Narrative JewelryJuly 12 - September 6Brumfields Gallery
Brumfield Gallerys Narrative Jewelry show marks a first in their
exhibition program: a show dedicated to jewelry. However, the
Narrative in the title is a strong indicator that this is not such
a departure for the gallery. This show sits nicely with the
gallerys interest in narrative, metaphor and allegory used to
express humanistic concerns, and their regular and strong
representation of mixed media sculpture. All of the pieces in this
exhibition are very wearable, but can also stand alone as unique
artworks, and will be displayed in the gallery as such. Each artist
is well repespected within the field of jewelery practice. The work
is finely crafted from a range of materials. In addition, the six
bodies of work, by seven artists, can stand their own ground under
the scrutiny of critical assessment for their imagery and
exploration of theme within a wider art context. The featured
artists are Kat Cole, Kim Nogueira, Rebecca Rose, Kay Seurat, Nancy
Worden, and duo Robin Kranitzky and Kim Overstreet. From old
photographs of ancestry, to inspiration from natural landscapes,
the pieces in Narrative Jewelry will represent the true depth and
diversity that fine art jewelry comprises.
Kim Nogueiras jewelry making began with an antique gumball
charm. Purchased with the intent of gifting it to her husband, she
recognized her unwillingness to part with it, instigating her
obsession with antique and vintage toys. There is often a
mechanical element to her work, which is influenced by a nostalgia
for childhood trinkets. A trained goldsmith, she molds and
deconstructs favorite objects to create new tiny three-dimensional
pieces, often from silver. She favors universal and relateable
themes of sentimentality and grief, in order to outwardly
comunicate, as well as resolve her own personal feelings.
Nancy Worden weaves together her own experience as an American,
the roots of her ancestry, and historic jewelry traditions from
around the world. The works have a sense of ancient ornament, but
incorporate more modern geometric forms and unusual design that
reflect her contemporary experience. Her work is centered on
responses to human behavior and experience. Using subjects such as
memory, protection, and the rite of passage, Worden uses each piece
as a way to work through a particular event or moment that has
happened in her life.
Kay Seurat came to jewelry making through a background in
working with multiple materials and assemblage. Her love of
combining materials, metals in particular, her skills as a
silver-smith, and her natural penchant for narrative have had an
enormous impact on the pieces she creates. Never one to succumb to
monotony, Seurat finds diversity in both the techniques she employs
and the thematic journeys she follows.
Robin Kranitzky and Kim Overstreet work together to create
unique shadow box brooches. Kranitzkys experience in ceramics
combines with Overstreets years in graphic design and illustration
to create pieces that are little windows looking into a singular
world. They use multiple materials to create these tiny tableaus,
including crushed mother of pearl, vintage wallpaper, and dried
flowers. The duo shares a fascination for fairy tales and science
fiction, and the resulting pieces are reminiscent of a single frame
of animation, frozen in time. Taken out of their context we are
left to guess at the rich narrative, employing the
individualsengagement with the imagery as the finishing touch to
their distinct line of jewelry.
Kat Cole also utilizes found objects in her work, with her
choices centering around manmade objects and metals weathered by
the elements. She collects things from where she lives, saving
tidbits such as rusty bolts, tins, and scraps of plastic and metal.
These pieces are then combined with enamel and steel to make
jewelry that is reflective of a certain place and time. Her
attraction to these found objects comes from their desire to
express the passing of time, each object signifying the remains of
human inhabitation, both past and present. Cole connects with each
piece as an intimate memory of a particular place or event in her
life.
Rebecca Rose has been creating her unique series of Sculpturings
since the age of nineteen. Each ring begins with the fusion of
objects that spark her interest, such as childhood toys, game
pieces, and other miniature objects. These treasures become the
base for molds to cast the finished pieces in silver or bronze. The
artist defines these works as, an artistic collection of small
sculpture on a mobile scale for fingers. Each piece is made with a
wearer in mind, a tiny sculpture with a unique portable nature.
Narrative Jewelry will open on Saturday, July 12 from 7 - 9 p.m.
at Brumfields Gallery. Brumfield Gallerys openings are on the
second Saturday of every month. Exhibition openings are open to the
public and feature a no-host bar courtesy of 13th Street Pub &
Grill. To find out more about the event or any of these artists,
please contact the gallery at (208)333-0309 or
[email protected]
Brumfields Gallery 1513 N 13th Street Boise, ID 83702
www.brumfieldllc.com
