The Art Escape Plan: Art Jewelry: Strong Voices at the DeeDee Shattuck gallery

Monday, September 14, 2015

Art Jewelry: Strong Voices at the DeeDee Shattuck gallery

Liz, Tanya Crane and I went to the see a show at the DeeDee Shattuck gallery in Westport, MA last weekend. The exhibition title was Art Jewelry: Strong Voices.

Just a few impressions:

First, it is a large show. There are quite a few pieces. While the exhibition space was large enough to house all of the artists equally, parts of the exhibition felt claustrophobic. There was a small group of similar pierced work that seemed to share the same formal qualities. Maybe these artist's work reflect the aesthetic of the jurors? Maybe it was just poor placement or maybe they were collaborating. I can't say. I felt as if I was seeing one individuals work but in fact the three pieces were made by three individual artists.

That being said there were a lot of pieces that held their own and represented a chorus of strong voices as the show description promised. I specifically enjoyed, Monica Guerra's "Crown Jewels of Mexico", Sharon Portelance's new work entitled Grey Matter, Jess Tolberts safety pin series, Joshua Kosher's soap brooches, Jacqueline Lung's finger printed "signet rings" and finally Caitlin Skelcey's "Segments 1-7"

Over all, the exhibition at the very least brought exciting new work to a new audience. The opening had a full range of attendees, invested and curious. Nick Heyl's installation begged the viewer to compare silhouettes, Maia Leppo's playful, kinetic work screamed to be jostled and I wanted to poke Kelly Jean Conroy's “specimens” to see if they were alive.

It was an incredible space and the show was well worth the trip from Providence.

Here is a blurb from the gallery:

Our September juried group show features twenty-four artists, some represented by multiple pieces, whose works challenge the standard definition of jewelry. These pieces are evidence of the diverse and ever-changing field of contemporary art in jewelry making. The practice of creating or using art forms for or on the body has evolved alongside humans for thousands of years, as have materials, techniques, and societal acceptance of wearable art. This exhibition highlights artists whose works are more than decorative; some are perhaps beyond wearable. These works leave us to ponder dichotomous themes such as comfort versus beauty, while the artists suggest varied descriptions of the role played by these adornments for the body – defined as beautiful object, armor, or even narrative.