sterling silver

Rachel Shimpock, Crumb Studs, Sterling silver, copper, vitreous enamel

Owen McInerney, Floral Studs, Oxidized sterling silver, gold, cz

Kristin Lora, Striped Branded Earrings, Sterling silver, fishing flies

Caitie Sellers, Fancy Hoops, Argentium sterling silver, copper mesh

Jeffrey Lloyd Dever, Morning Legacy, Polymer, sterling silver, map pin

Caroline Gore, Tri-Cone Earring, Oxidized sterling silver

Sandra Enterline, Fringe Earring, Sterling silver, steel, 18k gold

Leslie Shershow, Tampa , Silver, brass, copper, paint

Cynthia Rohrer, Sliding Away, Sterling silver, 14K gold post

Judy McCaig, Ojos Negros, 18k gold, silver, citrine, gold leaf, resin

Joanna Gollberg, Stick & Circle Earrings, Lapis, chalcedony, 18K yellow gold, sterling silver

Biba Schutz, 1-ANT-2 UP Earrings, Antler, oxidized sterling silver

Boline Strand, Pomegranate Primadonna Earrings, 18k, 14k, and 22k yellow gold, ruby, carnelian, garnet, amethyst, ink sapphire, carnelian

Amy Tavern, Tension Earrings, brass, sterling

Sam Woehrmann, Chrysoprase Earrings, Gold, chrysoprase

Jesse Bert, Small Oval Drops , sterling silver, Antique ivory from piano keys (1911 or prior) rivets

Elisa Bongfeldt, Oval Fringe Earrings, Oxidized sterling silver, 14k gold

Lisa Crowder, Cutout Hoops, 14k gold vermeil

Lisa & Scott Cylinder, Triad Earrings #2, Silver, bronze, celluloid, blue onyx, lapis lazuli, paint

Liz Clark, Leaf Bloom, Oxidized sterling silver

Mizuko Yamada, Earrings, Aluminum, sterling silver

Mark Hartung, Fold-a-Boat, Copper, prismacolor pencil and black patina

Mark Hartung

An exhibition of new sculptures by the Cleveland based metalsmith

April 15 – May 8, 2016

Artist’s Reception: Friday April 15, 6-8pm

Initially trained as a glass artist, Hartung received his BFA from Kent State University in1982. After seven successful years of running a glass art business with his wife and business partner Gretchen Goss, Hartung began to focus on a completely different body of work after enrolling in a Jewelry/Metals class at San Diego State University. Upon this experience, he began working primarily with metal, focusing on includes copper and steel, as well as other materials such as wood, found objects, prisma color pencils and patinas. Since then, the artist has received grant funding through the Ohio Arts Council. His work can be found in prominent collections across the US.

Hartung states the following:

“Untrained artists and their direct approach to making objects has had an influence on my way of working. I am impressed by their use of materials and the basic methods used to make their work. Another significant influence on my work has been a fascination with toys from the turn, and first half of this century, especially tin toys.

Often, I feel the ingenious design in these toys is overshadowed by the simplistic nature of the toys themselves. I am equally intrigued with artists who make work with sophisticated mechanical movements but choose low-tech options of production over the high technology accessible to us all.

It has been my preference as well to explore my work through basic means of production. The images presented in my work are derived from objects I encounter and collect, lyrics in music, my life and personal history. The work is often a collage from fragments of all of the above.”

Mark Hartung, Two Wheel Black Boat, Wood and metal

Mark Hartung, If I Had Wings, Reclaimed wood, copper, steel and prismacolor pencil

Mark Hartung, CLE BNDR 2, Reclaimed wood, copper

Mark Hartung, Slings and Arrows, Reclaimed wood, copper and prismacolor pencil

Mark Hartung, Two Wheel Boat, Wood and metal

MarkHartung, I Wanna Steer, Copper, brass, prismacolor pencil and black patina

Mark Hartung, Squeeky Wheel, Copper, brass, reclaimed caster and black patina

Mark Hartung, 8215 One Monkey Don’t Stop The Train, Copper, prismacolor pencil and black patina

Mark Hartung, 7900, Reclaimed wood, copper, brass, prismacolor pencil and black patina

March 9 – April 10, 2016

Artist’s Reception:  Friday, March 11, 6-8pm

Velvet da Vinci is proud to present Julia Turner: TIMBER, a solo exhibition of new jewelry in reclaimed wood by the San Francisco based artist.

Turner received her MFA from Miami University, Oxford, OH and her BFA from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, after studying at the Istituto Lorenzo de Medici, Florence, Italy. Her work has exhibited internationally and can be found in private collections world-wide.  Turner’s studio is part of the Heath Collective, located in a unique industrial space in San Francisco’s Mission District.  She has taught widely, most recently at California College of the Arts and the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts. On her current body of work, the artist states:

“TIMBER is about wood… and about falling, clearing, emptiness, and starting something new.

My studio is piled with wood. A lot of it I’ve gathered in grocery bags from the scrap bins of the furniture shops in my neighborhood, some I’ve pilfered from construction sites, and I often pick up pieces from the street. My favorite bits come from friends who know what I’m up to and save things for me, from precious places, attics, things being torn down, even an old ship. I love responding to the pieces as they come in, and the stories they come with, from the forest to me.

The most recent additions to the pile came from my own house- over the past year we’ve spent our weekends making space: pulling down ceilings, taking out beams, pulling out all kinds of mysteriously constructed shelves and fixtures, and piling it all up in the garage. For a long time I left it there, feeling like it was almost too much to respond to- and then one day I took a piece to the studio, put it on the band saw and started cutting it up. Right away I felt something resolving, some circle closing, and a huge sense of relief at the idea of my own experience, all the strain, work, worry (is it ok to pull out this nail? will the house fall down?) and so much history in that house before us, going through a band saw blade to become something totally fresh, different, and uncomplicated by the past.

TIMBER keeps going through my mind as I watch the wood transform, break, absorb color, smooth down or splinter off, showing its structure and its weak points. Everything changes, and everything that falls away makes room for something new.”

                      – Julia Turner, March 2016

Julia Turner, Scape Necklace (Black/Brown), Walnut, stain, oxidized sterling silver, string, magnetic clasp. 21 x 7/8 x 7/8″

Julia Turner, Timber Brooch #2 (Blue Peaks), Wood, stain, steel. 2 3/4 x 2 1/4 x 1/2″

Julia Turner, Mill Brooch #5, Mixed wood, stain, sterling 18k gold, 2 1/2 x 2 /14 x 1/2″

Julia Turner, Planes Necklace (Aqua/Red), Maple, stain, sterling silver, cord, magnetic clasp. 19 1/4 x 3/4 x 1/4″

Julia Turner, Swipe Brooch, Wood, stain, steel. 1 3/4 x 2 1/4 x 1/2″

Julia Turner, Mill Necklace #4, Walnut, paint, linen, oxidized silver. 6 3/4 x 4 1/4 x 1/4″

Julia Turner, Timber Brooch #1, Walnut, stain, steel. 1 3/4 x 1 1/2 x 5/8″

Julia Turner, Mill Necklace 3, Ebonized walnut, paint, linen, oxidized sterling silver clasp. 6 3/4 x 4 1/4 x 1/4″

Julia Turner, Scape Necklace (Yellow/Grey), Maple, stain, paint, cord, Japanese glass beads

Julia Turner, Stack Brooch (Yellow), Maple, stain,paint, steel. 2 1/4 x 2 x 1/2″

Julia Turner, White Wall Pendant, Walnut, gesso, linen, 18k gold. 2 1/2 x 2 x 1/2″

Julia Turner, Ballast Pendants (Yellow and Pink), Maple, cord, oxidized sterling silver, Japanese glass beads

Julia Turner, Mill Brooch #1 (Black), Wood, stain, steel. 2 x 2 3/4 x 1/2″

Julia Turner, Carnival Necklace (Multicolor), Maple, linen, oxidized sterling silver magnetic clasp. 20 x 5/8 x 5/8″

Julia Turner, Mill Necklace #5 (Fluorescent Pink Thread), Walnut, cord

Julia Turner, Bracelet #1 (Black/White), Ebonized Walnut, enamel paint. 1 1/4 x 3/8″

January 22 – February 28, 2016

Opening Reception: Friday January 22, 6-8 pm

Tom Hill is a sculptor, draftsman, and jeweler whose work is an exploration of the natural world, most notably in sculptural objects depicting animals in motion.  Built from materials such as mild steel wire, wood, copper, and pigments, Tom Hill’s most recent series of birds will kick off Velvet da Vinci’s 25th anniversary celebration.  

According to the artist:

Birds have long been the connecting thread through my work. On a basic “form” level I enjoy the sense of a round body suspended on thin legs, the challenge of making a piece balance both physically and aesthetically, the suggestion of strength and lightness; always the feeling that the bird may be just about to take flight and disappear from view. The scimitar curve of a beak extending from the rounded head form with those beady , skin-surrounded eyes; both ugly and beautiful at the same time.

In this new group of birds I employ the wire in a rather different way to how I have previously used it … the wire creates form rather than suggests it; the dense wires blur the wooden “body” armature underneath and the eye reads a soft edged line … hopefully suggesting a lightness and “featheriness” in spite of the hard steel and dense wood.

I tend to think of all my pieces as character studies. Spend a few seconds observing a bird; the turn of the head, the flash of an eye, puffed up feathers; each gesture conveys a wealth of visual material for the artist as we see the bird consider and interact intelligently with the world around it.

The more time I spend observing nature the more I feel connected with it and feel greatly privileged to live in our urban landscape, rich with animal life.

 

Born in Rochford, Essex, England, Hill studied at Ipswich School of Art and Middlesex University, London and currently lives and work in San Francisco.  His work has exhibited at museums and galleries on an international level; highlights include solo exhibitions at ARTspace at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center (Sheboygan, WI), the Fuller Craft Museum (Brockton, MA), and the De Morgan Centre, (London, UK).  The artist’s pieces can be found globally in corporate, public, and private collections; notable commissions include projects for the Hyatt Regency Hotel (Tampa, FL), the BBC Symphony Orchestra (London, UK), and the John Lewis Department Store (Southampton, UK).  His work has been included in numerous publications such as Metalsmith magazine (US),CRART Magazine (South Korea), as well as Lark Books’ 500 Broches and 1000 Rings.  Hill has been represented by Velvet da Vinci for nearly two decades.

CLICK HERE to read a feature on Tom Hill: Birds by Hi-Fructose magazine.

Tom Hill, Stork-like Bird, Steel, cooper, wood, paint, 14 x 18 x 8”

Tom Hill, White Bird, Steel, cooper, wood, paint, 18 x 29 x 11”

Tom Hill, Spherical Bird, Steel, cooper, wood, paint, 26 x 18 x 13”

Tom Hill, Bird with Two Heads (head 2), Steel, cooper, bone, 27 x 25 x 14”

Tom Hill, Crow-like bird, Steel, cooper, wood, paint, 15 x 17 X 10”

Detail shot: Tom Hill, Chezzie-Bird, Steel, cooper, wood, paint, 11 x 10 x 6” and Gold Bird, Steel, cooper, wood, paint, 18 x 20 x 8”

Tom Hill, Big Eyed Bird, Steel, cooper, wood, paint, 11 x 10 x 6”

Tom Hill, Grey Owl with Moon, Steel, cooper, wood, paint, 25 x 9” x 12”

Tom Hill, Gold Bird, Steel, cooper, wood, paint, 18 x 20 x 8”

Tom Hill, Pigeon Skull drawn Pin, Steel, wood, paint, 4 ¾ X 4 ¼” (6 x 4” framed)

Tom Hill, Wire Skull Pin, Steel, paint, 5 ½ X 2 ¾” (6 x 4” framed)

Tom Hill, Carved Skull Necklace, Steel, cooper, wood, paint

Tom Hill, Bird Skull Study, (Wall hung), Steel, 2l x 6 x 5”

Tom Hill, Small Drawing, Wood, paint, ink, 4 x 2 ½”

Tom Hill, Red Bird Pin, Wood and paint, 3.5 X 5.75″,

Tom Hill, Mural (detail), Birds on a Beach, 132 x 40″

Tom Hill, Grey Owl with Moon (Detail), Steel, cooper, wood, paint, 25 x 9” x 12”

A Selection of Highlighted Works:

Tom Hill

SeulGi Kwon

Kat Cole

Masato Inoue

Raissa Bump

Liz Clark

Lynn Christiansen

Brooke Marks Swanson

Lynda Watson

Brandon Holschuh

Myung Urso

Nick Mullins

Biba Schutz

Kath Inglis

Nikki Couppee

Helena Johansson Lindell

Nico Estrada

Hunter Creel

Rachel Darbourne

Hilary Pfeifer

Helena Johansson Lindell

The first solo exhibition of jewelry objects by the Swedish artist in the United States.

November 4 – December 6, 2015

Artist’s Reception:  Friday, November 6, 6-8pm

Velvet da Vinci is pleased to present the first US solo exhibition of jewelry objects by Helena Johansson Lindell. The exhibition will run from November 4 through December 6, 2015. An opening reception with the artist will take place on Friday, November 6, from 6-8pm.

Born in Huskvarna, Sweden, Lindell creates one-of-a-kind wearable works, utilizing material substances such as wood and plastic from found objects. Deconstructed, altered, and then reassembled, everyday cooking tools and children’s toys are transformed from their initial incarnation into playful but modernist adornments for the body. Minimal in aesthetic and configuration, each piece is turned on a lathe, rendering smooth, sensual, and brightly colored forms. On her most recent body of work, the artist has stated:

“With a lowbrow attitude, a predilection for things kitschy, I make jewelry. I struggle with the hierarchical structures that we are collectively immersed in: the ideas that some things, some ways, and some people are better or worth more than others. In my work I try to embrace the materials, the methods and personal qualities that, from a societal perspective, are considered low class, low status, or bad taste. To own and be those things is my way to try and repeal the prejudice that is a result of those hierarchies

I pick up materials from flea markets and second-hand shops, plastics mostly and occasionally wood – toys and kitchenware. I cut them up and build new shapes from them using a saw, glue, and a file. I enjoy simple and repetitive techniques, as they create space for my intuition. And I enjoy the intimacy that comes from the use of hand tools. The inspiration I find in the material itself.”

Lindell studied Jewelry at the Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts & Design in Stockholm, Sweden and earned a BA in Visual Art from Oslo National Academy of the Arts in Norway. Her work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions exhibited throughout Europe; in France, Holland, Norway, Germany, Finland, Austria, Belgium, and the UK. She is the recipient of numerous grant and awards, including the 2014 Swedish Arts Grant (international cultural exchange). The artist presently lives and works in Stockholm, Sweden.

Helena Johansson Lindell in the studio

Helena Johansson Lindell, Hot Pink/White Necklaces, Plastic, wood, textile

Helena Johansson Lindell, Yellow/tan/purple/wood necklaces, Plastic, wood, textile, aluminum

Helena Johansson Lindell, Purple/yellow necklace with teal cord, Plastic, textile, aluminum

Helena Johansson Lindell, Red/green/teal necklaces, plastic, aluminum, textile, wood

Helena Johansson Lindell, Juniper & Cherry + friend necklaces (Pink/red/wood), Plastic, wood, aluminum

Helena Johansson Lindell, Red/teal bead necklace (detail shot), Plastic, aluminum

Helena Johansson Lindell, Pearings, Plastic, aluminum

Helena Johansson Lindell, Orange/yellow or wood necklace, Found floats, copper, aluminum

Helena Johansson Lindell, Purple/red/wood necklace, plastic, wood, copper, aluminum

Helena Johansson Lindell, Black/red/wood necklaces, Plastic, wood, aluminum

Helena Johansson Lindell, Pink/yellow/wood necklace, Plastic, wood, aluminum

Helena Johansson Lindell, Blue necklaces, plastic, aluminum, wood

Kat Cole:  Delicate Balance

A special site-specific installation

November 20-28, 2015

Artist’s Reception:  Friday, November 20, 6-8pm

A selection of new jewelry pieces by the artist will also be on view.

 Helfried Kodre, Brooch, 2015, Amber, sterling silver

Amber Chamber

New jewelry from an ancient material…

October 1 – 31, 2015

Artists’ Reception: Friday, October 2, 6-8pm

Featured Artists:

Elisabeth Defner, Christiane Förster, Heidemarie Herb, Herman Hermsen, Beate Klockmann, Helfried Kodré, Philip Sajet, Peter Skubic, Gisbert Stach, Petra Zimmermann

This exhibition shows a number of different approaches to amber, running the gamut from artists working with amber for the first time, to those who have been working with it for an extended period.  The contrasts in these works should help to update the traditional and still rather one-sided view of amber jewelry, showing new possibilities about this interesting material.  Amber, fossilized tree resin, has been appreciated for its color and inherent beauty since Neolithic times. 

Curated by Heidemarie Herb.

Philip Sajet, Ring, 2014, White gold, amber.  3cm tall. Photo: Beate Klockmann

Philip Sajet, Potato Chip Ring, 2015, Yellow gold, amber, 2.5cm. Photo: Beate Klockmann

Herman Hermsen, Mona Necklace, 2015, Amber, wood, photo-print on aluminum, 12 X 7 cm

Herman Hermsen, AllaDali Brooch, 2015, Shark jaw, amber, gold, 15 x 8 cm

Gisbert Stach, Golden Toast 3 Brooch, 2013, Baltic amber, transparent silicon, stainless steel.  Photo: Gisbert Stach

Gisbert Stach, AT-Schnitzel Brooch, 2015, Baltic Amber, transparent silicone, stainless steel

Peter Skubic, Untitled Brooch, 2015, Amber, coral, stainless steel, 9 x 8.5 x 2.7 cm. Photo: Petra Zimmermann

Petra Zimmermann, Untitled Rings, 2014/2015, Amber, polymethyl methacrylate, gold

Christiane Förster, Untitled Brooch, 2015, Amber, mother-of-pearl, sterling silver, 5.7 x 5 x 0.7 cm

Heidemarie Herb, Untitled Rings, 2014, Amber, sterling silver. Photo: Silvana Tili

Heidemarie Herb, Neckpieces: Time, 2014, Sterling silver, brass, iron, natural rope, baltic amber, 13 cm. Photo by: Silvana Tili

Beate Klockmann, Untitled Ring, 2015, Gold, amber, plastic

Beate Klockmann, Untitled Earrings, 2015, Gold, amber, plastic

Helfried Kodré, Untitled Ring, 2014, Amber, sterling silver, gold, copper

Elisabeth Defner, Pendant, Amber, sterling silver, 10.3 x 3 x 3cm

Elisabeth Defner, Untitled Ring, 2015, Copper, silver, opal, amber

Hilary Pfeifer: Save Our Souls

An installation of endangered birds from the Pacific Flyway.

October 1 – 31, 2015

Artist’s Reception: Friday, October 2, 6-8pm

As a craft influenced sculptor, Hilary Pfeifer brings together years of study in many media, including woodworking and furniture design, metalsmithing, ceramics, bookbinding, letterpress, photography, fiber arts and more. She received her BFA from Oregon College of Art and Craft in 1999.

In addition to several public art works including the Randall Children’s Hospital, Oregon State University, and the Portland-Milwaukie Orange Max Line opening this fall, Hilary’s artwork is in the permanent collection of the White House, The Center for Art in Wood, and the Museum of Contemporary Craft.

Pfeifer Artist Statement, Save Our Souls:

My artwork explores the ways that humans attempt to control nature, and in turn, nature finds a way to adapt or reassert itself–such as the grass that grows in the cracks of a sidewalk or mildew that forms on an uninsulated wall behind a couch. I express these struggles through craft-influenced sculpture and installations.

A physical object is often the foundation of my work. When I was asked to participate in the Recycled Rain Project, my mind went immediately to rain sticks, as I have been using the motif of a walking stick for the past decade. When I started researching the history of rainsticks, I learned that the Aztecs used them as a ceremonial tool for bringing rain to their crops.

Around the same time, I was thinking a lot about the Audubon Society’s Birds and Climate Change Report, issued last fall. This report looks at the current direction our culture is headed and makes the claim that  half of this country’s birds will be extinct by the year 2080 if we don’t take action now. I chose to immortalize nine songbirds from their list who currently inhabit the Pacific Flyway.

Save Our Souls (Pine Siskin)

Save Our Souls (Bohemian Waxwing)

Save Our Souls (Mountain Chickadee)

Save Our Souls (Western Tanager)

Save Our Souls (Red Breasted Nuthatch)

Save Our Souls (Mountain Bluebird)

Save Our Souls (Varied Thrush)

Save Our Souls (Purple Finch)

August 19 – September 20, 2015

Jo Pond: Intimate

An exhibition of new works by the UK based artist

August 19 – September 20, 2015

Artist’s Reception:  Friday August 21, 6-8pm

*Exhibition catalog is available.

Jo Pond’s most recent jewelry works can be seen as reincarnated objects, relics of everyday urban life that have been transformed by the artist’s process. Material elements such as buttons, coins, cans, and keys are modified and reinterpreted, simultaneously creating new narratives for each piece while drawing from each object’s industrial heritage and unique past. Precious metals and stones such as diamonds or pearls are often included in combination with these found objects, playing with visual and conceptual notions around beauty and the mundane, social status, and hierarchical value or worth.

Born in Chiswick, London, Pond currently lives and works in rural Staffordshire. Her work has exhibited on an international level; highlights include exhibits at Schmuck (Munich), the V&A Museum, (London), the Price Tower Arts Centre (Oklahoma), and Contemporary Applied Arts (London). Pond’s Narrative Jewelry Collection received the 2005 BDI Industry & Genius Awards in the category of Products and Genius. The artist earned her Masters at The School of Jewellery, Birmingham and is a member of Contemporary Applied Arts, London.  She presently serves as a full-time lecturer at the School of Jewelery in addition to maintaining her studio practice.

Statement from the Artist:

“Using found objects is like starting the process of creating with part of the story already written. I am able to choreograph, make introductions and interventions. I may add and remove lines within the story and then watch to see if they read true to me, sometimes living with them in one form or another, still, watching and listening for them to tell me when they are comfortable and appropriate. I have a bond with each stage, a personal connection, one of belonging, a reluctance to let go or and an uncomfortable enjoyment of that which I have choreographed. Saving these intimate moments by capturing them safely in photographs, I am able to intervene once again, in the knowledge that I can recall that grouping and the essence of relationship it brings. My compositions work more happily in groups, sometimes the harmony of material, color or repetition compels the creation of a family, a void being left once one conclusion is made and moved to one side to free space for further meanderings. The conclusions are the quietest moments, following a multitude of compositional conversations it is necessary to listen to the outcomes to know if they are complete. There is a sense of separation at this point, the umbilical cord becomes severed and some of the tension seeps away, leaving me comforted in my decision making process.

There are phases, maybe somewhat fickle, where I have a changing passion for that which I find. Sometimes time, location or circumstance can influence these phases, but they mark a point of change and must be consciously considered. It is all part of being true to the visual conversation being orchestrated, alongside the voluntary and involuntary narratives, which serve to conduct my metaphor.”

– Jo Pond, 2015

Jo Pond, A bit of blue (Brooch), Repurposed steel tin, steel, citrine

Jo Pond, Intimate tin locket, Repurposed steel tin, repurposed bone page turner, silver, gold plate, ribbon

Jo Pond, Oval No.3 (Brooch), Repurposed steel tin, steel

Jo Pond, Fine Quality (Brooch), Repurposed steel tin, steel, iron, diary pencil

Jo Pond, Baking Tin and Grater Series, Repurposed baking tin, citrine, 18ct Gold, Steel.

Jo Pond, Blinkered Tin Neckpiece, Repurposed steel tin, iron, citrine

Jo Pond, Phillumeny Neckpiece, Suspended in Pink Series, Silver, match sticks, steel, tin, tiddley-wink

Rings, Bathed indicator & Raw obscenity, Repurposed steel tin, iron, citrine & Repurposed steel tin

Jo Pond, Donning Oxford Series, Repurposed baking tin, steel, found objects

Jo Pond, Vesta Brooch, Repurposed steel tin, iron, steel, match, plastic unit

Jo Pond, Small Necessities, Silver, repurposed bone toothbrush, 18ct gold, gold plate

Jo Pond, Planted Frame Brooch, Repurposed steel tin, steel, silver, gold plate

Jo Pond, In the balance, Repurposed bone page turner and spoon, silver, gold plate

Jo Pond, Associated Stigmas collection, Repurposed Glasgow brush, silver, pearl, gold, mirror, steel.

Jo Pond, Exhibition Catalog