This text explores the theoretical use of wood as a material for contemporary jewelry. Images of several exhibited works are included as well. Primarily emphasizing artists at work in the United States, it offers an overarching look at the use of wood in jewelry today.
This exhibition features the work of emerging and established artists who use wood as the primary medium for jewelry and adornment. Long utilized in wearable objects, wood immediately connects the body to the natural landscape. This versatile material offers compelling color, pattern, and texture, as well as a pliable surface. Those whose works are featured in this exhibition are drawn to wood for both conceptual and aesthetic reasons. Whether carving, painting, appropriating, or otherwise manipulating, they stretch the boundaries of how we understand a familiar material.
This gallery guide supports the exhibition Out on a Limb: Contemporary Wood Jewelry, which was on view at the Racine Art Museum, Racine, WI, USA, from February 26-June 17, 2012. Text by Lena Vigna, RAM curator of exhibitions.