Digital Meets Handmade by Wendy Yothers & Alba Cappellieri & Susanna Testa & Troy Richards

Author:Wendy Yothers & Alba Cappellieri & Susanna Testa & Troy Richards
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: State University of New York Press
Published: 2021-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Figure 6. Sofia Hallik, Tangibility Matters, 3D render of a brooch. Photo credit: Oskar Narusberk.

Is it fair to stipulate that I use the machine not only as an instrument? Did it really become my partner? Instead of being a banal instrument, can the machine be a medium? The machine participates in the process, which in turn influences the result. This participation is not limited to the manufacturing of jewellery; it dictates the possible alterations in the material, texture, shape, etc. That is why we can conclude that there is some closeness between the human maker and the machine. I am not seeking spirituality in the digital, but I cannot reject the idea that as a result of the implementation of the machine in the process of work, there originates a bond between the author and the machine, and the link between them is a WOA.

I would also like to try to find an answer to the question of how exactly the implementation of digital technologies influences the jewellery’s function and objective. It is important for me to raise the topic of the difference between jewellery as a general idea and jewellery as an object. The second one is intended for an exhibition space, a museum or a private collection, it is a piece of jewellery whose function does not correspond to the primary idea of jewellery—to ornament, protect, or symbolise something on the human body. I consider my latest works as a result of an experiment, and they cannot blend into the generally accepted framework of jewellery. This is due to the fact that the shape of the jewellery was formed in a 3D program, and my goal was to create an aesthetically satisfying shape. The human body was not taken into account. It is necessary to point out that one of the ways to make jewellery implies the initial understanding of what part of the body will be ‘ornamented’ and how it will be ‘ornamented’. This allows for the creation of a shape that not only looks laconic on the body but is also (relatively) practical. This approach seems to me the most accurate one, but while working on the objects presented during the exhibition, I neglected that rule. The stage of fitting the object to a body was moved closer to the end of the process, when the shape was already being printed. Therefore, the machine influenced the function and the objective of the jewellery.

I am critical of the “just add a pin to an object and it will transform into a brooch” method employed by some artists. But in the case of “Tangibility Matters” I intentionally ignore the rule that governs my work in other situations. In this case, I wanted to find a balance between handwork and digital production.

That is why the body is not my goal or final destination.

I described the digital part, but we should not forget that half the time allotted for the creation of these series of works was given to handwork. Works on display are wearable objects that are a hybrid of handwork and digital production.

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