Ceremony

Abstract

According to the artist Andy Goldsworthy, one must feel an “intimate physical involvement with the earth" in order to see nature. Jewelry allows the viewer this intimacy, creating a relationship between human and natural object. The SeedPods bracelet holds up these tiny specimens, allowing us to see the rhythm of their form, and the variations among them. The vulnerability of the organic component and subsequent fragility of these pieces requires the wearers to be conscious both of the natural, and of their own bodies. When wearing the Petals bracelet, one is aware that any slight move could destroy these paper-thin fragments, and we are drawn, consequently, to admire, appreciate, and honor them. Jewelry often blurs the line between art and function, utilitarian and aesthetic. These pieces surround the body, encircle the neck, run down the spine, and embrace the finger and wrist. These parts of the body are our vital lifelines, our primary means of interacting with the world. The pieces are clearly not practical, however, and may not comply with our accepted notions of jewelry’s size, form or materials. Utilizing them in the same manner as we wear mere accessories would destroy them. They change the actions of the body, which no longer runs and hugs and sits haphazardly. Instead, the body moves deliberately, carefully, gently. The mind is conscious' of fragile gems, dependent upon the wearer to be safely carried. What we wear is often not practical. We may refer to it as ceremonial, specific to an event, or moment. The necktie, the four-inch stiletto, the wedding dress with a twenty-five foot train, the veil, the crown, a long slim skirt, a Halloween costume... all of these are clearly recognizable in our culture, yet they restrict movement, limit sight, and otherwise dictate behavior. Their purposes range from accentuating beauty to displaying role and power. This body of work captures some of the ineffable qualities of our practices of “ceremonial” adornment.