What seems like a really long time ago, I made beadwork. I was in my early 20s and I worked in a bead store in Woodstock, NY. It was a dreamy time and little did I know that my beloved hobby would turn into a career as a metalsmith and studio jeweler and then an interdisciplinary artist. At that time I learned about the work of Joyce Scott and bought myself a copy of the now hard to find, Fearless Beadwork: Handwriting and Drawings from Hell. The book was about improvisational peyote stitch, or what I call “sculptural peyote,” the technique I used to create Non Solus. “Fearless” was written comic book style with the author, Joyce, as a super hero, flying through the pages, telling the reader how to use peyote in a new way, while talking about beadwork as a form of self-expression. Her methods broke the rules and I loved it. I think this is probably the first jewelry I had seen that had complex meaning and was intended for more than adorning the body, too. Joyce was expressing political views and social commentary on racism, classism, sexism, violence, and stereotypes and then placed these ideas around the neck for everyone to see. Her approach, her concepts, the intricacy and skill of each piece, all blew my young mind and have stuck with me into my adult life as an artist. In addition to her jewelry, Joyce also creates sculpture and installation, drawings and prints, quilts, and performance works.
Photos via Art Jewelry Forum and Craft in America:
“Intwined,” 2013, Woven glass beads, 355.6 x 228.6 mm, Danielle Freiman
“Green,” 2015, Peyote-stitched glass beads, thread, 419 x 305 x 0.5 mm, Emelee Van Zile
“Lynching,” 1981
Pink,” 2013, Woven glass beads, 330.2 x 228.6 mm, Danielle Freiman; Portrait by John Dean
