In my latest piece of the Levé Series, I further explore the abstract concept of “in-between spaces” through the manipulation of light using projected settings on wire, terminated with topazes and peridot, provided in a donation to the Texas Tech School of Art from James Avery Artisan Jewelry.
The piece is made up of four elements; the forged neck wire that creates the roots from which the piece sprouts, the pylons that provide the sinuous lift of light and energy rendered in metal, and the forged and hand machined “strata” that serve as the base of the stems that create the “aura” of stones.
The pylons double as a connection for the three distinct removable strata when fitting the piece to the wearer. There are 206 CADed, 3D printed, and cast settings which were finished and set in-house. Each stem is fitted to the meticulously filed and notched surface which was then drilled and tapped to fit over 180 hand polished stainless steel screws that fasten the stems into place.
We’re surrounded by unseen forces, whether it be gravity and light, and interconnectedness via spirituality or string theory. Just as the light from the piece depicts the feeling of an unseen exertion of power and presence, I chose to give the light more mass as it washes across the scene with “a million bright ambassadors of morning”. It is the interaction of the invisible, yet powerful and it’s a step towards my goal to create pieces that emanate with life.
In my exploration of the space off of the body with the Swoop Series and the development of stemmed setting in the initial studies of the Levitation Series, I arrived at an intersection where I could attempt to manifest the intangible “in-between space” - this “energy” that permeates the body and occupies the void between all things. This elusive force has many names across a multitude of cultures; chi, mana, anima, “vibes” or even “the force”. These are all words that begin to describe or acknowledge this instinctual recognition of a higher space that we cannot see, but feel. This piece is a part of the exploration into that space and a means to render these unseen forces.