[Jewelry making - Article 00043] - Re: [Orchid] Conceptual Jewelry

[Susan Ronan]

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Hi Andy,

    Regarding the conceptual vs marketable debate, I must agree with
    you. Yes, some of the conceptual work that is out there does not
    appeal, but it does often initiate thoughtful examination. What
    aspects of the piece are satisfying to me as the viewer and potential
    wearer? Subject? Materials? Proportion? Certainly craftsmenship. For
    those of us who are more on the studio side of the jewelry business,
    this can serve as inspiration for a new direction in technique or
    even simply the ability to see one's own work in a new way, one which
    will provide growth and maturity in the pieces we produce. 

    That being said, there is plenty of room for all kinds of work
    product, and the audience to which each will appeal. In my
    retail/studio I have to produce some mainstream work for bread and
    butter, but also allow myself the luxury of competitions that allow
    me to investigate a new direction; sometimes marketable, sometimes
    not. But those competitions always stimulate me to explore new
    concepts, whose elements often show up in the more mainstream work.
    So I view this as a win-win situation. 

    The kind of work seen in Metalsmith Magazine is of course largely
    from the hands of academics, whose bread and butter is provided for
    by a salary, allowing them the freedom to create without so much
    concern for marketability. But what a feast! I pour over the articles
    and am inspired by the images. I can't really say that about any of
    the other publications to which I subscribe. So I suppose that this
    is about taste. I like spicy food, bright colors and rich textures.
    Not everyone does. 

    There is plenty of room for all. 

Susan Ronan
Coronado, CA
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