Declarative, Speculative and Suggestive: Active and Passive Statements in Jewellery

Summer of Fun

I wanted to take my summertime and do something different.  I wanted to explore the fun side of jewellery as a backlash to some heavy issues that were weighing on my mind. 

I chose to experiment with inexpensive materials that have little connotation of precious. 

That choice came directly out of my experience of the Pop Up Jewellery Shop and the re-branded ink pens I made for that.  I received interesting  reactions to those pens.  From sniggers and outright laughter to one gentleman being provoked to an angry outburst in which he forcefully swung the pen on its display string back at the wall and proclaimed them  as “...such a mockery!”

This fuelled my wonder on the usage of language and its interpretation. 

Are we saying what we mean?

So my summer became all about humor and interpretation.

Headlines taken out of context; taken away from their signifiers -- the paragraph on a page.  But by the way I have used them they keep the speculative, suggestive and declarative nature of their meanings.

Speculative and passive.  Highly interpretable.

Speculative with a socially charged undertone thanks to the “white man”...fun went dark with this one.

Suggestive - Death becomes active not passive.  A Momento Mori of sorts.

Suggestive: A good use of double entendre. The vertical orientation and its subsequent resting area on the chest when worn further that suggestion.

Speculative and Declarative: A challenge as a necklace.

Declarative - It is why I chose to create a brooch from this headline.  It makes a statement.

Declarative, definitely. Very active.

A new context enhances their meanings and even makes them more powerful statements through placement and the use of further signifiers to direct their interpretation. 

All Jewellery and Photographs by Rae Mearkle.