So I wanted to share with all of your what's been keeping me so busy lately. I just finished my BFA Metals degree and presented my thesis work in the museum on campus from December 4-8. The following beautiful photos were taken of the installation by Koehl Loren Ehlers, klehlersphotographer@yahoo.com:



The following is my artist's statement concerning the body of work and what inspired me in this process.

Entropy: Endemic, Epidemic, Pandemic

Entropy explores the concept of entropy and its place in and on the human body. Many of the patterns in Entropy are inspired by medical imagery, primarily enlarged views of cell colonies (particularly those of diseases) reproducing, developing and overtaking their host. I was initially drawn to a series of images revealing close-up views of a variety of diseases. These images are incredibly beautiful, filled with repeating patterns and fractal-like designs. That beauty can be found in something considered so debilitating is a very intriguing juxtaposition. I have since been working with these models to design several pieces of jewelry referencing these patterns. This body of work is an attempt to bring that which lies beneath the skin to the surface, changing the destructive into the beautiful.

In finding beauty in the unlikely place of the world of microscopic diseases, I hope to subvert traditional stigmas regarding what is socially accepted as “beautiful”. I was curious in creating this work to see if conceptions of what is attractive would shift when viewers are informed that the work is based on the structure of debilitating diseases. If the viewer does, on first look, find the work “beautiful” will this remain to be the case upon finding out what the work is based on, or would the viewer be appalled that beauty could be found in devastating organisms.

Additionally, several of the patterns that were used in composing Entropy were developed in response to results gained from my use of John Conway’s “Game of Life”. “Life” is a physics model that, upon being set with starting variables, creates a visual representation of the way diseases spread through a given population. These three pieces,

Endemic, Epidemic and Pandemic, will follow the stages of growth of a disease, visualized as growth on the body, starting with endemic, moving to epidemic and finally pandemic.

In, Endemic, phase one, the outbreak is isolated, and is represented by a neckpiece and a wrist piece displayed on an extended hand that reaches towards phase two, Epidemic. Epidemic contains a neckpiece, two hand pieces and a variety of assorted brooches, representing the more widened spread of the outbreak. Finally, the last phase, Pandemic, contains one wrist piece and a vast quantity of brooches, varying in size from 5mm to several inches, both in 2D and 3D to showcase different levels of outbreak. This phase of the exhibition also includes tiny brooches each representing a cell cluster. These will be available to be worn by viewers enabling them to interact with this phase and expand the spreading of the “disease” throughout the exhibition.

By working in great quantities of small silicon rings I am able to not only create the illusion of growth, but also create a “fabric” of sorts, a highly flexible object that moves as its wearer moves, appearing fragile yet remaining incredibly resilient. This flexible nature allows pieces such as the larger pins, each having more than one pin stem, to be fixed around curves of the body, so that they follow the movements of the wearer. Each piece captures a frozen moment in this simulated expansion, yet will leave viewers with the feeling that the cells may shift at any second.

Thanks for stopping by,

Melanie

So I was nominated for a Windgate Fellowship! Here's to hoping I make it through to the next round of selections!!

:-)

ch-ch-check it out

Thesis work in progress. I am so sick of looking at circles. 55 days till install

insanely large shipment

oh man! yay for ponoko!

Enamelist Society

For the sake of saving time I have posted photos of the ENTIRE beautiful exhibition here

Enamelist Society

Please visit and enjoy!

My Latest- thanks again Ponoko =)

So this was my first experiment with felt. I am going to revise this so the parts around the closure are a bit more secure, but beyond that I am pleased.

so, very soon, my jewelry will be available at Tulips, in NYC.

=)

Feature on 18Kt

http://18kt.wordpress.com/2009/07/23/melanie-lynn-design/

Everyone should check out 18kt in general, it's a wonderful blog and there are always wonderful works on here!

New Work?

I'm planning to have these laser cut out of felt, I'm thinking it's also high time I add some color to my work as I've only been working in black and white as of late.

Maybe magenta or some rich color of blue?

Oh, and these are most likely going to be bracelets, also, when I return to school I am planning on hand cutting a few small versions of these out of sterling to be made into rings!

And yes, clearly the circle obsession continues

Feature on Ponoko

My feature on Ponoko's Blog!

Such excitement =)

latest love affair

This necklace is gorgeous, hat's off to Chanel for once again creating something glorious.

=)

Sneak Peak

I just got a new light box and photo lights [sweet! finally!] and the temptation to show how much larger my pearl body suit has gotten is overwhelming! BUT! I think I'm going to from this point forward keep that under wraps until completion. However, working through all the different media in the past few months I have been developing a lot of great new ideas for where to go with my entropy thesis. I'm so glad it's only July, lots of time to finalize and stress out =)

So, I placed a new laser cutting order the other day, the circle obsession continues.
With luck the pieces should come back looking like:


I think they're a bit mesmerizing to look at!

To say I am in love with this necklace would be suuuuch an understatement:

http://blog.ponoko.com/2009/07/05/marc-newsons-fractal-necklace/


amazing!

New Work! and a new piece of necessary equipment

So as one of the best early birthday gifts ever I am now the very happy owner of a dress form with fully pose-able arms and fingers [and my measurements! so not only can I display my work on it...I can get back into sewing!!!]

wow I haven't posted in a while.
well, the internship is going well. as are plans with my business partner to get Melanie Lynn Design, LLC into a good place for when I graduate to propel itself forward.
I'm working on some new thesis stuff, stepping away from the silicone for a bit, and working with a full body piece made of pearls, strung on black silk so the knots disappear when worn over black or a dark fabric, and only a huge network of pearls, resembling molecular structures and constellations of the night sky will remain.

Internship!

So I did it! I successfully landed an internship with Giles & Brother [in association with http://www.philipcrangi.com/]

I start monday and I'm so excited!

stretchy stretchy

Continuing upon my previous piece, the Entropy 2 [shown above] here comes some new experimentation!


Soon to be a much larger piece, but in the meanwhile, I am loving the stretch factor of working with this silicon -it's nice making things that just slip into place comfortably!

new work?

hmmm

earrings?

Thoughts? I'm really happy with the interlacing open circles pattern, i'm planning to have more cut, but out of 3mm felt so I can make some sort of necklace/collar piece out of it. hmmm.....

Etsy!

Now open for business! After a 2 year hiatus.... I'm back!

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6887348