Crocheted Jewelry
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Uniting two traditionally unrelated areas of artistry is one of the main catalysts behind my work. I focus on the exploration and execution of crochet techniques as methods for working with materials and processes associated with jewelry, enameling and metalsmithing. By merging the craft of crochet with these components, I strive to blur the separation of what is considered fine art and craft. At the same time, I am examining the value that contemporary society places on traditional women’s work by using crochet techniques and items to create objects and wearables from precious and non-precious materials.
Society’s notion of value also extends to the materials that compose any particular object. These crocheted pieces are either made from traditional jewelry elements, such as silver and enamel, or are discarded steel wire coated with plastic. Metal and corresponding techniques generally imply value but the type of metal itself can reduce the perceived worth, especially in an item worn on the body. However, large and vibrant body adornment, even when constructed from ‘cheap’ materials like plastic, evokes a sense of high fashion, which carries undertones of preciousness by society’s standards. Like past crocheted objects and adornment, which was once considered high fashion, these pieces can connote high social status and access to material wealth even when made from materials and processes that would be banal on their own.
Society’s notion of value also extends to the materials that compose any particular object. These crocheted pieces are either made from traditional jewelry elements, such as silver and enamel, or are discarded steel wire coated with plastic. Metal and corresponding techniques generally imply value but the type of metal itself can reduce the perceived worth, especially in an item worn on the body. However, large and vibrant body adornment, even when constructed from ‘cheap’ materials like plastic, evokes a sense of high fashion, which carries undertones of preciousness by society’s standards. Like past crocheted objects and adornment, which was once considered high fashion, these pieces can connote high social status and access to material wealth even when made from materials and processes that would be banal on their own.