Jesse Mathes

Contemporary Jewelry and Metalwork

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Artist Statement - Territorial Defense

MMy work focuses on the psychology of personal space and the ability of large scale adornment to empower and protect its wearer.  The pieces were conceived from numerous situations where I found myself exposed and vulnerable, and wished that I had some sort of protective barrier. The resulting series, Territorial Defense, consists of numerous large scale adornments that keep others away physically as well as make the wearer more visually dominant.

I construct each work with metal wire because it allows me to create a large, lightweight and durable structure without immobilizing the wearer under its weight. The linear designs are intended to be graceful and elegant so that the wearer feels beautiful, while the extending wires taper into spikes that send a clear message of protection and strength. 

Some pieces create a large space around the wearer with protruding wires, while others obscure the wearer’s face from onlookers.  These varying degrees of accessibility to the wearer reference different types of emotions I’ve had in intimidating situations.  Sometimes I feel assertive enough to pronounce my boundaries, while other times I wish I could be invisible.  The series addresses the feelings of frustration and anger generated by power struggles as well as the empowerment one can experience through dramatic, assertive adornment.