Upcycled Plastic - Rachel Darbourne Jewelry

Designing jewelry from
recycled plastic is what 
Rachel Darbourne does well.
With creative thought this artist designs
upcycled, innovative pieces that look
 more like paper or silk than plastic.
But they're not paper nor fabric,
they are made from
100% recycled polyethylene
 (the plastic found in supermarket bags 
and other packaging).

These pieces are appealing with their concentric

circles of different sizes and (sometimes) colors.

Who knew that a simple object like plastic

could be elevated into works of art?

 

 

In her hands this used packaging material
is repurposed into remarkable and colorful jewelry
that proves upcycling can be synonymous with
beautiful and inspired handcrafted work.

Be sure to visit Rachel Darbourne's website
to see more of this innovative work.
 

Exhibition - Humor in Craft (yes, that includes jewelry!)

Humor in Craft is currently on exhibit at the

Society for Contemporary Craft
in Pittsburgh, PA.
 

This exhibition, based on the book
by the same name, presents artworks by 32 artists
from across the United States and abroad.
Spanning all types of craft
including furniture, pottery,
and of course, jewelry,
it's meant to tickle your funny bone.

Some pieces are whimsical, some are fantastical,
and all are amusing in one sense or another.
And that's the point. Humor is subjective.

Curated by founder and editor of the international

online resource Crafthaus,

Brigitte Martin—author of the recently released book

also titled Humor in Craft, had the following

to say about the exhibit:

When I embarked on assembling images of humorous craft artwork it became clear rather quickly that, even though everyone likes to share funny stories, humor definitely takes on different meanings depending on the various filters we employ. Based on a variety of factors (such as but not limited to social background, personal experiences and values, knowledge of popular culture events, education, and national origin), there are overlaps but also differences in humor perception. In other words, what I personally find extremely funny might at best only elicit mild amusement in others, and vice versa. So the question arises, what do we laugh at? Are there images or artwork that everyone finds hilarious? Are there topics that are off-limits and how far can you go before it’s just not funny anymore? And who gets to decide that this point has been reached . . . .

 Thought-provoking questions set aside,

it's just fun to see the humorous side of a jewelry
artist's imagination and the pieces presented in
this exhibit certainly are not cookie cutter.
But then again, neither are these artists.

 

For instance, Emiko Oye's colorful necklace is

constructed from repurposed LEGO pieces

and sterling silver.  Titled, Cygne Noir,

 (translated as Black Swan)

it's from her First Royal Jewels Collection and

reinterprets Lalique's famous enamel necklace titled,

Insect Women and Black Swans.

 

 

 

This bracelet called, Turn the Other Check, is

 Margaux Lange's entry. It's made with salvaged

Barbie doll parts set into sterling silver

and pigmented resins.

 

 

 

 

 

 Mary Hallam Pearse's entry is called, Three Words.

It's made with silver, aluminum and diamonds.

It's reminiscent of children's

dexterity games where the players

must complete the image by getting

the jewels into the impressions.

One can assume there's plenty of

 manual dexterity needed

and enough challenge provided

to keep young fingers busy.

 

 

 

Humor in Craft is currently on exhibit at the

Society for Contemporary Craft

and continues through October 27, 2012.

 

 

 Humor in Craft, the book that inspired the exhibit

can be found here.

 

Let it tickle your funny bone.

 

Upcycling Velcro - Yong Joo Kim Jewelry

Velcro has never looked so good.

Yong Joo Kim takes a rather boring industrial
material and transforms it into jewelry
that would look appropriate in any situation.

For other examples of upcycled materials
transformed into jewelry
see previous posts about
 Clementine James and Hila Rawet Karni
and Kathleen Nowak Tucci.

Re-Using the Old to Create the New - McKenna Hallett Jewelry

Sometimes it's one's mission to contribute in ways

that go beyond the ordinary.

Using only found, reclaimable materials

McKenna Hallet re-uses things like

roofing, gutters, radiators parts, plumbing components,

airplane engine parts and electrical discards.

Her mission statement

encapsulates the essence of her work in jewelry,

I want to create objects of art with a minimum of impact ON OUR PLANET and to this end I will never use electricity or heat or corrosive chemicals to construct my jewelry and I will use as few items as possible from newly manufactured sources.

She also went on to tell me,

I burn NO fossil fuels: no heat, solder, torches, electricity, zero energy is used.  I believe that is what makes the work compelling . . . and the one hope is for each piece to be an ambassador of my message: REDUCE, REUSE, RETHINK and recycle only when you have no other option. It is my raison d'être for creating my line.



Even without knowing her motivations for creating jewelry,

her work is intriguing, superbly-crafted and fun.

 For instance, the naturally-occurring corrosion

process that happens in copper can produce

wonderfully striking effects.

This pendant is a great example.

An aluminum bangle becomes a study in simplicity.

McKenna captures the essence of

the old and revitalizes 

that energy into delightful earrings

made from used radiator parts.

Finding the beauty in scraps of material from

demolition sites and local junk yards,

and salvaging those tidbits

is the essence of this artist's work.

And it's beautiful work.

There is a lot more information and great images

to see at McKenna Hallett's website.

Upcycled Color - Tamra Gentry Jewelry

It looks like a gemstone called agate.

But it's not agate.

It looks like a metal-working technique

called mokume gane.

But it's not.

So, what exactly is it?

Old paint.

But not just any old paint. This is a hidden treasure that

has been salvaged from trash and re-purposed into

truly innovative jewelry by metalsmith Tamra Gentry.

Known as Fordite or Motor City Agate it is

made of layers and layers (and more layers) of

automotive enamel paint that used to be

manually spray-painted onto cars

at the auto factories during the 1960s and 1970s.

While the cars eventually left the painting

stations the excess overspray was left behind.

Layers of enamel paint built up over time on the

 walls of all those painting stations and were

 baked on repeatedly.  When this manual painting

process was automated the creation

 of Fordite ceased.

Salvaged Fordite is in limited supply.

And what was once destined for the landfill

 upcycles beautifully into exquisite jewelry.

This artist uses a variety of fabrication

techniques to infuse stylish new life into

 a manufacturing byproduct.

These pieces are definitely top drawer.

In a striking array of colors

these pieces are both stunningly stylish

and eco-friendly.

Pairing many of her pieces

with gemstones she cleverly provides

a stunning counterpoint to the

vintage auto enamel.

It's obvious that Tamra's technical skills

are superb and her designs are

innovative and very feminine.

One can consider them to be

artistic expressions set in silver.

We love to be enchanted and inspired by artists

 who are using objects that had a previous life

and creating something with a different purpose.

In this particular case, we're impressed that

 a substance that was truly

considered as wasted product for one industry

has become a valuable material for another.

For more information about these

colorful nuggets of beauty visit

Tamra's website.

Upcycled Elegance: Clementine James Jewelry

Upcycling can give useless or damaged

materials a new life. It's inspiring to see

jewelry artists take something disposable

and re-design it to create

something of value.

We've featured several in previous posts:

such as Harriete Estel Berman using

recycled tin cans;

Holly Anne Mitchell and her use

of discarded newspapers.

We've seen upcycling occur in the

works of Emiko Oye

and Alice Sprintzen.

They all have proven their ability

to expose the hidden potential in

seemingly ordinary objects.

Today we're featuring

Clementine James who is a

treasure hunter - she finds and

gathers disparate objects to create

lusciously beautiful jewelry, and

each item becomes seamlessly

integrated into her

artistic creations.

Old, broken pieces of things, pebbles, lace,

 fabric, are all lovingly upcycled into

wearable jewels.

Fun and elegance find a home together.

She enchants us with her use of recycled

and vintage items.



Average, ordinary, commonplace items

enter a metamorphosis to become

one-of-a-kind items of jewelry.

We are inspired by artists who are using objects

that had a previous life and are creating

something with a different purpose.

Creating thoughtful and resourceful

 reused and repurposed items

provides us with unlimited beauty.

Enjoy!