Ascent

ONE-OF-A-KIND | JEWELRY

Wearable Sculpture/Bracelet | Stainless Steel woven wire cloth, 925 Silver | 170mm height, 60mm to 80mm diameter | convert dimensions to inches

This piece was the beginning of my ongoing interest in work that exists both in relationship with the human body, and as a stand-alone sculptural piece.  As such, Ascent doesn't need to reference the body to be understood. 

Inspired by the innovative and timeless quality of the work of Mariano Fortuny and Issey Miyake, whose seemingly effortless breakthroughs in textile design have made them permanently up-to-date. Treating stainless steel woven cloth the same way I would treat a natural fiber textile, I finely hand-pleated the material -- without marking or following pre-established measurements -- only anticipating the overall shape I was after. The pleating itself guided the direction and contour of the piece. Although the scale references the body, and specifically the arm, I wasn’t sure what kind of form I'd arrive at after the pleating and folding process. As it wrapped asymmetrically half way around itself, I found the tall and slender silhouette as elegant and beautiful as a Fortuny Delphos gown, and also reminiscent of Miyake's avant garde pleats.

A simple hand forged sterling element conceals the closure mechanism. Without any additional supporting structure, the piece is flexible, relying on the arm to hold the shape when worn, or a support to be displayed; when the latch is open it lays completely flat (this aspect, too, makes reference to a garment that comes to life when it is worn).   

On the body, Ascent makes a statement. Meant to be worn low on the wrist the "peak" facing up, and the bottom "skirt"  just grazing the wrist and reaching half way down the palm of the hand.  

Ascent is part of the Plicato series, and is a direct precursor to the Stria limited edition vessels.