“Be aware of beauty.”
“A phrase I have been hearing at home for as long as I can remember.
“I wish to carry, through my art in jewelry, the message further; and what could be more prominent and enhance beauty more than a jewel? I strive to design and create pieces of jewelry that will present beauty that is beyond trend, that others will be able to relate to and to weave it into the ongoing process of their lives.
“I am a tactile artist, drawn to earthy substances. The texture and pliability of porcelain and cement and the way they are incorporated into rigid metal structures, is what I find most exciting. When these elements come into contact with the live skin, the different way that the body’s temperature suffuses them is what enables a full expression of their beauty.”
“Finding ways to express my creativity, to keep innovating, while avoiding trivializing jewelry design, my goal is to make others be aware of beauty.” – Ruth Reifen
Prototype to Prototype, March 10 – May 3, 2013, in the metals studio
In this class we will explore wax carving and sculpting to produce original compositions for casting and electroforming. These processes can be used for one-of-a-kind designs and for reproduction. A variety of materials (primarily casting rubbers) will be used for mold-making, to create multiples from our individually crafted work. Once we have cast them in metal, we will practice silversmithing techniques to complete finished jewelry pieces. Then more prototypes!
Ruth Reifen is a Brooklyn-based jewelry artist, part-time faculty at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and teaches at the 92nd Street Y in New York. She has also taught at the Rhode Island School of Design. Ruth received her BFA in Jewelry Design from Shenkar College of Engineering and Design in Israel and her MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her work has beeen shown in Israel, Europe, and the U.S., most recently in Holland, Florida, Texas, and San Francisco. She is represented by Gallery Loupe in Montclair, New Jersey, and has work in the permanent collection of of the Museum of Arts and Design in New York.
And you can click here to visit Ruth’s website, where you can see more of her work.