jennifer trask: flourish

Jennifer Trask’s latest series, Unnatural Histories: Flourish, begins with the following definitions of the word flourish:

1. To grow well or luxuriantly; thrive
2. To do or fare well; prosper
3. To be in a period of highest productivity; excellence or influence.
4. To make bold or sweeping movements.

The Hudson Valley, New York based artist, best known for jewelry that incorporates snake vertabrae, beetle shells, feathers, bone, pre-ban ivory and sea urchin shells, might have included her own name for a fifth definition. As her new work of removable jewelry mounted on encaustic drawings and paintings shows, Jennifer.Trask.Is.Flourishing.

Corona Imperialis, encaustic panel & brooch

Corona Brooch
palladium, 22K gold, champagne rose cuts, brown and white brilliant cuts

The ground-breaking work is described as  “Drawings and paintings come to life, flora and fauna, mineral and vegetable thrive and outgrow containment.” Mobilia Gallery

Isn’t this what we all strive towards in life? To thrive and outgrow containment? Flourish’s mixed-media pieces are a beautiful representation of that concept.

Fructus Plumbum, encaustic panel & brooch

Fructus Plumbum Brooch
18K and 22K gold, moonstones, lead, aquamarine, rainbow moonstones

Apophysis: Acantha
encaustic painting with embedded silver and moonstones, brooch and earrings
found and altered ivory, palladium, 18K, 22k gold, rainbow moonstones, found frame

Acantha, detail

Trask holds a BFA in Metalsmithing from Massachusetts College of Art and an MFA from SUNY New Paltz. Read this 2002 Ganoksin article about the artist’s early work with unusual materials. All gold and palladium used by the artist are recycled materials and the bone and pre-ban ivory is either found in the artist’s local environment or purchased at flea markets.