altar collection

In this body of work I explored the idea of jewellery as a wearable personal altar, asking the question: what would it look like if we treated our own daily lives with a divine sense of reverence and ritual? I was inspired by assemblage art, interested primarily in the approach of the Abstract Expressionists, for whom the methods of assemblage often took on a more spiritual nature. Carl Jung believed that Modern Art and assemblage in particular could be a means of provoking psychoanalytic reflection, with the inclusion of familiar and recognizable objects effectively setting off a process of emotional introspection (Man and His Symbols, 291).

In exploring the idea of jewellery as assemblage altar to the psychic self, the mental images of these pieces came into my mind fully formed. I created them almost exactly as I had initially envisioned, trusting in the subconscious process that they had arisen from. Rather than expressing a specific idea, the work presents a collection of symbols, objects, and materials, which are intended to evoke a unique emotional response in every viewer. The effect is intriguing and mysterious, provoking the viewer to a deeper process of reflection.