I came across this essay 'Notes on Excess' the other day which discusses the issues of consumption, luxury and excess, and found it to be very entralling.
'Notes on Excess' by Lena Vigna
http://www.artjewelryforum.org/articles/notes-excess
As an artist dealing with similar contexts within my own work, I was able to draw some assimilations to the other artists mentioned. One jeweller by the name of Gabriel Craig confronts these issues of consumption, luxury and excess as mentioned by Lena as taking his 'studio to the streets' and creating performances of his 'dialogue, jewelry production and exchange'. Craig makes a great point in that 'jewelry production is not common knowledge and that the cultural value of jewelry could and should be stressed to a broad public'. As an ethical metalsmith myself, I believe that there is a need to educate the public and make them more aware of the need for a more sustainable environment and an environmentally better future.
Take a moment to read this essay and gain a better insight into the minds of fellow jewellers.
