necklace, Nancy Loo Bjorge

Episode 242 Sep-2011, Chassica Kirchhoff Accession numbers 2010.0142-0145 I’m David Cateforis with another art minute from the Spencer Museum of Art. Four necklaces by Shanghai-born Kansas artist Nancy Loo Bjorge give evidence of the dynamic processes used by metal smiths to transform raw materials into precious adornments. These wearable artworks were made from sterling silver, gold, brass, and copper - metals with distinct qualities that lend themselves to the creation of various forms and textures. Each necklace interacts differently with the wearer’s body and exemplifies a different technique, including casting, hammer-forging, and shaping cold metal. These are age-old processes that can connect contemporary artists to venerable traditions of making. Like her techniques, the materials that Bjorge incorporated into these complex artworks bind her to the past. In one, cast from gold, the artist set antique jade cabochons that once belonged to her mother, while another includes lapis lazuli, a stone long valued for its vivid blue. The four necklaces are on view at the Spencer through January 15 as part of the exhibition Crafting Continuities. With thanks to Chassica Kirchhoff for her text, from the Spencer Museum of Art, I’m David Cateforis.