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Just wondering......
If you are a jeweler, How often do you consider other people when you make your work? Are you just always making work for yourself? Are you just fulfilling a need to please yourself by making something you believe to be beautiful? Do you always make it in your ring size or your wrist diameter? It seems like a very expensive endeavor (tools, materials, gas, rent etc etc etc) to make tiny shiny for yourself. Is it more about the idea? Does it still retain a standard of craftsmanship that you think the wearer is expecting? Or, are you making it for other metals artists and their expectations? Are your standards too high? Is good craftsmanship a "gimmie"? Is OCD art jewelry "good" art jewelry? Tell me please.
Those are great questions Arthur and I have asked myself many of those, especially ring sizes. I used to always make them my size as I test drive them but now I make a variety of sizes.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I research alot of what trends are going on in other industries, especially fashion.
Since I started art school last year, at ECU, I've begun to consider the materials and expand what I make and what people want, whereas in the beginning it was all about me and the simple joy of making something.
I definitely make it for other people. I would never wear the stuff I make. I never have. I size my work for women, since they overwhelming dominate the market for jewelry. It's not that I'm going to make anything I think is ugly. I couldn't sell it with a straight face. I like what I make, but it's not for me.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure some people would come after me for this, but I have been loosening up craftsmanship standards a little recently. I'm naturally so OCD about that sort of thing that I obsess about things no one would notice or care about, especially not actual customers (as opposed to other artists/designer).