About Baubles

“Baubles” is a body of work that addresses and encapsulates the “spirit of place.” I was inspired by D.H. Lawrence’s “Study in Classic American Literature, Chapter 1: The Spirit of Place.” The following excerpt from “The Spirit of Place” spoke to me: “Every continent has its own great spirit of place. Every people is polarized in some particular locality, which is home, the homeland. Different places on the face of the earth have different vital effluence, different vibration, different chemical exhalation, different polarity with different stars: call it what you like. But the spirit of place is a great reality.” How do we as humans, capture the spirit of place? How do we define something that is almost impossible to describe? How can we as travelers, carry the spirit of place with us? These questions sparked and heavily influenced my wearables, “Baubles.”

While visiting the major earthworks: Nancy Holt’s “Sun Tunnels,” Robert Smithson’s “Spiral Jetty,” Michael Heizer’s “Double Negative,” and Walter De Maria’s “Lightning Field.” I found myself picking up objects at each site. I am in the process of transforming these treasures into wearables. The “Baubles” are vessels that are harboring bits of nature in an effort to reveal the world around us. Whilst one is wearing a bauble, he or she is reminded of that “spirit of place.” A rock plucked from the lightning field becomes a brooch, and hence a badge of honor. Onlookers are engaged and forced to acknowledge their surroundings; concealing in order to reveal, much like the work of Christo and Jeanne-Claude.

I believe that baubles will have a positive effect on those that choose to interact with the encapsulated treasures. By simply wearing a small plant, rock, crystal, or ecosystem, one can be in touch with “the spirit of place.” The small relic will have the power to affect both wearer and onlooker. My wearable art will serve as a constant reminder to notice, acknowledge, and appreciate one’s surroundings.