Sarah Abramson
Abandonment, 2008
Copper, graphite varnish, stainless steel; 14x12x10 cm
Artist statement:
Two distinct sides exist in my work. I evoke gestural calligraphic lines and I also use clean, consistent structures. One objective is to create a fluid aesthetic in a static material. The other objective is to present an unadorned straightforward form. This work embodies what my jewelry represents, both a visual experience as well as a physical relationship to the body. The gestural compositions are pierced out of copper and painted black. The white enameled forms are voluminous and refined. By freezing brush strokes, then coating them so that they appear as paper instead of metal, I use color, texture and form to bring the audience closer for a more intimate consideration of my jewelry.
My decision not to use color is a decision about color. Color brings its own baggage through psychological and preexisting associations. By using a veil of black varnish I connect my process to the viewer’s memory of a gestural ink drawing. By using a veil of white enamel I strip the brooch of all decoration to become an object of form and contrast. Employing a minimal aesthetic and palette allows the ideas and processes to become paramount.