I was very tickled the other night when a mini show called Craft in America came on PBS one night recently, as a little segment betixed shows, and saw a Philadelphia friend featured. I met Jan years ago when in New Hope. I had complimented her pretty and unusual necklace. She replied that is was made of used cocaine crack vials and caps. Needless to say I was blown away. When we've gotten together I could listen to her talk all day, she is a very calming person to be around, and is one of the few who can see and be inspired by just about anywhere and anything. She is a artist who makes mixed media jewelry and draws inspiration from both the natural and the lived-in human environment from her neighborhood in Philly. She creates some of the most breathtaking and unusual pieces I've seen. She incorporates rocks, bullet casings, and crack cocaine vials into her work and finds beauty in the resilience of urban plants that some would consider weeds. Like those beautiful variety of blue cornflower and Queens Ann lace. She has a vast collection and her works have found themselves in the permeant collections of the Philadelphia and Smithsonian Art Museums, Musuem of Fine Art in Boston, National Museum of Scotland, and the Victoria and Albert Museum of London
I wish I had talent like that. I love how creative Jan is. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteNow that is mind blowing. Her creativity level and vison is through the roof. I envy all you creative people. You see things different and beauty in anything. Probably why you live longer, lol!
ReplyDeleteI'm in complete awe of creative people and those in the arts. I guess my mind isn't wired to think like that. I can see why you enjoy her. She seems so at peace.
ReplyDeleteI love being visual....but sometimes I take so much in I can get mental overload and tired.
DeleteThe references. The skill. The beauty.
ReplyDeleteThat's an artist. I absolutely love the idea of upcycling and finding beauty (and beauty of this caliber) in the most absolutely mundane things. This is awesome.
XOXO
Maybe I should try my hand at making a tiara.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on and stay safe
With your craft talents Dora, I bet you'd be good at it.
DeleteSuch talent! So much detail and though and history goes into her work. I am envious of your surrounding yourself with such a colorful and diverse bunch of people. People like this are far from boring. That tiara is ART.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it amazing that things that cause death and destruction can be made into such things of beauty. We must find the beauty wherever we can.
ReplyDeleteYes...thats the amazing part. And she uses her bad neighborhood and it's issues to find beauty. Her work no doubt stamps a time in history with its issues.
DeleteThanks for sharing the video. She is gifted and fascinating. You are drawn to and draw to yourself the most fascinating people.
ReplyDeleteShe is amazing. I should go back to doing silver work.
ReplyDeleteWhat a very odd focus... beautiful stuff... unique, too... but what psychological process brought her to the point where this was the point? Fascinating.
ReplyDeleteNot sure about the psychological process, but she wants to show beauty can be found anywhere and also wants her art to capture a time and issues of a time in history. Imagine people viewing that crack cocaine necklace one day and thinking about the number of vials she found to make a necklace that size. They will know drugs were a issue of the city.
DeleteSuch an amazing gift.
ReplyDeleteThe American Rough-choker necklace reminds me of RBG's SCOTUS collar.
I thought the same thing Bobulah! Great minds. Scary, huh?
DeleteTiara of Useful Knowledge... loved that.
ReplyDeleteThe tiara is my favorite. I'd wear that thing camping and pretend I'm a rotund woodland fairy. I love things that send my mind on whimsical flights of fancy.
ReplyDeleteWow! She makes beautiful items out of ordinary things. I loved the tiara.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, profound and significant work!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful work; I am a sucker for the beauty of dandelions (just not in my garden please). Look at one closely and enjoy the intricacy of the petals and the different leaves of the various varieties of the Dents de lion.
ReplyDeleteWow! She and her art are amazing.
ReplyDeleteAmazing!
ReplyDeletexoxo :-)
That is quite an impressive talent and craft. I have never seen anything like it. Would you believe I saw a special once on artist and Ms Yeager was included? I love that she explains that the jewerly with the crack vials was important, because years from now, it will speak to issues we had at that time in history. What art never reflects a time.
ReplyDeleteThat is fantastic!!!!! I enjoy the video. It takes a special person to see beauty everywhere.
ReplyDeleteJan is fabulous. Very cool craft.
ReplyDeleteWhat an absolute interesting woman.And craft. She puts lots of time and energy finding the perfect things to use. I am in love with the brooch.
ReplyDeleteWhat a utterly charming and fascinating woman. I wanted to see even more in the clip of her art. That is one creative mind.
ReplyDeleteI ate this right up! What a great artist and creative mind. I love the clip, and I believe I may have seen this. I love these clip on PBS when they show them. Her jewelry is so unique and exquisite. I'd gladly wear any of her pieces given the chance.
ReplyDeleteI do believe I could see you wearing her pieces Agnes.
DeleteGreat to see someone making something ugly into something beautiful - such as the crack vials.
ReplyDeleteSx
When I first saw the crack vials necklace...I had no idea what it even was at first. It reminded me of one of those beautiful African necklaces.
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