instants//intervals | Valerie James
Valerie James’ work conveys her interest in movement, mapping, and mark making. James observes the patterns and pathways that a body takes in its everyday routines and finds parallels within her studio practice. Engraving a sheet of metal is a process of ritual much like the act of walking. By physically embedding her movements into the surfaces James evidences a tangible relationship to the ephemeral. Through jewelry James sees a connection to landscapes that are traversed by a body, conforming to existing pathways, and landscapes that are created by wearing, tracing the curves of our physical existence.
“As we move, we begin to understand the spaces we encounter. I want to know the space of the body as it moves through specific environments and connect these to my research and inquiries. Walking is a way of knowing the body: the subtle gestures it makes while progressing through space, how it moves – how it interacts with its surrounding landscape. It is a collection of movements that live parallel to the interaction that happens with a piece of jewelry. The body is a dwelling for jewelry, and how we move affects its life. I am intrigued by the symbiotic relationship of body to jewelry, both on and off the body.”
- Valerie James
