I have to admit that
when I took a look, it caught my eye.
Then I read the description and it
captured my imagination.
There is an exhibition on view
this month at
this month at
Velvet da Vinci Gallery
of jewelry created by Amy Tavern called,
This exhibit is comprised of two separate
yet related bodies of work.
The first series is called,
"Fabricated Memory: Jewelry Box, 1980."
It's inspired by the jewelry box that the
artist played with as a child.
It belonged to her grandmother.
This imagery conjures up a strong sense of
familial memory and connection.
These are the pieces that
grab hold of my imagination.
The second series is called,
"Collected Memories: 1974-Present"
and is based on her own collection of jewelry.
Separate yet interrelated, these series both
relate to the artist’s journey to
connect with the jewelry of her past
and to recreate it as she relates to it today.
As the artist explains,
The jewelry that has come in and out of my life over the years has had a profound effect on me, fueling and sustaining my desire to be a jeweler. These special pieces changed my perspective on jewelry and form part of my personal history.
Here are a few pieces from the
"Fabricated Memory: Jewelry Box, 1980"
portion of the installation.
One can see she is looking at
repetitve patterns and
dismantling components
into simple elements.
repetitve patterns and
dismantling components
into simple elements.
As with so many personal memories
it's the simple pieces with simple shapes
that we remember most.
Her process includes a seemingly random yet deliberate
layering, arranging and shaping of design.
It’s interesting to study the modular components
of her pieces and realize that
she is tapping into a personal space
through her work.
Now, let's take a look at a couple of
pieces from the
"Collected Memories: 1974-Present"
portion of the exhibit.
The artist explains these pieces as
"materials I have collected and are assembled
in such a way as to emphasize the
impermanence and incompleteness of memory."
Each piece is sculptural and textural.
I admire artists who are willing to
think beyond traditional jewelry design
to create work that is both
personally significant and artistically edgy.
This artist's work seems ideally balanced for
an exhibition that is one part artistic process
and one part biographical experience.
I see this work as a celebration of family.
Of connection. Of authenticity.
This artist is willing to explore
a personal connection to her
work and embraces the depth
of its significance in her life.
Through artist's like her, we all
learn a bit more about ourselves.
It's inspiring.
To see more photos of her work
you can visit her website.
The exhibition runs until
November 30.
To see more photos of her work
you can visit her website.
The exhibition runs until
November 30.
