Souvenir: Capturing the Essence and Experience of Place: MFA Thesis - Metal

Abstract

I am an artist, jeweler, and mapmaker of sorts. I craft three-dimensional, representations of particular locations using signs and symbols of my own design. I develop these abstract symbols from the information I gather at each location I investigate. I am drawn to sites that are often alluring in their majesty, yet I become marveled by what goes unnoticed, the residue of a peculiar interaction between humanity and the natural world. I encapsulate these moments into jewelry that functions as a souvenir or aide– mémoire, allowing the wearer to physically experience my interpretation of the sublime, creating a transportable, relational understanding of it.