Ornament Digital Volume 39.5

In our latest issue, Usha R. Balakrishnan, one of the co-curators of the recent exhibition “Enduring Splendor” at the Fowler Museum at UCLA, details the rich cultural and technical heritage of India’s long jewelry tradition where the historical and cultural contexts of ornamental forms, materials and techniques are inextricably intertwined. The exhibition was based on the extensive collection of Ronald and Maxine Linde.

Ashley Callahan discusses the jewelry of Barbara Mann, who explores both the macro and the micro as she makes work that interprets cell biology and the cosmos. A graduate of the University of Georgia’s craft programs, Mann uses silver, gold and unusual semiprecious gems as components in forming her narrative pieces. She reads deeply for her research and has also consulted biologists in her search for understanding the intricacies of cell structures.

Glen R. Brown follows the Gaussoin family, headed by Connie Tsosie-Gaussoin, who pioneered as a female Native silversmith and raised four children in the arts. Jerry Jr. was influenced by Navajo and Pueblo metalsmithing, tempered by his experiences while serving in the Army; Wayne Nez favors non-conventional materials; David increasingly addresses the entire body; and daughter Tazbah has a degree in museum studies, models and weaves. Family and community are a vital part of their lives as artists.

Leslie Clark tells how successful textile artist and designer Julie Powell transitioned into a powerhouse beadwork jeweler. Self-taught, she used her textile background to re-interpret them into beadwork designs, in a wide variety of striking styles and forms of jewelry. While she exhibits at shows, she is also active on the internet with sales of her work.