jennifer moss explores possibilities

I like to see an artist push a material as they explore possibilities and Jennifer Moss does just that with felt, pearls, fabric, silk threads, styrofoam, silver, plaster and a variety of other materials.

Clustered, neckpiece. felt, silver

Replication, neckpiece. felt, pearls, steel

detail, Replication

Felt II,  felt, fabric

Plastered, brooch, sterling silver, plaster, pearl

Moss, who received her BFA with a concentration in Metals/Jewelry from Western Michigan University in 2007, has a website gallery full of images that include jewelry, installation pieces (look for the textiles made from fine silver and steel) and small vessels (like the tea strainer locket). If you want to see what she does to break out of her monochromatic theme, look here.

The fact that felt, Styrofoam, plaster and fabric are not traditionally used in the creation of jewelry is not meant to be a challenge to the viewer or to the wearer. The materials were chosen simply because each has a natural beauty of its own. They were made into jewelry to highlight this beauty. By limiting myself to a monochromatic color scheme I was able combine and layer the textures and weights of different materials without overwhelming a piece with too much visual information. The materials presented here are in their pure states, un-dyed and unpainted so that the inherent aspects of each material are able to shine through. Jennifer Moss