Dialogue

Laura Deakin
Necklaces
Polyester filler, silk, plastic mother-of-pearl
2006-07

Over on Facebook, the graduate students from SUNY New Paltz have started "A Dialogue Regarding Beauty and Jewelry", and have asked a great many people from the field to participate. They ask that you respond to these two questions:

Identify a piece of jewelry made in the last two decades that you found to be profoundly beautiful. Explain why, and/or relate the experience.


Is it your intent that skillfulness is clearly demonstrated in your work? Why or why not?

I knew almost immediatly which piece I wanted to use to answer the first question, these "pearl" necklaces by Laura Deakin. Out of all the wonderful pieces in "The Fat Booty of Madness", these are the ones that have stuck with me.

I knew the answer to the second question too, but crafting something that so many top players in the field were going to see was a bit nerve wracking. It's been a bit of a stuggle for me, because I'm not a super personal person, but I've chosen to make this super personal and private work, while I'm still in the position where I have to talk about it. How do you share, without sharing too much?

Anyways, I think I managed to come up with something that was short, to the point and doesn't make me sound like a complete idiot:

The pieces in this series strike me because of their minimalism, use of unconventional materials and, most importantly for me, their subtly.

Demonstrating skill used to be part of my intent when I was making a very different type of work. This is no longer my desire, partially because I don’t feel like it takes a whole lot of technical skill to make my work. My work is about myself and my spiritual journey and my love of these things. My intent has shifted to let this voice, my voice be heard over any overt show of skill.