A thesis, written by Dierra Jones, for an MFA in jewelry.
Storytelling is rooted in our daily lives, giving individuals the ability to connect and understand the world we live in. These stories are often memorable through one’s connection to time and place. In the jewelry field, place is significant in the life of an object because it tells a story that is activated through episodic memory. This causes objects to be an extension of one’s identity. Like memory, the body is also significant in the activation of these objects, enabling a multisensory experience to occur in space. This experience creates a simultaneous interaction that is continuous. In her studio practice, Dierra Jones utilizes place and storytelling as a therapeutic outlet by incorporating natural materials and mundane jewelry processes to create small-scale sculptural objects. This allows the work to function as an autobiography or narrative. Through focusing on place, Jones can re-create stories from her past that are activated through experience and create an endless narrative that is transferred to the audience.