Storyteller Story #3: Wind & Leaves
“I like long walks on the beach, horseback riding, and deep conversation…” No. Scratch that. “Stimulating conversation.” Crap. I hate writing these stupid things. You can’t sound too smart you’ll scare someone off. You can sound like an idiot and you might get a date. Then they are disappointed when they find out you are smart. If you are physically attractive and smart, well…then their head might just explode. Ok. Let’s try this: “Multi-faceted individual. Looking for someone to grow with…” That sounds like a resume. Ok. “Must love nature. Must love hiking or at least walking. I love seeing the emerald green of my surroundings and feeling a cool breeze on my skin after working up a good sweat…” Hmmm. No. Too cheesy. Well…wait. I don’t want to sound all ‘hippy dippy’ but that’s kind of who I am. Right? I’ll leave it. Oh, who am I kidding? “I love horseback riding and long walks on the beach. Looking for someone to be my ‘plus one’…”
TALENT: An Interview with artist Teresa Annabelle of Artefact Redux
This month I talked with Artefact Redux artist, Teresa Annabelle about her romantic jewelry confections.
This month I talked with Artefact Redux artist, Teresa Annabelle about her romantic jewelry confections. Full disclosure: Teresa and I have had a couple of really great conversations concerning the awesomeness of all that is jewelry at one of my favorite local jewelry supply shops Bead Here Now. Teresa, too, is an assemblage artist like myself. She appreciates the history and unique stories that vintage and antique components have to offer. Listening to (in this case reading about) Teresa talk about her use of historical items helps one to realize it’s not about a history that is recognized by a large group of people that has been edited and compiled in a book that matters. It is our personal histories, our family histories, our love histories, our ‘everything’ histories that truly matter.
Urban Atelier: Talk about Artefact Redux a little and how it got started.
Artefact Redux:The name and cohesion was born of my husband and I, sometime in ’06. I still have the napkin from IHOP where we doodled up names and logos one too-late night. He was an artist and musician. I’d been creating jewelry since grade school. We had this shared love of the rusty and dusty and old and it wasn’t enough to simply place the items on a shelf.
Urban Atelier: Artefact Redux uses vintage and antique items in its creations. Why are these types of items your media of choice?
Artefact Redux: Jewelry has always fascinated me. The older, the better. My grandmother had a lifetime's worth of fantastic pieces that lived in a tall jewelry wardrobe. I would sit on her bed and stare at the sparkling rhinestone brooches and stroke the pearls, treasured for their stories and history as much as for their beauty.
So I was well groomed for a lifelong love affair with the grand and romantic designs of the past. But…I grew up dirt poor, the kind of poor that isn’t cute or funny. My folks were super and did everything they could. We never wanted for the necessities and I still haven’t found anything to beat my mother’s cooking or the taste of a tomato straight from the backyard garden. But there certainly wasn’t any money for the expensive jewelry my classmates were wearing. So I started looking around me for different places to find pretties: thrift stores, yard sales, the cast offs of others. When that wasn’t enough – because even in middle school creating jewelry is addicting – I got inspired by doll furniture, origami and other small non-traditional trinkets.
As I got older and learned more about crafting in general and jewelry specifically, the massive scale of consumption by the average hobbyist flew in the face of the sparse, “waste not, want not” way that my creating had evolved. So decreasing my “footprint” became a core tenet.
Urban Atelier: I know that you have strong ties to the local arts community having a space at Fans & Stoves [a local antique|vintage|artist mall] as well as working at Bead Here Now. Have these relationships influenced your work in any way?
Artefact Redux: I don’t feel very connected to local arts, especially since my husband’s passing. But I wonder if everyone, even those I view as being in the thick of things, don’t feel the same way. It is so hard to stay focused sometimes on the creating and I recognize that I’ve become quite the recluse so I usually choose the less draining option of sitting at home and creating.
But, in answer in to your question, having the space at Fans & Stoves is a symptom of the jewelry, as I was a customer for years (decades?) before I became part of the crazy family that is that place. It is a great place for supplies, and being able to touch and see things in person beats etsy or ebay any day. Bead Here Now was such a serendipitous blessing. The day I landed the job I wasn't even looking, but that’s how the best ones happen. I love working in such a welcoming and creative environment and discovering other local creatives. And thankfully, because my work is driven by vintage and antique elements, I am not nearly so tempted to blow my entire paycheck on the beads as others might [be].
Urban Atelier: What are the biggest influences on your work?
Artefact Redux: Man, so many! It really fluctuates. Five or six years ago, all I wanted to see was Mucha and Lalique. I wanted to drown in those lines and colours. Right now, my lifelong passion for Egyptology and my husband’s Kemeticism are really driving me to create simpler, more spiritually inclined pieces. Textiles inspire me constantly as little-girl me dreamed of being a fashion designer and I still dabble in a bit of reconstruction. Feminine strength, whimsy and darkness seem to be the prevailing themes on my Pinterest boards.
Urban Atelier: Recycling various items to create artwork is a popular trend right now. Do you think it's a trend that's here to stay or a passing fad? And why?
Artefact Redux: Like yourself and other artists who reuse and re-imagine probably have, I've pondered this at length. I suspect it has already begun to wane in some parts of the country. But that’s the thing about trends – they’re fickle and by the very nature of today’s society “what’s trending” isn't supposed to last. And if that means that Michael’s and other big box stores and their manufacturers move on to another aesthetic or principle to co-op and subvert for their gain, I am okay with that. In the meantime I’m going to keep doing my thing and if every one of us inspires just one other person to shift their perspective on what non-couture jewelry “should” be constructed from, our planet will be a little bit more awesome.
Urban Atelier: What type of impact do you believe or hope that you have by doing the type of work that you do?
Artefact Redux: I hope that myself and other artists with similar principles and aesthetics can bring exposure to the rich history and resources that are so readily available. I hope that we can inspire others to look beyond the mass produced and utilize the wealth of unique and history-heavy elements that surround us. So much is tossed aside and ignored to languish in the shadows, in favour of cycling faster and faster through the new and bland. I wish more people would risk a glance into those shadows, and find the stories and pasts that should be revered and learned from.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to share my thoughts on this thing we do. While there are many assemblage artists in the area who are focused on non- wearable sculpture, every chance to highlight us jewelry artists is a blessing.
If you want to see or find out more about Teresa's work you can make it happen here:
https://www.facebook.com/ArtefactReduxOriginals
https://www.etsy.com/people/artefactredux
TALENT: An Interview with artist Jo DeSerio Jones
Right now ‘recycled art’ is a trend that can’t be denied. There are many artists making the move toward incorporating recycled components into their artwork…for now anyway. More than likely a large number of them do it because all of the other cool kids are doing it. But what separates those artists who say they recycle because it tugs at a potential customer’s heartstrings from those who recycle because they care? I talked a little to artist Jo DeSerio Jones about what separates her from the pack and how she's saving the planet one piece of art at a time.
Atelier: What type of work do you do? What's your favorite media?
JO: I'm a mixed media artist making mostly jewelry. I find inspiration in many forms. At this time I am particularly fond of metal, fossils, concrete and leather.
Atelier: How do you incorporate fossils? Do you use a special process to prep them?
JO: I'm currently making molds from fossils, then casting in concrete or resin and adding many patinas until I get the look I love. So I'm creating new fossils that look old! I later incorporate them into my jewelry as layered components.
Atelier: What inspires your work for Jomama? I've noticed a number of influences; steampunk, nature... What influences you the most?
JO: My biggest inspiration is from nature in the form of materials such as wood, pods, shell, and fossils, [also] patina from weathering and rust; as well as shapes that only nature could create.
Atelier: I love that you incorporate nature into your work. Is there a deeper meaning when adding it into your pieces? Spiritual or otherwise?
JO: I've always said I feel a connection with the earth. It may come from childhood where I spent a lot of time outdoors where I lived in Northern New Jersey. I look at items that nature offers as a gift, not a byproduct.
Atelier: Right now there seem to be lots of artists incorporating eco-friendly components into their work, what separates you from the crowd and makes your work different?
JO: Being an environmentalist is a way of life for me first. I'd have to say that my work is a byproduct of my lifestyle. I'm not just creating eco products, I'm living it. Not only do I recycle items and work with found objects, but I also search for products that have the least environmental impact as well as buying things that are local or made in the USA. All being important aspects of sustainability.
Atelier: That's awesome that you take all of those things into consideration when creating your work. Do you feel like it might be only the job of a few of us (artists) to incorporate eco-sensitivity into our work while others focus on other things? Or can we all do our part?
I think we can all incorporate eco-consciousness into our work, but your eyes have to be open to the opportunities around you, no matter what form they come in.
Atelier: So you do commissioned pieces as well. Talk a little about what goes into completing pieces for clients.
JO: Typically when someone commissions me it's because they like the uniqueness of my style. So going into a project I know that I can be me. However, I ask questions pertaining to their likes and style, such as colors, a feeling they want it to reflect, or incorporating personal items or family heirlooms into the piece so it is a part of them as well.
Atelier: Which do you prefer doing, work for others or your own personal projects and why?
I'm an artist, so I definitely prefer working on personal pieces that don't have limits. There's satisfaction in that freedom and it shows in your work, making it more desirable.
Atelier: What do you feel is our responsibility as artists in educating the public about recycling? Do we have a responsibility specifically as artists? I know this is kind of a repeat of my earlier question, but can you talk a little bit more about your perspective?
JO: I feel we have a responsibility as humans. I have come to realize through the years that there can be a lot of unnecessary waste in the art world that every artist should try to be aware of. I think if you are an environmental artist that you should most definitely educate people about the ways of your work and items used. That is how we educate, inspire and open people's eyes to new ways of thinking. People are amazed by some of the things I reuse. I see the intrigue in my work all the time when I do shows and it's very rewarding. I love when I inspire others and get them to think outside of the box!
Atelier: Any projects you working on at the moment?
JO: I am currently working on more steampunk ballerina sculptures for and art exhibit I will be participating in this fall called "The Lucky Ones".
Atelier: Tell me a smidgen more about the show. What's it about?
JO: The exhibit will be curated by an artist who is very involved in the community. Last year's event was covered by PBS and the local cultural division [where I live]. The common thread amongst selected artist seems to be color and texture, including photography and paintings.