Lauren Kalman

Lauren Kalman is an odd little bird. She creates art for the body by applying bejeweled accupuncture needles to her skin to look like dazzling rashes, blemishes or other skin conditions. Using her own body as her primary focal point, the work has an element of performance. The photographic record of the work is only for the viewer that is unable to see it in person- it is intended to be seen on the body. Now, I'm pretty sure accupuncture is supposed to be painless, but if you look close in some of the photographs you can see the redness and irritation surrounding the jewelry.

Although I'm still a little confused as to why anyone would want to recreate such conditions as Herpes or Syphilis, I'm intrigued by Kalman's juxtaposition of the beautiful and the unsightly. She refers to her work as "transgressions of the body." I like the fact that she's bedazzling things that we would normally think of as disgusting and try to cover up. And in doing this, she's calling into question both why we have a natural aversion to these things, and why making them sparkly makes them more beautiful.

One writer Gabriel Craig stated that " By beginning with actual bodily experience and moving back to the self-image, Kalman places the primary importance on the body, thereby challenging how we relate to our bodies in an image-dominated culture." I'm intrigued by this reverse process of dealing with jewelry and bodily adornment.

everyday junk: tara donovan.

Tara Donovan is a New York-based artist who creates intricate, large-scale, installation sculptures out of everyday materials (styrofoam cups, scotch tape, drinking straws, etc...).

One thing that I find extremely fascinating about Donovan's work is that she chooses her materials before she decides what can be done with them. I think that working in this order, the materials are the most important part of the work because they define the direction that the work will ultimately go in. I'm also attracted to her seemingly meaningless materials- things that you can see everywhere, all the time. I like the idea of something simple and practical morphing into something complex and delicate.

Untitled, Styrofoam Cups & Hot Glue ( 6'x20'x19'2")

"It's not like I'm trying to simulate nature. It's more of a mimicking of the way of nature, the way things

actually grow."

-Tara Donovan

nel linssen: paper jewelry

Nel Linssen was in the book that Jen was reading in class today (thanks Jen!!). She is a Dutch born artist who creates very intricately designed bracelets and necklaces out of folded paper. What I enjoy most about the work is that it takes something incredibly common place like paper and turns it into something to be admired (not to say that paper itself isn't fantastic but, you know what I mean).

The Scottish Gallery wrote that "the relationship between wearer and viewer is the essence of Linssen's jewelry." This statement really catches my attention because I think that it is a relationship that I haven't figured out yet in relation to both the jewelry that I wear and the jewelry that I would like to make. I also like that the work is made to highlight the body and change appearance with light and movement.

Another writing described her work as "simultaneously minimalist and complex." I'm curious about things that can be two things at once.

Paper & Acrylic Bangles

Long Yellow Necklace

rhinestone annie.

"A labor of love is always a pleasure to see but a passion, well that can and often does leave us breathless."

Anne Collens is an artist from British Columbia who essentially turns ordinary looking objects into spectacular creations using collected bits of jewels, beads, etc. What makes the work even more fascinating is that the pieces are custom fitted to follow the grooves and curves of the objects. Collens worked in theater until the 1960s. When she left, she decided to make an "exotic skin" for her mannequin. This work alone took over 1,000 hours to complete!


Collens' work appeals to my tendency to collect odds and ends of various types and also to my interest in decorating things. I'm captivated by the idea of creating these incredible works by simply putting something over top of what is already there.

Unfortunately, this is where the trail ends. Her name doens't turn up in a search engine other than in the article that I read. But the article did mention the mannequin appearing on television and being on display in a museum so I guess I'll just have to keep looking!

I think I may have found my new idol.

kari byron.

Yup! The Mythbusters chick makes some pretty cool art when she's not blowing stuff up on television. I "bing"ed her the other day for some unrelated reason (I wanted to see who her baby-daddy is because I've always thought her and Grant had a thing for each other...I was wrong) and came across her art website.

One of the most impressive things I found on her sight was the artist statement. Two sentences.

"My work quarantines the world into a more manageable space. The focus is the process, each
piece is a meditation in my desire for a simple understanding of the daily white noise."

How great would it be to say everything you need to say in two sentences?!

I can't figure out how to get the images off the site to put on here. That's probably on purpose. But anyway, she creates a lot of small sculptural pieces using found materials, wood, metal. Little shadow box-looking ones, portraits. Some of them are really great! So check out the site!!

What I like about the work is that it's very personal. And that it serves a purpose for the artist as she uses art as a form of meditation. I'm also interested in the use of found objects.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the site just because I've only ever heard of Byron on television. I like to think that everyone has an artistic side, even if it's not the side that we normally see.

Byron has a BA in film and sculpture from San Francisco State University...but I would never have known that.

Other random note: She was only originally put on the show because they needed a butt model. Nice start.

some initial(somewhat random) thoughts on jewelry

I don't have answers to a lot of the questions about why I'm so attracted to jewelry and decoration. Probably because I've never needed them. So here's where I'll try to explain, figure out, uncover the reasons for the attraction. This is the first part...

I tried to remember what initially attracted me to jewelry, but I don’t really think it was my decision at all. I’ve been wearing jewelry since before I can remember. My ears were pierced when I was a baby. Both of my parents have always worn jewelry so I guess it was natural for them to put it on me as well. Putting on a necklace or earrings was just as much a part of getting ready as putting on a jacket or shoes was. It’s not anything I ever even considered questioning until now.

When I was small my dad would always buy me little rings, usually with my birthstone in them. For some reason that seemed important to him- maybe because it’s something we have in common. I remember when we’d go to the back counter where he would purchase my rings and I would get to choose what pretty little box I wanted to take the ring home in. It was in the back of some sort of drugstore, but that part never seemed strange. Sometimes I got to choose the pieces that I wanted, other times they were a surprise.

I still have the small, heart-shaped crystal charm that has “Macie” engraved across the front. I don’t remember what the occasion was anymore, I just remember that it was one of my favorite things at the time, and somehow it’s survived various moves and remained part of my collection. It's never in any special place, it's always just somewhere. I'm usually surprised every time I discover it. Although I can't seem to recall its importance, I know that it was. And so, in a way, it still is.

For me, the processes of collecting and decorating go hand in hand. In my house (mainly my room and my mother’s room), the jewelry is very much a part of the décor, and therefore the environment. When I was younger my mom used to keep all of her dangly earrings on large doilies that were hung on the wall next to her bed. There were three of them; one giant one in the center with a smaller one flanking either side. I remember how beautiful they looked with all of the beads and metals against the lacey backdrop of the doilies. The pattern would change ever so slightly when she removed a pair to wear, and again when she put them back or got something new. My own earrings now hang from a piece of lace fabric that’s draped over one side of my dresser.

part of the earring collection

Over time, I’ve found my own style. I don’t necessarily wear the same sort of jewelry that either of my parents do. I’ve probably even acquired different reasons for wearing jewelry along the way. But if I had to guess, I’d say that in the same way the display of my jewelry mimics that of my mother’s; my parents are where the obsession started.

Katie's room (my mom)

my room

what try's a charm? artist statement #4

A project always begins with a general sift through the contents of my archive of objects- an ever-evolving collection of everything from photographic images to fabrics, books, paints, beads, ribbons, papers, broken bits of things and everything in between. Sometimes I have an idea in mind and can search through the materials to see if anything fits the idea. Other times it’s the reverse, and the materials that I have on hand inspire the idea and a starting point is created that way. I use what I already have and seek to find what I don’t, and in that way my resources are constantly being altered and added to.

My fascination with creating started out in the form of arts & crafts projects when I was a young child and the interest grew as I did; I’ve been attracted to art in one way or another for as long as I can remember. Growing up, there was always a spot in my house that was dedicated to all the artsy sorts of materials. The “craft closet,” as it was cleverly coined, was a space that I would go to at the onset of boredom to see if I could turn the contents into something fantastic. As I explored these materials I discovered that I could create objects to define my own space- a painting for my room, a bracelet for my wrist.

I’m interested in the ways in which art and objects can define us or our space; what we choose to wear on our bodies, what we decide to display in our homes, and what we create for ourselves or for other people. I’m currently exploring the functionality of jewelry. What it might be, or if it even has one. I am creating pieces that are designed with a specific purpose in mind, not to be only decoration for the body. If jewelry could serve a purpose, what would it be? Is jewelry, by definition, purely ornamental? If these objects become functional, do they cease to be jewelry?