Much of my exploration has involved a search for qualities that are unique to jewelry as an art form. One quality that currently interests me is that brooches and necklaces are usually worn against a fabric environment. My clear glass jewelry exploits the optics of glass to heavily magnify the clothing on which it is worn so the weave of the fabric becomes the image in the jewelry, while my frosted pieces exploit the translucency of glass to exhibit a subtle color shift with the color of the clothing. I think of these pieces as "site adaptive” jewelry. This body of work bridges three craft media: it is jewelry, made of glass, with textile imagery.
The work on this page and the following page has grown out of a month-long period as an Artist in Residence at The Studio of the Corning Museum of Glass. During this residency I was able to work closely with a glassblower for the first time. This greatly expanded the range of glass forms in my work. I enjoyed the collaborative process of working with another artist very much.
The collaborative portion of the process ends once the glass forms are cooled. I then have to do extensive cutting and grinding of the glass to further refine the forms. Finally, I have to resolve how to make the glass wearable as a brooch or necklace. Both goldsmithing and glass working are demanding. I find combining the two into one cohesive design to be my ultimate challenge.
Donald Friedlich
Jewelry in Glass and Gold
Photos by James Beards
