Artist Statement: My name is Joseph Jenner, I am a metalsmith based out of Tulsa Oklahoma.  I completed my BFA in Metalsmithing at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. For the past eleven years I have worked out of my home studio creating jewelry and art objects.  I work primarily in sterling silver, gold, and copper, but also incorporate other materials such as mokume gane and more recently, gemstones. I have always been very drawn to the process of creating mokume due to the labor-intensive nature of it.   Mokume gane is a material composed of contrasting layers of metal.  In this process, the layers of metal are put under extreme pressure and temperatures for several hours, creating a permanent bond.  This layered material is then carved away and manipulated to reveal a pattern, often mimicking wood grain.   It takes several days to make a material that I can then use in creating a piece. My current work is very process driven.  I start with a process or technique I am interested in and design the piece around it.  I find an interesting pattern in a sheet of mokume, a repetitive texture that speaks to me, or a stone, and frame it in metal. SHOP 108 for Featured Artist work here!