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.
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