I rely on jewelry formats as systems with which I analyze my environment. The historical and cultural threads that persist through jewelry allow me to place things into a context that can be both expressive and introspective. Much of my work pulls from nature and humankind’s relationship with it. A statement in history lingers, told by our physical traces and material remains. Much of my work is fabricated, hammer formed and enameled. The traditional hand skills of decorative arts/crafts are crucial to my studio practice. I craft art jewelry pieces to enable myself to process the exotic-to-me, southern Floridian landscape that I currently find myself in, while also digging into the roots of who I am as a maker. Raised in rural western Pennsylvania, my upbringing revolved around survivalist/naturalist concepts. The memories and lessons have now become anecdotal, romantic notions of how I analyze the world around me.
www.mariacamera-smith.com
@mariacamera_smith
Studio Song: 22 (Over Soon) by Bon Iver