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Bryan Petersen Bryan is a metal smith who has found objects of the world, recycling them into jewelry. Hunting and gathering things is a necessary component of his process, leading him in new directions and finding more creative material solutions. "I oftentimes stop myself and say, 'Hey, wait a second! There must be some jewelry application for this plastic cup that I'm about to toss.'" We are living in a throwaway world, thus it makes sense as Brian makes jewelry to look for material solutions that are readily available to the modern day hunter and gatherer. "I have really enjoyed the discovery of combining various alternative materials, taking advantage of the unique qualities inherent from item to item. I enjoy using tin for its color, images and pattern. I find that my audience relates to certain tin patterns becasue of the familiarity or history they may have had with a product." Sometimes these antiqudated images are outdated and wrong, and the image becomes thought provoking, highlighting history with hindsight. An important aspect of his work involves translating a common object into a material resource for jewelry. For example, the clothespin bracelets, street signs belt buckles, and bubble tape bracelets all utilize an everyday object. The audience is seriously and mysteriously attracted to these wearables, not recognizing the elements from which they are constructed. "I have never enjoyed the process of working in precious raw materials as much as the inspiration of i receive when working with these everyday materials. I think this body of jewelry is pushing boundaries of what people are conditioned to wearing." Judgements and critiques may surround the use of his non-traditional materials, devaluing the importance of the wearable found object and the adventure one discovers when wearing it. "I like it when someone is drawn to a clothespin bracelet and they say 'It's beautiful--is it enamel? Later they discover it's an old gas tin and some clothespin springs. As a jeweler I am satisfied when the work is valued for it's ingenuity verses its weight in gold.

Clothespin Bracelets Recycled and found metal elements size:  7" $ 30ea (bp1) view larger image in new window ask me about "Clothespin Bracelets"

Schmidt Pin Recycled and found metal elements size:  4x5" $ 80 (bps16) view larger image in new window ask me about "Schmidt Pin"

Serene Farm Pin Recycled and found metal elements size:  1.5x3 $ 60 (bps14) view larger image in new window ask me about "Serene Farm Pin"