Outside Inspiration: Where We Find Ourselves
January 30, 2015
Inspirational Art
Conceptual work in contemporary jewelry is no rare thing. What is a tad rare, in my opinion, is conceptual jewelry that is wearable (how else can you really fully share it if you can’t wear it out?) and accessible. And by “accessible,” I mean a creation that most people can appreciate because it speaks to and pulls at the one thing we all share — the experience of being human.
I actually love conceptual jewelry, the kind that makes you stop and think, but to share something that this community will find inspiration in kept me focused on finding something that we can all smile at or find something to admire. Our experiences and wanting to hang onto memories of the times and places we’ve experienced is pretty ubiquitous, don’t you think? Tzu-Ju Chen seems to be speaking to that aspect of our human side with this ring. It does push the “wearable” boundary with its size, but I love the nostalgic sense he’s captured with the little cropped photos. Chartres Cathedral, as it is named, shows off photos of the building from a variety of angles on angled little boards accented with semi-precious gems. Tzu-Ju actually sees this work from a slightly different perspective, saying, “My works explores the conceptual play of material and meaning. Travel photography and vintage snapshots serve as mementos that embody the present reality.”
Maybe I am tired, but I’m not sure about the “present reality” embodiment here. Nonetheless, I think I could spend a lot of time staring at my hand and checking out the little photos. Especially if they were photos from a trip of my own. It’s kind of a neat idea to consider how we might integrate our own memories into our work in such a literal fashion.
Tzu-Ju’s work certainly does explore the play of material and meaning and in a wide range of approaches and materials. Tzu-Ju’s website is a beautiful, quiet gallery of her work and concepts that should make a perfect quiet break for you today.
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or an issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.
Jumping into Florals
June 3, 2013
Inspirational Art
I know its technically been Spring for a couple months in the northern hemisphere, but its really just now that the blooms are showing and the lushness of Spring is making its appearance, at least outside my door. Between all the beauty outside and working on the next issue of The Polymer Arts — which is being created under the theme “Organics” — my mind is focused on the outdoors; so I thought we’d indulge in the beauty of flora.
I wanted to move away a bit from jewelry this week, but if we’re focusing on flowers, that might be a bit difficult since floral adornment is so prevalent and popular. But how about something that’s not quite jewelry, along with great ideas for some possible new products?
The season for weddings is upon us up here, so that’s another reason to think floral; it’s a rare wedding that doesn’t feature a few — or a ton — of flowers. This bouquet with matching wine glass charms is all polymer. The idea of going floral without the fragility of fresh blooms is the subject of an interesting idea blog for weddings I came across. Tatiana Belikov from Lipetsk, Russia is the creator of the realistic looking bouquet and accessories in the post.
There is also mention of making matching hair adornments for the bride (and bridesmaids!,) and accent pieces for candles, napkin rings, etc. Such polymer decorations at a wedding could be an easy sell; they can be gifts for the guests (and those bridesmaids!) that will last so they can be treasured and used again in the same capacity. And just think, with polymer florals … the bride would always have that bouquet, one that can decorate a table or shelf for many, many years, and be another gorgeous memory to keep and remember that special day by. Beautiful idea.
Conceptual work in contemporary jewelry is no rare thing. What is a tad rare, in my opinion, is conceptual jewelry that is wearable (how else can you really fully share it if you can’t wear it out?) and accessible. And by “accessible,” I mean a creation that most people can appreciate because it speaks to and pulls at the one thing we all share — the experience of being human.
I actually love conceptual jewelry, the kind that makes you stop and think, but to share something that this community will find inspiration in kept me focused on finding something that we can all smile at or find something to admire. Our experiences and wanting to hang onto memories of the times and places we’ve experienced is pretty ubiquitous, don’t you think? Tzu-Ju Chen seems to be speaking to that aspect of our human side with this ring. It does push the “wearable” boundary with its size, but I love the nostalgic sense he’s captured with the little cropped photos. Chartres Cathedral, as it is named, shows off photos of the building from a variety of angles on angled little boards accented with semi-precious gems. Tzu-Ju actually sees this work from a slightly different perspective, saying, “My works explores the conceptual play of material and meaning. Travel photography and vintage snapshots serve as mementos that embody the present reality.”
Maybe I am tired, but I’m not sure about the “present reality” embodiment here. Nonetheless, I think I could spend a lot of time staring at my hand and checking out the little photos. Especially if they were photos from a trip of my own. It’s kind of a neat idea to consider how we might integrate our own memories into our work in such a literal fashion.
Tzu-Ju’s work certainly does explore the play of material and meaning and in a wide range of approaches and materials. Tzu-Ju’s website is a beautiful, quiet gallery of her work and concepts that should make a perfect quiet break for you today.
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or an issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.
I know its technically been Spring for a couple months in the northern hemisphere, but its really just now that the blooms are showing and the lushness of Spring is making its appearance, at least outside my door. Between all the beauty outside and working on the next issue of The Polymer Arts — which is being created under the theme “Organics” — my mind is focused on the outdoors; so I thought we’d indulge in the beauty of flora.
I wanted to move away a bit from jewelry this week, but if we’re focusing on flowers, that might be a bit difficult since floral adornment is so prevalent and popular. But how about something that’s not quite jewelry, along with great ideas for some possible new products?
The season for weddings is upon us up here, so that’s another reason to think floral; it’s a rare wedding that doesn’t feature a few — or a ton — of flowers. This bouquet with matching wine glass charms is all polymer. The idea of going floral without the fragility of fresh blooms is the subject of an interesting idea blog for weddings I came across. Tatiana Belikov from Lipetsk, Russia is the creator of the realistic looking bouquet and accessories in the post.
There is also mention of making matching hair adornments for the bride (and bridesmaids!,) and accent pieces for candles, napkin rings, etc. Such polymer decorations at a wedding could be an easy sell; they can be gifts for the guests (and those bridesmaids!) that will last so they can be treasured and used again in the same capacity. And just think, with polymer florals … the bride would always have that bouquet, one that can decorate a table or shelf for many, many years, and be another gorgeous memory to keep and remember that special day by. Beautiful idea.
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