(no subject)
My opening last night was amazing - and incredibly crowded. A big thanks to all my friends that came to support me!
If you weren't able to attend the opening but want to check out the show, it is up until June 1st.
Portland Art Center
NW 5th & Couch
Wednesday-Sunday 12-5pm
Hidden Agendas in gallery
RFID, or Radio Frequency Identification, identifies things - much like our clothing and accessories identify us. It has been used for the last 30 years as subdermal pet idetification and in store anti-theft devices, but recent advances to the technology have allowed it to be used subdermally in humans. Lilkewise, recent international political issues have caused RFID to be included in passports, and credit card companies are adding it to their products, transforming the nature of these items. Security issues inherent in RFID have not been addressed, leaving individuals at risk for identity theft and unauthorized corporate data mining.
“Hidden Agenda” addresses these concerns. It is an open mesh collar constructed of small black RFID tags and sterling silver. Each of the 45 tags used in this piece is programmed to display an image, quote, or question about tracking, surveillance and projection of identity. These tags can be “read” with an RFID wand attached to a laptop.
Hidden Agendas on model
One intriguing aspect of art jewelry is that it has two display possibilities. In the museum or gallery setting, pieces are presented as sculpture, yet on the body, they are presented as adornment.
When worn, "Hidden Agendas" acts as a reminder that we are being inundated with RFID technology. It is sewn into our clothes during production, integrated into the newest credit cards and passports, and if the company VeriChip has its way, we will have them subdermally implanted into our bodies.
Yet it's impossible to tell by looking at these small black disks that they contain computer chips. Though this is part of the concept of the piece, demonstrating how hidden the technology is in daily life, the piece exists independently as a beautiful object.
Hidden Agendas back view
The Future of the Signature?
Currently, the signature is being slowly debased, as digital transactions render it difficult to transfer. Credit cards use a secondary “security” number to validate purchases online, but this is an intermediary step until someone figures out a technology that will work more effectively. Government’s use of RFID tags on passports promotes this as the next step in identifying us as individuals, and VeriChip Corporation’s creation of an FDA-approved RFID tag to be placed in human bodies places it as the forerunner to our next method of documenting contractual agreements or extending our power beyond ourselves.
Interestingly, the signature only came into use during the 17th century as a result of another major human advance - literacy. Prior to this, the seal, typically in the form of a signet ring, was used as a personal marker. So necessary were they to daily life in Roman times that the early Christian Church permitted them to be worn despite the church’s rejection of luxury and adornment. Through the Middle Ages, signets were vital to the growth of consumer society because merchant’s marks were important as recognizable signs even to the illiterate. This importance diminished with the European expansion of literacy, and thus we see the written signature taking over this role by the beginning of the eighteenth century.
I express this transformation through the creation of an updated Egyptian signet ring. This style of ring included a scarab that was decorative on one side, but could be flipped to expose the signet, which was typically stamped into clay to leave its impression. In my adaptation, one side of this fabricated sterling silver ring has a black plastic RFID tag that looks like a dark stone, such as onyx. The other side has a white silicone “seal” with an imprinted image - the international power symbol comprised of a circle broken at the top by a short vertical line. The wire wrapping at the head of the ring shank references historical ring design. The bezel setting includes hidden text in binary code (the most basic language of computers). It states “I am.” The code is replicated as a decorative element around the entire setting, and is oriented such that it will be right-reading no matter the orientation of the silicon/RFID.
I offer this ring as an alternative to subdermally implanting tags into humans. The technology in this tag currently allows programming to open the front door to someone’s home or cars. Also, it could potentially be adapted to be used as a security badge system, thereby removing the need for the ugly badges currently dangling from the necks of countless government and Fortune 500 corporation employees.
The Future of the Signature - power signet side up
One downside to RFID technology is its lack of security features. It can easily be cloned from a distance, leaving the wearer at risk of identity theft and worse. Radio frequency has two natural enemies that offer intriguing security solutions - liquids and metals. This ring uses both of those to create a physical security layer, for in wearing the RFID tag against the skin, the body itself (comprises of 90% water) acts as barrier, and a thin silver backing plate hidden behind the tag prevents transmission through the ring.
Roboto Mori
Prior to the advent of photography which established lockets as the new memento, the cameo was a very real way to own a wearable remembrance of a loved one, king, or symbol of mythology.
Cameos are important to the history of identification, for they served as extensions of the cameo subject’s power. Though the Victorian trend of modeling women in cameos evidences the source of the contemporary belief that this was historically the norm, it is the exception. Prior to Victorian times, cameos were typically of men - rich, powerful men. That these men were included in paintings of their wives and daughters through a small piece of jewelry illustrates not only how powerful the men were in comparison to the women, but also demonstrates the etymology of the phrase “cameo appearance.”
Historic cameos were about power and domain. The sentimentality of the Victorian era took the cameo to a whole new level. Memento mori jewelry, as demonstrated through the cameo, provides a “direct” representation of a loved one - a romantization of a person who may or may not have existed in the way that the wearer perceives them. I have taken this idea of the ideal and sentimental, and have chosen a personification of an idealized future - a little robot.
Robots, for me, symbolize artificial intelligence, a 20th century exploration of technology. Most visions of artificial intelligence, are dystopic, from Metropolis to the Matrix. And yet, nostalgic images of robots, and utopic ideas about the future promised from the beginning of the 20th century through the 1950s, demonstrated through mass media like “The Jetsons” television show, encapsulate a rosy vision for the future.
“Roboto Mori” is a cameo brooch depicting a nostalgic-looking robot. Highly detailed, it is entirely hand fabricated of sterling silver, 2mm chrome-plated steel ball bearings, 5mm brass gears, and onyx stones. Though it is constructed of metal rather than the stone cameos were traditionally cut from, it was created in much the same way - the robot itself is on an oval base that was set into a box bezel that has been ornately decorated.
Did Dolly Dream of a Bio Mom?
Scientific advancements such as genetic engineering, cloning, and artificial intelligence have major influence on the evolution of how we, as humans, contextualize ourselves within the world. These advancements will likely act as harbingers of transhumanism - the enhancement of human mental and physical abilities and aptitudes and amelioration of undesirable aspects of the human condition.
Cloning is especially damaging to our concept of identity, for how can we be special or unique if we can be duplicated? The famous Dolly was the first mammal to be cloned from an adult. Using a process called somatic cell nuclear transfer, scientists transfer genetic material from the nucleus of a donor adult cell to an egg whose nucleus, and thus its genetic material, has been remove. But who was the sheep she was cloned from? She is only ever referred to as the ‘donor.’ Perhaps this is because she never had a name, only a number, as Dolly did before becoming a media celebrity. More likely, however, it is because talking about the donor brings up huge issues about identity, family relationships, and reproduction. As the donor, she is not the mother, the aunt, the sibling, or even the twin. She is the original we never discuss.
In “Did Dolly Dream of a Bio Mom?” I have redesigned a common Greco-Roman torque and bracelet style, penannular (an incomplete circle) and featuring the heads of animals on the terminals.
Taking my inspiration from Dolly, my bracelet features the busts of two young sheep connected by the fabricated double helix of a DNA strand. These lambs are exactly the same, representing Dolly and her donor.
Unplugged
Raised as an urban apartment dweller, it wasn’t until the last few years of living on land I own that I began to understand the beautiful symbology of seeds. Seeds are a symbol of life, of hope in the future. Without seeds, ancient cultures (not to mention the modern farmer) had nothing to plant, no harvest. No food, and thus starvation. Seeds’ standing as a symbol of hope, life and fulfillment has been minimized by our fast food culture, and replaced by something much more important to daily life - electrical power.
In today’s culture, to be without electricity is deadly. Without it, we can’t eat, can’t heat our homes, can’t communicate - society would be plunged into complete chaos. In “Unplugged,” I replace the typical seed pods, pomegranates, or heads of gods found in Greek strap necklaces with fabricated sterling silver electrical plugs. The plugs are the most recognizable object related to electrical power. The strap for this piece is a historical double loop-in-loop chain meticulously crafted from 1800 fused fine silver jump rings.
Pedestal with acrylic
Jewelry is tough to display in a gallery or museum setting. I designed this pedestal to create a "wall" for each of the four pieces included within.
If you weren't able to attend the opening but want to check out the show, it is up until June 1st.
Portland Art Center
NW 5th & Couch
Wednesday-Sunday 12-5pm
Hidden Agendas in gallery
RFID, or Radio Frequency Identification, identifies things - much like our clothing and accessories identify us. It has been used for the last 30 years as subdermal pet idetification and in store anti-theft devices, but recent advances to the technology have allowed it to be used subdermally in humans. Lilkewise, recent international political issues have caused RFID to be included in passports, and credit card companies are adding it to their products, transforming the nature of these items. Security issues inherent in RFID have not been addressed, leaving individuals at risk for identity theft and unauthorized corporate data mining.
“Hidden Agenda” addresses these concerns. It is an open mesh collar constructed of small black RFID tags and sterling silver. Each of the 45 tags used in this piece is programmed to display an image, quote, or question about tracking, surveillance and projection of identity. These tags can be “read” with an RFID wand attached to a laptop.
Hidden Agendas on model
One intriguing aspect of art jewelry is that it has two display possibilities. In the museum or gallery setting, pieces are presented as sculpture, yet on the body, they are presented as adornment.
When worn, "Hidden Agendas" acts as a reminder that we are being inundated with RFID technology. It is sewn into our clothes during production, integrated into the newest credit cards and passports, and if the company VeriChip has its way, we will have them subdermally implanted into our bodies.
Yet it's impossible to tell by looking at these small black disks that they contain computer chips. Though this is part of the concept of the piece, demonstrating how hidden the technology is in daily life, the piece exists independently as a beautiful object.
Hidden Agendas back view
The Future of the Signature?
Currently, the signature is being slowly debased, as digital transactions render it difficult to transfer. Credit cards use a secondary “security” number to validate purchases online, but this is an intermediary step until someone figures out a technology that will work more effectively. Government’s use of RFID tags on passports promotes this as the next step in identifying us as individuals, and VeriChip Corporation’s creation of an FDA-approved RFID tag to be placed in human bodies places it as the forerunner to our next method of documenting contractual agreements or extending our power beyond ourselves.
Interestingly, the signature only came into use during the 17th century as a result of another major human advance - literacy. Prior to this, the seal, typically in the form of a signet ring, was used as a personal marker. So necessary were they to daily life in Roman times that the early Christian Church permitted them to be worn despite the church’s rejection of luxury and adornment. Through the Middle Ages, signets were vital to the growth of consumer society because merchant’s marks were important as recognizable signs even to the illiterate. This importance diminished with the European expansion of literacy, and thus we see the written signature taking over this role by the beginning of the eighteenth century.
I express this transformation through the creation of an updated Egyptian signet ring. This style of ring included a scarab that was decorative on one side, but could be flipped to expose the signet, which was typically stamped into clay to leave its impression. In my adaptation, one side of this fabricated sterling silver ring has a black plastic RFID tag that looks like a dark stone, such as onyx. The other side has a white silicone “seal” with an imprinted image - the international power symbol comprised of a circle broken at the top by a short vertical line. The wire wrapping at the head of the ring shank references historical ring design. The bezel setting includes hidden text in binary code (the most basic language of computers). It states “I am.” The code is replicated as a decorative element around the entire setting, and is oriented such that it will be right-reading no matter the orientation of the silicon/RFID.
I offer this ring as an alternative to subdermally implanting tags into humans. The technology in this tag currently allows programming to open the front door to someone’s home or cars. Also, it could potentially be adapted to be used as a security badge system, thereby removing the need for the ugly badges currently dangling from the necks of countless government and Fortune 500 corporation employees.
The Future of the Signature - power signet side up
One downside to RFID technology is its lack of security features. It can easily be cloned from a distance, leaving the wearer at risk of identity theft and worse. Radio frequency has two natural enemies that offer intriguing security solutions - liquids and metals. This ring uses both of those to create a physical security layer, for in wearing the RFID tag against the skin, the body itself (comprises of 90% water) acts as barrier, and a thin silver backing plate hidden behind the tag prevents transmission through the ring.
Roboto Mori
Prior to the advent of photography which established lockets as the new memento, the cameo was a very real way to own a wearable remembrance of a loved one, king, or symbol of mythology.
Cameos are important to the history of identification, for they served as extensions of the cameo subject’s power. Though the Victorian trend of modeling women in cameos evidences the source of the contemporary belief that this was historically the norm, it is the exception. Prior to Victorian times, cameos were typically of men - rich, powerful men. That these men were included in paintings of their wives and daughters through a small piece of jewelry illustrates not only how powerful the men were in comparison to the women, but also demonstrates the etymology of the phrase “cameo appearance.”
Historic cameos were about power and domain. The sentimentality of the Victorian era took the cameo to a whole new level. Memento mori jewelry, as demonstrated through the cameo, provides a “direct” representation of a loved one - a romantization of a person who may or may not have existed in the way that the wearer perceives them. I have taken this idea of the ideal and sentimental, and have chosen a personification of an idealized future - a little robot.
Robots, for me, symbolize artificial intelligence, a 20th century exploration of technology. Most visions of artificial intelligence, are dystopic, from Metropolis to the Matrix. And yet, nostalgic images of robots, and utopic ideas about the future promised from the beginning of the 20th century through the 1950s, demonstrated through mass media like “The Jetsons” television show, encapsulate a rosy vision for the future.
“Roboto Mori” is a cameo brooch depicting a nostalgic-looking robot. Highly detailed, it is entirely hand fabricated of sterling silver, 2mm chrome-plated steel ball bearings, 5mm brass gears, and onyx stones. Though it is constructed of metal rather than the stone cameos were traditionally cut from, it was created in much the same way - the robot itself is on an oval base that was set into a box bezel that has been ornately decorated.
Did Dolly Dream of a Bio Mom?
Scientific advancements such as genetic engineering, cloning, and artificial intelligence have major influence on the evolution of how we, as humans, contextualize ourselves within the world. These advancements will likely act as harbingers of transhumanism - the enhancement of human mental and physical abilities and aptitudes and amelioration of undesirable aspects of the human condition.
Cloning is especially damaging to our concept of identity, for how can we be special or unique if we can be duplicated? The famous Dolly was the first mammal to be cloned from an adult. Using a process called somatic cell nuclear transfer, scientists transfer genetic material from the nucleus of a donor adult cell to an egg whose nucleus, and thus its genetic material, has been remove. But who was the sheep she was cloned from? She is only ever referred to as the ‘donor.’ Perhaps this is because she never had a name, only a number, as Dolly did before becoming a media celebrity. More likely, however, it is because talking about the donor brings up huge issues about identity, family relationships, and reproduction. As the donor, she is not the mother, the aunt, the sibling, or even the twin. She is the original we never discuss.
In “Did Dolly Dream of a Bio Mom?” I have redesigned a common Greco-Roman torque and bracelet style, penannular (an incomplete circle) and featuring the heads of animals on the terminals.
Taking my inspiration from Dolly, my bracelet features the busts of two young sheep connected by the fabricated double helix of a DNA strand. These lambs are exactly the same, representing Dolly and her donor.
Unplugged
Raised as an urban apartment dweller, it wasn’t until the last few years of living on land I own that I began to understand the beautiful symbology of seeds. Seeds are a symbol of life, of hope in the future. Without seeds, ancient cultures (not to mention the modern farmer) had nothing to plant, no harvest. No food, and thus starvation. Seeds’ standing as a symbol of hope, life and fulfillment has been minimized by our fast food culture, and replaced by something much more important to daily life - electrical power.
In today’s culture, to be without electricity is deadly. Without it, we can’t eat, can’t heat our homes, can’t communicate - society would be plunged into complete chaos. In “Unplugged,” I replace the typical seed pods, pomegranates, or heads of gods found in Greek strap necklaces with fabricated sterling silver electrical plugs. The plugs are the most recognizable object related to electrical power. The strap for this piece is a historical double loop-in-loop chain meticulously crafted from 1800 fused fine silver jump rings.
Pedestal with acrylic
Jewelry is tough to display in a gallery or museum setting. I designed this pedestal to create a "wall" for each of the four pieces included within.