Jewelry From Found Objects

About a year ago, I was asked to participate in a book that fellow jeweler, Heather Skowood, was writing about jewelry made from found objects. Obviously, I was flattered to be a part of Heathers' project, which focuses on the use of found objects, and recycled or reclaimed materials in jewelry. The book includes work by a grouping of amazing international artists whose work supports the books topic, and I have some work included from my RISD thesis show. In addition to being a curated collection of work, the book also features some how-to projects as well.

The book is due to be released from the publisher on March 11th, which is just around the corner! But, if you can't wait that long, Jewelry From Found Objects is already available for presale on Amazon in the States and the UK. I can't wait to check out the end result, and am excited for Heather's accomplishment!

Pro Nailz!!

I am so excited to have my most recent round of documentation back from my photographer, Maureen Keaveny. The images came out wonderfully, and she really did a wonderful job capturing the essence of the pieces that I've recently completed. I'm most proud of the series of knuckle dusters that I've been working on, which feature bezel set acrylic nails.

I'd posted a while back about the process of teaching myself how to paint fancy nails, as well as the process of building the rings themselves. Now after unknown hours invested in this project, my first round of finished pieces has been completed, and I am thrilled.

Also, be sure to check out the music video for Kid Sister's song Pro Nails, below. I've become completely obsessed with this video, and have to admit that it was a major inspiration for this project.

To see the other images of my most recent work, visit my website here.

David LaChapelle

I've been away from my studio for a bit, and have been spending more time 'doing research.' Maybe I'm trying to justify my growing obsession with pop-culture, but I find myself recently attracted to highly saturated images and colors, high gloss, sparkly jewels, gold and diamond encrusted medallions, and just really extravagant objects and imagery. I'm not quite sure what it is about these stereotyped displays of wealth and culture that I find to enticing, but there is something about how these commercial goods and images so bluntly stroke my sensibilities and entice my inner consumer.

On a recent trip around the Internet, I came across this imaged by David LaChapelle. I have really always liked his use of hyper-saturated colors, and the high sheen that everything in his images seem to have. His subjects become plasticy objects, and everything is equalized into a glossy visual melee. Bordering on pop-grotesgue, he creates images that are visual cacophonies which seem to be suspended from time and place.

Davids imagery has the ability to transform even the classiest subject into an objectified commodity. The people in his photographs uncannily seem to lose their identity and morph into anonymous objects that could almost be mass produced.

More I WANT, I WANT, I WANT

I just came across an amazing designer, Walid Al Damirji, whose pieces interpret vintage fashions while using embroidery, fur, beaded fringe, and lace appliques.

Lately, I've been interested in incorporating fur components into my jewelry, and have been using old fur coats and stoles as my source material. I literally chop up vintage pieces of fur in order to have material for the jewelry that I'm making. Walid does the opposite. He doesn't source the fur into his jewelry, but actually bejewels the fur. The resulting adornments are conglomerations of materials invoking concepts of nostalgia, opulence, and romanticism.

Be sure to check out his designs for CotureLab, which is very much in the same antique revival vein as the images below.

Tonight I went to the RISD Jewelry & Metalsmithing exhibit at the Sol koffer Gallery. It's a great show featuring graduate student work, i'll be going back tomorrow to take better pictures of the installation. Until then, consider this image as an appetizer and get you ass downtown to check it out!

And this little piggy...

...ran all the way home.

No.

No, actually he didn't.

This little piggy put on some eye-liner, donned some seriously jaw dropping Chopard earrings, and went to town. Now, that's my kind of fairy tale!

The latest issue of Russian Vogue Magazine featured a story depicting a saucy little pig (think Babe meets a more refined version of Miss Piggy) flaunting Chopard jewelry. The lucky little pig got to wear a beautiful pair of diamond earrings as well as an exquisite silver parure.

Ignoring the questionable nature of piercing a pigs ears for the sake of fashion, this is an adorable set of pictures. Clearly, the message is that opulence is back and even the swine is worthy of pearls.

Bloglovin'

Follow my blog with bloglovin
So, I'm putting Evocative Objects up on Bloglovin' in order to try to get a little more traffic. If you're visiting for the first time (or second, or third), please follow my blog with one of the links to the right.
Thanks a lot!

New works up on Website

I just wanted to point out that the images that I took a while back with Maureen Keaveny are now up on my website, islaytaylor.com... So, check it out and make sure to check back, because we're taking more photos this week!

It's the final count down...

In the eternal words of Europe, It's The Final Count Down... I've only got a few days left until my upcoming deadline of a photo shoot, and my studio is a mess as I try to get organized for the documentation. The picture is of the mourning necklaces that I've been working on spread out all over my work bench. Also, I'd like to point out that my grandmother made that work bench... pretty amazing!!! I've got three necklaces, two brooches, and four rings to finish by the end of the week, how will I ever stay sane!

UPDATE: After my Mother read this post she called me up to give me more information about my work bench. As it turns out, although the work bench was my Grandmas, she didn't actually make it... AND it's much older than I thought! Apparently this work bench was gifted to my Great-Grandfather (my Grandmas father) from the Poppenhusen Institute

of College Point, NY. The Poppenhusen Institute is an independent

education center that was founded in the 1860's and has been in operation ever since. What's really neat about the Poppenhusen is that their charter mandates that they were open to all students; so they even taught women and african americans during a time that nobody else would. I guess my Great-Grandfather was given three of these benches, which were made at the school. My Father has one, I have one, and I don't know where the third went. Maybe my Mom will comment on this post and clear up any of the misinformation that I've posted here...

I WANT I WANT I WANT

So, I get all anxious and whiney and desperate when I find ingenious pieces of jewelry on the internet. I'm in a tizzy that I don't think I can live without these smart knit pieces below. I can only justify my obsession by stating that it's getting cold out, and jewelry that can double as outter-wear seems to be utilitarian, and therefore, I must own it!

This chain from Yokoo is so gangSTAR! I love the size, the texture, and the oddly 80's Run DMC influence of this piece. You can visit Yokoo's store on etsy.com, where she has tons of cool stuff available.

Another cool find on etsy.com is this knitted power cord necklace from knitknit. I love the simplicity of the piece, and how much it still resembles an actual power cord. It's such a clever translation of a crocheted tube into something playful that just wants to get wrapped around a neck.

I really like wearable textile pieces, and I especially like it when artists incorporate age old traditions like crocheting. But sometimes crocheted elements in jewelry can look like grandmothers doilies ended up on the body... I found this set (Ok, I know it's not technically jewelry, but I'd love to adorn myself with this Ol' West Parure) by Inger Carina as I was browsing around for neat-o things on the internet. Inger is a Swedish textile artist, and you can see more of her amazing work at Hello Craft Lovers!