Ornament Digital Volume 40.3

In our most recent issue, Glen R. Brown interviews studio jeweler Linda MacNeil, who is inspired by historical art and is a collector of influences through observation. With a playful curiosity, an eye for assembling contrasting elements, and a flare for color, MacNeil’s careful, successive series in glass amount to a grand visual experiment

Jill DeDominicis takes us into the heart of the craftspeople exhibiting in this year’s prestigious show. Each of the one hundred twenty participants is among the top in their media; by giving us the how and why of what they do, she enables the viewer with a greater perspective and deeper understanding.

Ashley Callahan discovers the complex craft career of Wiley Sanderson, known primarily for his photography, especially with pinhole cameras. Less known is his work in pioneering jewelrymaking techniques, established during his tenure teaching jewelry at the University of Georgia, with an emphasis on centrifugal casting and the use of unorthodox materials.

Robin Updike describes how architectural engineer Checha Sokolovic, who only started making jewelry in 2010, uses concrete, stainless steel and polyvinylchloride, as well as charcoal, fur and even egg cartons to create stunning ornaments with a great simplicity of style. She is one of the few to have worked with concrete in jewelry over the last four decades.

And to round out the issue, Robert K. Liu, with the help of the owners of Ethnic Embellishments, shows the ingenuity and craftsmanship of Tuareg smiths. Despite perhaps the most simple toolkit among North and West African jewelers, they demonstrate great skills in creating with a variety of materials.