Pop Art Graduated Chain Link and Rubber Cord Necklace

Bio:

Jennifer Merchant is a studio jewelry artist based in Minneapolis, MN. She fell in love with jewelry as a young girl and began learning metalsmithing in high school. She went on to graduate from the Savannah College of Art and design with a BFA in Metals and Jewelry. Upon graduating and moving back to her hometown, she no longer had access to a fully equipped studio. Making due with what she had, Jennifer began experimenting with alternative materials and developed the layered acrylic technique for which she is known for today. Merchant established Jennifer Merchant Design in 2010 and has exhibited her jewelry across the United States as well as Zurich, Switzerland. Her work has been published in national magazines including American Craft and Ornament, and has been exhibited at the Racine Art Museum in Racine, WI as well as the Museum of Art and Design in New York and the SCAD Museum of Modern Art in Savannah, GA.

Artist Statement:

Inspired by op art, pop art and geometric forms; Jennifer creates bold jewelry that is sure to start a conversation. Through the layered acrylic process she explores transparency, refraction and magnification to create graphic illusions that change as a piece is viewed from different angles. A labor intensive process developed over many years, each piece is sculpted by hand from a unique slab of printed papers layered between solid acrylic sheets. Using pages from art books and various print materials, Jennifer meticulously selects patterns and dynamic color combinations to create intriguing compositions within each layer. Pieces appear vibrant from one angle of view and transparent from another, images appear to bend and distort as they refract through the acrylic layers. Using a combination of metalsmithing and woodworking tools and techniques, Jennifer enjoys creating unexpected wearable objects that are artful and fashion forward.