30 Days of Brooches-Â
A Love Letter to Lake Michigan
As a part of Var Gallery's 30 x 30 x 30 Exhibition, selected artists were invited to make 30 pieces, in 30 days in the month of January (2024). The goal of the experience is to stimulate an aggressive art-making marathon to kickstart the beginning of the year, and result in an spring exhibition that provides gallery visitors the ability to collect small works from many artists. Click here to purchase work.
Artist Statement
Lake Michigan is at the center of every Milwaukeeans’ life. If you know where the lake is, then you can find your way. We’ve been snowed in, there’s the lake effect for ya. It’s a hot day, let’s go to the Lake to cool down. There are festivals at the lake. There is life at the lake.
While living in Nebraska these past two years, I desperately miss living near the water. I miss the sand, the culture, the vibrancy, the life it brought. I am a stranger in a strange place. I am land locked with prairies and rolling hills. I can’t find my way.
Inspired by current day heritage jewelry and Victorian mourning jewelry, I have created 30 brooches that celebrate my undying love for Lake Michigan.Â
Having a background in digital fabrication and design, traditional goldsmithing, experimental powdercoating, and metalsmithing, these wearable art pieces are made from hand cut brass, copper and steel, then covered with colorful powder coat. The etching on the metal, as well as the abstract forms, were taken from a topographic map of Lake Michigan. The precious stones are fluorite and turquoise. They are set in silver bezels in silver frames.
These shapes have been dissected and transformed into abstract, wearable sculptures. These brooches are designed to live double lives. They can exist as hangable sculptures on white 6x6 blocks or as wearable pieces. Each block has a bespoke hanging mechanism for their corresponding brooch.
2/30 Hand cut steel, powdercoat, steel scatter pin mechanism
5/30 Hand cut brass, powdercoat, engraved brass disk, steel pin back mechanism
7/30 Hand cut steel, powdercoat, steel scatter pins
8/30 Hand cut brass, powdercoat, engraved brass disk, steel scatter pins
9/30 Hand cut brass, powdercoat, engraved brass disk, steel scatter pins, silver frame
10/30 Hand cut steel, powdercoat, steel brooch mechanism
12/30 Hand cut brass, powdercoat, steel brooch mechanism
13/30 Hand cut brass and steel, powdercoat, steel scatter pins, silver chain
14/30 Hand cut steel, powdercoat, steel scatter pins, silver frame, fluorite stone set in a silver bezel
16/30 Hand cut brass, powdercoat, engraved brass disk, steel scatter pins
18/30 Hand cut brass, engraved brass disk, steel brooch mechanism
19/30 Hand cut brass, powder coat, engraved brass disk, steel brooch mechanism
21/30 Hand cut brass, engraved brass disk, steel brooch mechanism
22/30 Hand cut brass, powdercoat, engraved brass sheet, steel brooch mechanism
24/30 Hand cut brass, powdercoat, steel brooch mechanism
25/30 Hand cut brass, powdercoat, engraved brass disk, steel brooch scatter pins, brass ball chain
26/30 Hand cut brass, powdercoat, steel brooch scatter pins
27/30 Hand cut brass, powdercoat, steel brooch scatter pins, brass ball chain
28/30 Hand cut brass, powdercoat, steel brooch mechanism
29/30 Hand cut brass and steel, powdercoat, engraved brass disk, steel brooch mechanism, brass ball chain
30/30 Hand cut brass and steel, powdercoat, steel brooch mechanism, brass ball chain