The following is an unpublished journal excerpt from 2015 when I was studying for my Graduate Diploma through Whitireia NZ
Object & Ego
I find it an ill fit when telling someone my occupation my response “I’m studying contemporary jewellery” Then asked “Oh, what kind of jewellery do you like to make?”… I hesitate for a moment, mumble or sigh and try to provide a response that will suffice for the time being. “Oh, at the moment rings, I say and also pendants etc.”
I feel like I’ve just done myself an injustice reducing my art to conform to the commonplace understanding of jewellery as plain and simple decoration. Sometimes I might present it as “art jewellery” as the term ‘contemporary’ seems to confront and perhaps intimidate some people. I don’t want to put off people either, yet at the same time, I (or more precisely my ego) feels threatened by the idea of being misunderstood. It’s a funny little dual dynamic: The audience are afraid they won’t understand and the artist fears they and/or their work won’t be understood… Got to laugh about it really… why are we so scared to just experience and respond to our experiences?
What do I really feel about it then? What kind of jewellery do I make?
More simply and truer, I could reply “I make objects for the body in relation to the personal and emotive responses to daily life”!??
It reads better as an artist statement though really? I can’t imagine saying this to someone without feeling (and them thinking) that I was completely conceited…but it’s a start in addressing the core response to why I make and what I am making about.
Nonetheless, the battle of finding a ‘fit’ with the ego and intention of myself as an artist/maker to present it in a way that’s easily digestible enough to be understood and interpreted by the public and people I meet is an ongoing challenge. Perhaps too as I continue down the track in my practice these labels will become less important to myself and my ego as I gain confidence, understanding and belief in what I’m doing.
What I do know is that (despite the ups & downs) contemporary jewellery has become my chosen means of creative expression that gives me a sense of purpose. It’s a medium that is allowing me to explore the world and understanding of myself within it.
