A found object can often speak to me and challenge me to find a way to incorporate it into a work. C. James Meyer interviewed by Klimt02
Interview
/
Artists
Published: 08.09.2019
- Author:
- Klimt02
- Edited by:
- Klimt02
- Edited at:
- Barcelona
- Edited on:
- 2019
Ring: In Autunno, 2012
18K gold, sterling silver, found rock, mixed media.
12 x 12 x 5 cm
Photo by: Taylor Dabney
Detail view.
© By the author. Read Klimt02.net Copyright.

My first expectation is that I present an object intriguing enough to draw the viewer into close observation. Secondly, I would like the viewer to rethink their concept of what jewelry can be… to see the piece as both a wearable object and one that has a role beyond the body. Finally, I would like the viewer to understand that the work is both universal and personal.
What do you expect when you show your work to the public (for example, with an exhibition)?
My first expectation is that I present an object intriguing enough to draw the viewer into close observation. Secondly, I would like the viewer to rethink their concept of what jewelry can be… to see the piece as both a wearable object and one that has a role beyond the body. Finally, I would like the viewer to understand that the work is both universal and personal.
When you start making a new piece, what is your process?
In early work, all of the decision makings was done on paper prior to beginning actual fabrication. When I got to a point where I felt that the work was too tight, I changed the approach to one that is much more spontaneous. This organic approach leads to a lot of forms that don’t immediately fit my intent. They end up appearing in work months or even years later, often altered to become something different.
A found object, or a material not commonly used in jewelry, can often speak to me and challenge me to find a way to incorporate it into a work
Are there other areas besides the jewels present in your work?
In my university studies, I started out as a sculptor. My intent was to use that background in a career in architecture. Somehow jewelry derailed those intentions. Currently, my work relies heavily on my sculpture background.
The last work, book, film, city that moved me was…
Book: Architecture’s Odd Couple: Frank Lloyd Wright and Philip Johnson by Hugh Howard.
City: Rome, Italy. Spending time in Italy has influenced the current body of work. Rome, to me, embodies all of the rich culture and history of Italy, yet remains a vibrant community functioning in the 21st Century.
What is your source to get information?
Personal experiences of places and events.
My first expectation is that I present an object intriguing enough to draw the viewer into close observation. Secondly, I would like the viewer to rethink their concept of what jewelry can be… to see the piece as both a wearable object and one that has a role beyond the body. Finally, I would like the viewer to understand that the work is both universal and personal.
When you start making a new piece, what is your process?
In early work, all of the decision makings was done on paper prior to beginning actual fabrication. When I got to a point where I felt that the work was too tight, I changed the approach to one that is much more spontaneous. This organic approach leads to a lot of forms that don’t immediately fit my intent. They end up appearing in work months or even years later, often altered to become something different.
A found object, or a material not commonly used in jewelry, can often speak to me and challenge me to find a way to incorporate it into a work
Are there other areas besides the jewels present in your work?
In my university studies, I started out as a sculptor. My intent was to use that background in a career in architecture. Somehow jewelry derailed those intentions. Currently, my work relies heavily on my sculpture background.
The last work, book, film, city that moved me was…
Book: Architecture’s Odd Couple: Frank Lloyd Wright and Philip Johnson by Hugh Howard.
City: Rome, Italy. Spending time in Italy has influenced the current body of work. Rome, to me, embodies all of the rich culture and history of Italy, yet remains a vibrant community functioning in the 21st Century.
What is your source to get information?
Personal experiences of places and events.
Ring: Monterosso al Mare, 2016
18K gold, platinum, diamond, mixed media.
13 x 13 x 5 cm
Photo by: Taylor Dabney
© By the author. Read Klimt02.net Copyright.
- Author:
- Klimt02
- Edited by:
- Klimt02
- Edited at:
- Barcelona
- Edited on:
- 2019
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