The Contemporary Mourning Brooch Series commemorates the profound loss of life from the Covid-19 pandemic. These brooches recontextualize Victorian hair jewelry through the use of CAD/CAM technology. I recreate and then distort traditional woven hair patterns. This produces new forms that both reflect their Victorian origin, but are clearly the product of computer technology. The result is no longer about personal individual loss, but embraces the collective mourning that we are experiencing as a society.
Contemporary Mourning Brooch 2
Chris Irick
Photo credit: Chris Irick
Bio
Chris Irick is Professor of Jewelry at PrattMWP, where she has taught since 2000. Her work has been featured in over 40 magazine and book publications, over 100 national and international exhibitions, including a solo exhibition at the National Ornamental Metal Museum, and is included in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution.