This pendant is intended to be a protector of ‘craft’. It represents what is good about the handmade object; its uniqueness, quality and mark of the maker. As I was making this piece, I reflected on how privileged I am to have the time to invest in making distinctive objects that would never otherwise been thought of, let alone made.
As I often work intuitively, I frequently reflect on how the object came to be. I believe that particular jewellery objects are fated to exist; they are born at a particular time for a specific reason. It is also amazing to me how many times certain pieces seem to have the ability to create moments of serendipity; they connect with an individual as though it were ‘meant to be’, as though the two were destined to coexist. It could be as simple as finding a plastic ring discovered on a beach or receiving a diamond-encrusted ring.
Jewellery, by its very nature and because of its relationship to the body, has the potential to be ‘discovered’, personalised, and therefore become for that individual an object of providence. As intimate objects, jewellery not only has the power to convey meaning, it also invites the possessor to transfer meaning. This is often due to timing, circumstance or how the object is acquired - from where it has come or from whom. With this in mind, I hope Ode to Craft moves you by suggesting notions of beauty, nostalgia and passing time, while also symbolically acting as a talisman or amulet that protects craft and the handmade.
This piece was made for the exhibition Pieces of Fate at Pieces of Eight Gallery, 2011.