“By referencing housewife ideals that were created in the early and mid 20th century and putting a modern twist on vintage graphics, my work is an attempt to converse about the loss of innocence, gender issues, and my search for identity in today’s society. These pins step away from an overabundance of color – and the elegance of black adds to the drama of the silhouettes – something the viewer can easily identify with.
Three different techniques allow me to include color in a variety of ways on the pieces I create – enameling, powder coating and the inclusion of tin.
I like to use recognizable imagery in my work. If there is a silhouette, the viewer directly connects with that image. Each piece can tell just a snippet of a story – you have to pull back the first layer of humor or sarcasm to understand the more complex message. “ I try to make art with layers of meaning.”
Marissa Saneholtz began metalsmithing and jewelry work while in high school in Bowling Green, Ohio. She received her BFA in metals from Bowling Green State University in 2008, and her MFA in metal design at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC.
Saneholtz worked for 2 years in Italy as an instructor and studio manager before moving to Vail, Colorado. She currently works for Jim Cotter in his galleries and studio. Her work has been published in Art Jewelry Today III and in Metalsmith magazine. Saneholtz has exhibited her work both nationally and internationally.