All Discussions Tagged 'contemporary' - crafthaus2024-03-29T04:40:24Zhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/forum/topic/listForTag?groupUrl=reconstructing-our-second-skin-gender-in-contempor&tag=contemporary&feed=yes&xn_auth=noInterpretations of Masculinity: an interview with American jewelry artist, Andrew Kuebeck.tag:crafthaus.ning.com,2016-08-31:2104389:Topic:5533062016-08-31T07:59:58.670ZOlivia Shihhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/OliviaShih
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>Olivia Shih: Hello Andrew! Could you share with us how you found your way to creating jewelry that deals with gender and interpretations of masculinity?</strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>Andrew Kuebeck: Ever since high school, when I started taking jewelry classes, I</span><span>’</span><span>ve been interested in working figuratively with my work. Early on, I was really inspired by the works of…</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>Olivia Shih: Hello Andrew! Could you share with us how you found your way to creating jewelry that deals with gender and interpretations of masculinity?</strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Andrew Kuebeck: Ever since high school, when I started taking jewelry classes, I</span><span>’</span><span>ve been interested in working figuratively with my work. Early on, I was really inspired by the works of Chris Smith and Keith Lewis and really enjoyed how they were able to incorporate the figure with richly constructed visual narratives. As I began to branch out into my own work and research, I found that I was constantly returning to certain themes. Narrative, personal history, the nude, and props were all components that really interested me and continually emerge in my work.</span></p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058777016?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="600" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058777016?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="521" class="align-center" height="521"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1" style="color: #999999;">Brickmason Brooch, copper, enamel, brass, sterling silver,</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1" style="color: #999999;">image on enamel, photograph by Andrew Kuebeck</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>OS: Your work also incorporates photography, especially images of the nude. How did you find photography?</strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>AK: When I got to college, I fell in love with photography and found a whole new visual language to explore and work with, within the genre of beefcake photography. Photographers like Bob Mizer, Bruce Bellas (Bruce of LA), and Pat Milo all produced work that skirted the moral codes of the time while still being able to create humorous, erotic, and comical works of great depth. I found great inspiration in their images. And through an amalgam of their iconography and the jewelry and metalsmithing techniques I so loved, my work truly began to take shape. </span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>OS: Why did you choose jewelry as a means of exploring gender?</strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>AK: I am really interested in the display and concealment of identity, gender, and masculinity. I think the genre of beefcake photography, one which blends comical post war masculinity with an internalized angst about human sexuality, serves as a key touch point to our contemporary struggle to define ourselves and how that outward display unfolds. I have a tendency to think of jewelry formats in a very specific way, and for me, the brooch has always resonated as an ID badge for the wearer. I</span><span>’</span><span>d like to think that when someone wears one of my pieces, they are displaying to the world a part of themselves that might not traditionally be seen.</span></p>
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<p><span><span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058774437?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="600" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058774437?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="563" class="align-center" height="363"/></a></span></span></p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;" class="font-size-1">Captains, sterling silver, fine silver, enamel, image on enamel, photograph by Keith Meiser</span></div>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>OS: Your series, <em>Identities,</em> liberates the male nude through photograph decals applied to white enamel surfaces. You’ve noted that this series is a method of correcting “a dearth of nude male representations in contemporary art jewelry.” Why was it important for you to right this wrong?</strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>AK: Something that I have always found interesting is how limited the male body is displayed in our society. This is the same in art jewelry. Modern American society has constructed a huge taboo around male nudity. The male nude seemingly can</span><span>’</span><span>t exist in our world without being an object of humor or prurient display. Taking art history classes opened up a new world to me of what the male form can be interpreted as. From mannerist sculpture to impressionist paintings, there is a history of Western displays of the male nude that has been systematically rejected by</span> <span>“</span><span>mainstream</span><span>”</span> <span>American art. There are, of course, some artists who have explored the male nude, but those have traditionally been within the realm of gender specific or gay art.</span></p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058777366?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="600" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058777366?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="507" class="align-center" height="338"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;" class="font-size-1">The Boar, silver gelatin print, photography by Andrew Kuebeck</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>I truly believe that the male and female body in their natural state are completely beautiful entities, and as a contemporary society we seem to have lost the neutrality and purity of the body and constructed an image of it that exists now in solely a sexualized context. We too, as a western society, have embraced sexuality in most of its forms as taboo and therefor have decided to mask the natural body in adornment to protect it from the gaze of the world.</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>I do intentionally note that only some forms of sexualization have been taboo in our society. Long before Betty Page and Vargas Girls, our hetero-normative patriarchal society had embraced sexualization of women while adamantly penalizing that of men. The gaze on the male body has traditionally been rejected due to the belief that if the male body were to be subject of the gaze and consumed, then traditional ideals of masculine power would be attacked and its power diminished. I personally don</span><span>’</span><span>t think that</span><span>’</span><span>s the case; I think that the male nude, when placed in a nonsexualized nude context, is so much more than masculine power</span><span>. With this series, I truly am interested in the history and the neutrality of the male nude and hope to normalize its natural viewing. </span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>OS: I love your idea of normalizing the male nude through jewelry, which can travel from the domestic sphere into public spaces.</strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>AK: Definitely. Creating jewelry out of precious metals and glass adds an economic importance to imagery that might traditionally be seen only in the privacy of one</span><span>’</span><span>s home. When someone wears one of my pieces, I hope a dialogue is struck not only between wearer and piece, but between the wearer and anyone they happen to meet that day. The only way to normalize male nudity is to allow people to be exposed to it, to contemplate it, and to evaluate their own beliefs based on what they see and feel. </span></p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058781531?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="480" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058781531?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="352" class="align-center" height="533"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1" style="color: #999999;">The Sailor, sterling silver, fine silver, enamel, image on enamel,</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1" style="color: #999999;">photograph by Andrew Kuebeck</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>OS: Identities humorously reimagines male stereotypes of sailors, cowboys, hunters, and others. How did you strike on the idea of accessorizing the nude beefcake character with nothing but two to three iconic props?</strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>AK: I think it</span><span>’</span><span>s really interesting that as a society we have constructed masculine ideals. From the Stetson man to James Bond, we value courage, rugged individualism, masculinity, and a muscled exterior protecting a slightly dented heart of gold. Most heroes seem to follow this archetype, and as a society we typically judge ourselves and those around us as to how well we seem to fit into this model. This has led directly to the creation of the</span> <span>“</span><span>clone</span><span>”</span> <span>in society. One who embodies the heroic societal ideal, representing it to the world through the use of props and attributes. </span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>With a lot of the iconography and props that I use for the</span> <span>“</span><span>Identities</span><span>”</span> <span>series, I look at the precise iconic masculine stereotypes and how objects are directly used to reinforce the character that we feel we need to play in our world. From axes to rifles, certain objects are iconically read as masculine and with these pieces I was interested in the juxtaposition of them against the male nude. Through these pieces, I wanted to emphasize to the viewer that our ideal masculine male is a construction.</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058781889?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="550" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058781889?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="428" class="align-center" height="642"/></a></p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;" class="font-size-1">Trophy, Black and White Digital Image, photograph by Andrew Kuebeck</span></div>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>OS: With <em>Occupational Brooches,</em> you tackle the constructions of “masculine” career paths that men in your family have chosen. Why did you choose to incorporate personal history for this series?</strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>AK: The</span> <span>“</span><span>Occupational Brooch</span><span>”</span> <span>series really served for me as a visual way to discuss with my family why I felt the need to go into a career in the arts. Understandably so, every parent wants the best for their child in life, and I remember the hesitant optimism of my parents when I told them that I was going to be going to grad school to get an MFA in Jewelry Design. For three years in undergrad, I was a Pre-Med major who took a lot of art classes on the side. It came as a shock to my family when I took became an Art Major and stopped taking classes in the sciences. I can remember talking to my mom throughout my first year of grad school about how I really didn</span><span>’</span><span>t want to be a doctor and this</span> <span>“</span><span>art thing</span><span>”</span> <span>was really gonna work out. </span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>For the</span> <span>“</span><span>Occupational Brooch</span><span>”</span> <span>series, each brooch looked at a traditionally "masculine" career path that past men in my family choose, with each piece taking the form of a tool that they would have used in their careers. Within each brooch I staged a self-portrait battle, pitting an authentic self (one who is following his own path in life) against one that is trapped in the cloak of tradition and familial expectations.</span></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058780386?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="600" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058780386?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="541" class="align-center" height="511"/></a></p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1" style="color: #999999;">Lumberjack Brooch, copper, enamel, brass, sterling silver, image on enamel,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1" style="color: #999999;">photograph by Andrew Kuebeck</span></div>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>I was really happy with how this series came together, and having made them, I think I felt more equipped to talk with my family and use the brooches to start a dialogue on my career goals. With time, my parents became incredibly supportive and I couldn</span><span>’</span><span>t be happier with my decision.</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>OS: I’m really glad you changed course and stuck with art jewelry, despite familiar expectations. Your work contributes to the much needed discussion of masculinity through humor and narrative.</strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>AK: Thank you. Masculinity is kind of a heavy topic to discuss in any format. It really is a subject that can be very polarizing and has a tendency of making people incredibly defensive. As a man, I've experienced how our society forces a lot of ideals on men. And men are often coerced into living within the lines o these ideals. There are norms in our society concerning what actions are deemed appropriate for men to do, and harsh societal punishments for those who choose not to or can</span><span>’</span><span>t follow. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058776165?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="600" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058776165?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="497" class="align-center" height="499"/></a></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;" class="font-size-1">Diary Man Brooch, copper, enamel, brass, sterling silver, image on enamel,</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;" class="font-size-1">photograph by Andrew Kuebeck</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>As with most difficult topics, I believe that the use of humor can quickly address the topic while not ruffling too many feathers. Humor is also a great way of allowing people to relate from their own perspectives. When someone laughs or chuckles at something, they have found common ground with some element in the discussion. Hopefully, through humor, viewers will be able to digest something that they would have otherwise reacted against or simply ignored.</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>OS: Could you name one or two jewelry artists who address gender issues? Why do you think their work tackles this topic successfully?</strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>AK: For me, personally, I continue to be inspired by, drawn to, and in love with the work of Chris Smith. The technical complexity, the imagery, and the scale of her jewelry and metalsmithed works have always humbled me in my own making and continue to inspire me to work harder. I was first exposed to her work when I was in high school. My art teacher had a women in metals poster on the wall, and one of Smith</span><span>’</span><span>s iconic tea sets was pictured. I was new to fabrication and casting, but seeing how she was able to so fluidly make forms, and combine iconic attributes dealing with gender roles was truly inspiring. I think Chris Smith</span><span>’</span><span>s work is so successful because of the directness of the narratives that she constructs, how relatable they are, and her unique ability to present these topics so elegantly. </span></p>
<p><span id="docs-internal-guid-ebe13215-df81-ea17-ebf5-050626691821"><br/> <strong>OS: I agree, relatability is key if an artist wants the work to resonate with the audience. Andrew, thank you so much for agreeing to this interview!</strong></span></p>
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<p><span><strong><em><strong>Find out more about Andrew at his <a href="http://andrewkuebeck.com/" target="_blank">website</a>. </strong></em></strong></span></p>
<p></p> On the Intimate and the Personal: an interview with American jewelry artist Vincent Pontillo-Verrastrotag:crafthaus.ning.com,2016-07-26:2104389:Topic:5519022016-07-26T07:15:51.323ZOlivia Shihhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/OliviaShih
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>Olivia Shih: Hello Vincent, and thank you for agreeing to this interview! Could you give us a little background on yourself and your work?</strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>Vincent Pontillo-Verrastro: Prior to jewelry, I was a classically trained trumpet player studying at Interlochen Arts Academy (a small, intense, and immersive arts boarding school for roughly 400 high-school students…</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>Olivia Shih: Hello Vincent, and thank you for agreeing to this interview! Could you give us a little background on yourself and your work?</strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>Vincent Pontillo-Verrastro: Prior to jewelry, I was a classically trained trumpet player studying at Interlochen Arts Academy (a small, intense, and immersive arts boarding school for roughly 400 high-school students in northern Michigan), which is where I took my first jewelry/metals course in 2004. </span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>OS: Was this the class that tempted you to enter the world of jewelry?</strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>VP: Definitely. After graduating in 2006, I began my undergraduate studies at CalArts (Valencia, CA), which encouraged a highly conceptualized methodology of making, blending experimental sound production, performance, and visual art. Things happened, and I dropped out of school and moved back home to Lancaster, New York with no set goal in mind… Serendipitously, I learned that SUNY Buffalo State College offered a BFA Metal/Jewelry Design degree and applied for admittance within a few days.</span></p>
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<p><span><span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058777485?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="500" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058777485?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="284" class="align-center" height="426"/></a></span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1" style="color: #808080;">Vincent Pontillo-Verrastro, <em>decorticate, </em>PLA, maple, fox fur, leather, paint, thread,</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1" style="color: #808080;">photography by Vincent Pontillo-Verrastro</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>OS: Does your training as a trumpet player translate into your jewelry?</strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>VP: I like to think that my background in music directly influences my past and present studio practice: practicing orchestral repertoire instilled me with patience and dedication – to achieve an exact note, pitch, lyricism, intonation – and these qualities allowed me to work with metal.</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>Back to my background… after I received my BFA, I did my graduate studies at Indiana University, Bloomington (IUB), studying with Nicole Jacquard and Randy Long, and received my MFA Metalsmithing and Jewelry Design degree in August 2015. </span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>Currently, I am an Assistant Professor of Metals and Contemporary Art Jewelry at University of Wisconsin – Stout, where my research focuses as an extension of my graduate studies, incorporating 3D scanning (using a David-SLS system) and SLA resin (using a Form2).</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058776183?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="400" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058776183?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400" class="align-center"/></a></strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #808080;" class="font-size-1">Vincent Pontillo-Verrastro, <em>thoughts on fertility,</em> wood, latex, steel, sterling silver,</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #808080;" class="font-size-1">cotton,</span><span style="color: #808080; font-size: 8pt;">paint, photography by </span><span style="color: #808080; font-size: 8pt;">Vincent Pontillo-Verrastro</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>OS: How did gender and the body first find its way into your work? Why are these subjects important to you?</strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>VP: My husband, Aric Verrastro, and I developed a show together (</span><em>newNORMAL</em><span>, fall 2013) while we were at IUB. In this show, we each made a body of work commenting on how we felt about being a gay, married couple, in the USA at that particular time. This included</span> <em>thoughts on fertility</em><span>, in which I question how the inclusion of a child signifies the completion of a family unit and adapt the latex condom as a metaphorical protective device of choice against our heteronormative culture. </span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>This subject was, and still is, important to me because it reflects my life. By creating jewelry, I am able to wear this subject matter, provoke conversation, and create a direct dialogue with my audience.</span></p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058777101?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="550" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058777101?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="449" class="align-center" height="299"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #808080;" class="font-size-1">Vincent Pontillo-Verrastro, <em>thoughts on fertility</em>, latex, muslin, paint, 18 kt, nylon,<br/>photography by Vincent Pontillo-Verrastro</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>OS: As you’ve mentioned, you tackle the idea of fertility from the standpoint of a gay man in your 2013 collection, <em>thoughts on fertility</em>. What exactly do fertility and reproduction mean to you?</strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>VP: Although my ability to independently reproduce with my husband is a null and void topic, I usually arrive at a state of bitterness (and jealousy) while discussing procreation. What does</span> <em>fertility</em> <span>and</span> <em>reproduction</em> <span>even mean anymore? How does any married couple confront the expectation of including a child in their lives?</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>I am not in the position to speak for others outside of my own experience, but the question remains the same: If I cannot have a child</span> <em>biologically</em> <span>with my husband, am I, and is my relationship, considered less</span> <em>fertile</em> <span>compared to my straight counterparts?</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>I have not arrived to a conclusion, and never expect to do so, yet hope to continually create jewelry which prods interrogatively, asking more questions than providing answers. These two words,</span> <em>fertility</em> and <em>reproduction</em><span>, reside within the act of being productive and nurturing</span> <span>something</span><span>, which I hope resonates with my audience/wearer of this work.</span></p>
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<p><span><span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058776512?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="550" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058776512?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="550" class="align-center"/></a></span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1" style="color: #808080;">Vincent Pontillo-Verrastro, thoughts on fertility (installation), 2013,</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1" style="color: #808080;">photography by Vincent Pontillo-Verrastro</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>OS: Lately, you’ve revisited <em>thoughts on fertility</em> in the studio. Why are you looking back at this work?</strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>VP: I feel there is still a connection I have with this concept, and that my previous series had just begun to touch on how I can connect to and express these ideas. By continuing to make work with these thoughts in mind, I hope to develop a further conversation regarding artificial modes and methods of reproduction.</span></p>
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<p><span><span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058778234?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="400" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058778234?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="325" class="align-center" height="488"/></a></span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #808080;" class="font-size-1">Vincent Pontillo-Verrastro,<em> </em><em>graze</em>, PLA, deer hide, mink fur, graphite, leather,</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #808080;" class="font-size-1">thread, photography by <span>Vincent Pontillo-Verrastro</span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>OS: Your more recent collection, <em>Analogue</em>, is a body of jewelry that pivots on the shaving brush, which was once a simple utilitarian item but is now a status symbol and luxury item for men. Why introduce this sensuous experience into jewelry for men?</strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>VP: This work started as an examination of how objects can be socially cisgendered, as a means to teach boys how to become men, and girls how to become women. I am interested in the mnemonic device and in making this work sought to present a comparative relationship between haptic inference and intimacy. </span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>Although – when this work was shown at .M Contemporary, Sydney AU – inference went straight out the window and became actuality. </span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>Watching the audience from across the room, many unabashedly became participants while rubbing their faces against this work installed modestly on the wall. This intrigued and pleased me – but how odd?? When would this interaction ever be socially appropriate with other art media?</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>OS: I love this aspect of contemporary jewelry, how it begs to be picked up, caressed, and worn.</strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>VP: I know what you mean! I regularly am confronted for touching artwork and don’t know how to keep my hands off!! Apparently I appreciate the tactile experience, and not display cases surrounded by intimidating brute staff…</span></p>
<p><span><span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058776580?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="400" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058776580?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="341" class="align-center" height="512"/></a></span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #808080;" class="font-size-1">Vincent Pontillo-Verrastro, <em>sceafa, </em>PLA, thuya burl, fox fur, leather, paint, thread,</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #808080;" class="font-size-1">photography by Vincent Pontillo-Verrastro</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>But yes, the traditional shaving brush originated as a utilitarian item and is now a rather obsolete/luxurious practice, but it’s inherent relevancy within the coming-of-age period is fascinating to me, especially when coupled as jewelry object.</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>I did not intend for this work to engage with a male-only audience, but to reflect on a perceived universal male experience in which one is allowed to experience self-reflexive moments. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>This personal moment of grooming, manicuring, immediate self-awareness, vanity, and presentation encapsulates how I feel jewelry operates as a socially prescribed object:</span></p>
<p><span><span> </span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Intimate.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Personal.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Experiential.</span></p>
<p><strong><span id="docs-internal-guid-0e145b22-2557-9bbf-ea9e-f00428acfce1"><br/>OS: Some people don’t realize how much of themselves an artist has to expose to create work that resonates with their audience. Thank you for sharing your story.</span></strong></p>
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<p><strong><span><em><strong>Find out more about Vincent at his <a href="http://www.vincentpontilloverrastro.com/" target="_blank">website</a>.</strong></em></span></strong></p>
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<p><strong><span id="docs-internal-guid-0e145b22-2557-9bbf-ea9e-f00428acfce1"></span></strong></p> Upclose, naked, and there: an interview with Dutch artist Anke Huybentag:crafthaus.ning.com,2016-06-21:2104389:Topic:5507402016-06-21T05:34:47.266ZOlivia Shihhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/OliviaShih
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>Olivia Shih: Hello Anke! Before we launch into talking about your work, could you tell me about your background? I know you trained as a goldsmith entrepreneur and attended art school, but what is a goldsmith entrepreneur?</strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>Anke Huyben: As a goldsmith entrepreneur, you learn to work with precious metals, to set stones, and to start your own business. But that traditional way of…</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>Olivia Shih: Hello Anke! Before we launch into talking about your work, could you tell me about your background? I know you trained as a goldsmith entrepreneur and attended art school, but what is a goldsmith entrepreneur?</strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>Anke Huyben: As a goldsmith entrepreneur, you learn to work with precious metals, to set stones, and to start your own business. But that traditional way of doing things always bugged me. When we had to make a set of jewellery, I came up with a ring and crown that you attached a candle to. When wearing this jewelry, you had to think about the way you walk, so I guess gestures in jewelry has always appealed to me.</span> <span><br/> <br/></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>OS: And how did art school influence you?</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span><br/></span> <span>AH: Art school made me think differently about jewellery. I'm not the best goldsmith, and that way of making wasn’t enough for me. I dropped out early. Two of my brothers were into sculpture at the time, and I became interested, too.</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>When I visited Art Academy Maastricht, it was clear that this was my next step. During my time there, it made so much sense for me to look at the body. The shapes and forms, different on everyone. The way the body moves and what it already has of lines could be a piece of jewellery by itself. I thought about what jewellery is and when it is jewellery. A brooch is a brooch when placed on the body. Why not look at the body as a giant brooch then?</span></p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058770971?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="318" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058770971?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="318" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1">Anke Huyben, Multiple Pink, Lycra, yarn, sand,</span> <br/> <span class="font-size-1">brass plated copper, pictures by Laura Mauritz</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>OS: How did gender find its way into your work?</strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>AH: To be honest, it just happened. The gender comes in because I use my own body and my own personal objects. The colour pink is also very feminine of course. That colour got to me after my internship with Iris Eichenberg. There is so much in that colour that doesn't need to be said because of all its baggage.</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>OS: Have you ever experience any pushback to introducing gender in your jewelry work? Has anyone found your work to be too… explicit?</strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>AH: I've never noticed something or somebody reacting like that, but people often feel awkward around my work. The first reaction is to giggle or do something to hide the awkwardness. Most of the time, people are impressed by how honest and open it is. At the opening in Cologne, people said I was “brave."</span><span><br/></span> <span><br/> <br/></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058766025?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="318" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058766025?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="318" class="align-center"/></a></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1">Anke Huyben, Multiple Pink, Lycra, yarn, sand,</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1">brass plated copper, pictures by Laura Mauritz</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>OS: I love the reaction you received. Your collection, “Multiple Pink,” is composed of flesh-like forms that evoke the curves of flesh, breasts, and testicles. What inspired you to tackle these body parts?</strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>AH: I was looking at my own body, which is very fleshy, very pink, and very much there. I wanted to make work that strongly resembled the body, but in a fun way. By enlarging these “body parts,” each piece became a caricature. I also chose the body parts you usually don't show or talk about very much in open air. Through filling forms with very find sand, I created a sculpture, fleshy feeling.</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>OS: Why is “fun” such an important factor?</strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>AH: I take on my own body-related obsessions and interests, and they are now pretty much what I work with the "sculpture-ness." The fun comes in because I don't want the work to be negative, as if I'm complaining. What I am doing is looking and searching. </span></p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058771138?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="318" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058771138?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="318" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1">Anke Huyben, Multiple Pink, Lycra, yarn, sand,</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1">brass plated copper, pictures by Laura Mauritz</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>OS: Each form is larger than their real-life counterparts and capped off with shiny jewelry findings in a humorous twist. Why integrate flesh with jewelry?</strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>AH: For this I really wanted to bring back elements of humor. Like you said, it's a humorous project. I was struggling at the time and wanted it to be jewellery so bad. The collection is in a grey area between jewelry and sculpture, but this is what makes people think. </span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>It's also very fun for me to think about how people will react to my work. Even though Dutch people are very open minded, some still asked me if I made a warm water jar. I found that hilarious!</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>OS: I have to tell you, I love the staged poses and elaborate backgrounds in the photos of “Multiple Pink.” In each photo, a woman’s arms and hands present each object as if it were a product for purchase. What was your thought process behind photographing this collection?</strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>AH: I wanted these photos to be very fun, light, visually catchy, and easy on the eye. But most importantly, I thought it would be very strange to photograph a body part on a body. By displaying the collection with hands, the pieces are shown as real human “acts.”</span></p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058766283?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="318" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058766283?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="318" class="align-center"/></a></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1">Anke Huyben, “lekker Indrukbaar”, bronze,</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1">pictures bij Anjes Gesink </span><span style="font-size: 8pt;">(photoprint on dibond)</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>OS: Your other collection, “Lekker indrukbaar,” simultaneously hides and highlights the the folds and crevices of a female body by filling in the voids with solid bronze. What does “Lekker indrukbaar” mean?</strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>AH: “lekker Indrukbaar” is a hard one to explain in English, but I'll try. A couple of years ago, I was dating this guy who said to me, with good intentions, that I was “lekker indrukbaar.” Loosely translated, it means something like “nicely squeezy.” Or that I was simply very soft. In my head, I went crazy! The question “Am I fat?” was stuck in my mind.</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>OS: Gosh, how did you respond to him?</strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>AH: Haha! I tried to take it as a compliment. Just a little later we broke up because I was too slim for him. Go figure.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span><br/></span> <span>So that's one way of explaining it, but interestingly enough “lekker indrukbaar” can also mean “nice impression.” This second translation, to me, means that I have been here, and I’ve left an impression on the minds of people. So they have something to remember my by.</span><span><br/></span> <span><br/></span> <span>Also, my weight has always been a thing for me. Not that I have any complaints, but we all are so infected by the way women are portrayed on television and in magazines. </span></p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058769285?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="318" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058769285?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="318" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1">Anke Huyben, “lekker Indrukbaar”, bronze,</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1">pictures bij Anjes Gesink (photoprint on dibond)</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>OS: It’s incredible how inundated we are by specific body types. Why did you decide to approach the female body in such an upfront manner?</strong></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>AH: As I’ve mentioned, my weight really influenced me. Things were worse as an adolescent, and now I find that this is my “issue.” It is the issue that addresses what I was and what I am still. It's a really honest project. And it felt honest to show it in this way. Upclose, naked, and there.</span><span><br/> <br/></span></p>
<p><strong>OS: Thank you for such a frank interview!</strong></p>
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<p><em><strong>Find out more about Anke at her <a href="http://www.ankehuyben.com/" target="_blank">website</a>. </strong></em></p> Let's Talk Politicstag:crafthaus.ning.com,2016-05-17:2104389:Topic:5455532016-05-17T20:14:16.599ZOlivia Shihhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/OliviaShih
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<p dir="ltr">When I was immersed in art school and its countless critiques, I found that people tended to shy away from contemporary jewelry with a political bent, whether it be about gender conformity or democratizing jewelry through alternative materials. The word “politics” brings to mind corrupt bureaucracies, disfigured promises, and the ceaseless bickering between two political parties. But “politics” is so much more than its bad reputation. As writer,…</p>
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<p dir="ltr">When I was immersed in art school and its countless critiques, I found that people tended to shy away from contemporary jewelry with a political bent, whether it be about gender conformity or democratizing jewelry through alternative materials. The word “politics” brings to mind corrupt bureaucracies, disfigured promises, and the ceaseless bickering between two political parties. But “politics” is so much more than its bad reputation. As writer, educator, and activist Ghadeer Malek puts it, “politics is about power, what we do with it and how.” When applied to our bodies, politics is simply about who controls and defines our bodies.</p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058766144?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058766144?profile=original" width="298" class="align-center" height="298"/></a></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><span>Necklace by Olivia Shih</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>Unfortunately, talking politics is considered a faux pas in many contexts. At my critiques, some shared the sentiment that putting too much political and critical thought into the making process would needlessly over complicate things and upset people. While I agreed that jewelry can be overthought to its own detriment, I also felt stifled by the belief that expressing a political agenda through contemporary jewelry simply wasn’t a</span> <span>nice</span> <span>thing to do. And in our community, being nice matters.</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>We are a relatively small community, and “nice” is oftentimes the glue that holds us together and unites us as makers, designers, artists, manufacturers, gallery owners, and educators. I would not be where and who I am today if it wasn’t for my supportive, academic family or for the big-hearted community of metalsmiths I joined after graduation. But… even after I was accepted into the folds my tribe, I couldn’t help but feel a gaping hole for criticality and politics.</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058759544?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058759544?profile=original" width="297" class="align-center" height="449"/></a></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Necklace by Iris Eichenberg</p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>My thoughts were echoed at the 2014 SNAG Conference in Minneapolis, where I attended a panel discussion centered around the lack of critical writing on contemporary jewelry. The field of contemporary jewelry is small, community-driven, and everyone practically knows everyone else. In this context, it could be hard for someone to write a critical review about a peer’s exhibition and to say, well,</span> <span>not nice</span> <span>things. But surely, just because something is hard, doesn’t mean it should be avoided?</span></p>
<p><span><span> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058759233?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="400" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058759233?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="231" class="align-center" height="304"/></a></span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><span>Brooch by Jessica Calderwood</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>The thing is, it’s ok for “nice” to sometimes take the backseat to political or critical thought. Contemporary jewelry is the perfect place to embed, experiment, and activate ideas, especially if they are political. For tens of thousands of years, jewelry has been worn as signifiers of age, social status, relationships, material value, aesthetic value, religion, and more. The breadth of jewelry is breathtaking, from the chains of office in Medieval Europe to delicate, gold bracelets for babies in a Hindu family. Couple the manifold functions of jewelry with its inextricable link to the human body, and you have contemporary jewelry with the potential to unsettle and redefine the way we see gender, sex, and feminism—in a way no other field of visual art can.</span></p>
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<p><span><span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058757137?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="350" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058757137?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="293" class="align-center" height="368"/></a></span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><span>Belt by Leslie Boyd</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>For this blog, I intend to explore the intersection between gender and jewelry with a three-prong approach: interview artists who do not shy away from words like “gender,” “sex,” and “feminism”; analyzing the work of said artists and the reach of their work via surveys; and reinvigorating conversation about gender in jewelry through an online exhibition.</span></p>
<p><span id="docs-internal-guid-ef7e0987-c059-a885-19f9-d623a4a65419"><br/> <span>I can't wait for the next installment of this blog, and I hope you will join me in my attempt to, as my favorite mug puts so eloquently, "Wake up and agitate!"</span></span></p>