I’m spending time in the studio cleaning up today, and came across this letter I wrote to Lapidary Journal in 2000. It was in response to a comment published in their February 2000 issue.
From: Dianne Karg
To: Editor, Lapidary Journal
Date: 2/4/00 4:46:57 PM
Subject: Lapidary Journal “Beating the Wrap”I couldn’t help but chuckle about the comment in the February 2000 issue of Lapidary Journal that “wire-wrapped jewelry could be said to be the Rodney Dangerfield of the jewelry world”! It’s unfortunately a true statement, precisely because it is a craft that can be done b y just about anyone with very little training. But just simply changing the name to “wirecraft” doesn’t change the fact that there is still a serious perception problem on the part of “traditional” jewellery craftspeople and the public. I’ve had many an encounter with others who upon hearing what I do, give me a condescendingly benign smile that says “Oh, you’re not a SERIOUS artist.” The attitude bemuses me – I’ve made jewellery using traditional fabrication methods, and I don’t consider myself to be any less an artist just because my chosen medium is now solderless wire. Part of the bias comes from the notion that because there is often no soldering, there is no real skill and very little innovation involved creating these pieces. Quite the contrary is true. Wire art – which is my preferred term for this type of jewellery – can involve a high degree of dexterity and technical complexity. For many people who turn their noses up at the idea, it comes as a revelation to see just what IS possible with wire. There is also a perception that because the craft is so labour intensive, it can’t be profitable. In fact, based on what your survey results showed, it can be just as profitable as other forms of jewellery. At the recent Wire Artists Group Convention held in Tallahassee, Florida in January, I had the privilege of meeting an international group of people who are truly pasional about wire art jewellery, and it shows in their work. I believe that Lapidary Journal could make a significant contribution to the changing of peoples’ perceptions by featuring a story on wire artists who are doing inventive and original work. The general public could have the opportunity to see that wire art jewellery is much more than simply wrapping wire around a stone. It could also inspire others who work with wire to stretch their creative muscle and move beyond the traditional forms into new directions.
In the almost 10 years since I wrote that letter, LJ (now Jewelry Artist) has featured wire artists several times, and started publishing the Step-by-Step series of magazines. The wire jewellery I’ve seen the past decade has improved vastly in terms of its creativity and quality of workmanship. My perception is that wire jewellery is commanding a lot more respect. While there are still challenges, I think we’ve come a long way :-).
