tia kramer: paper jewelry blog

2011-05-25T13:30:00.000-07:00

visit my website
www.tiakramerjewelry.com

facebook page
www.facebook.com/tiakramerjewelry

Both sites are updated regularly! New works, venues and exhibition details emmerging weekly.

JEWELRY CARE

2010-11-03T12:00:00.000-07:00

Tia Kramer Designs is handmade paper jewelry created with recycled sterling silver, 20kt gold, and waterproofed handmade paper that is water resistant to withstand daily wear.

Tia Kramer handmade paper jewelry is created with quality to remain DURABLE and WATER RESISTANT through daily wear. Each sheet of distinctive paper is handmade using Philippine plant fibers and treated to protect from water and abrasion. The steadfast colors will not fade or bleed over time. Results: a vibrant, often translucent paper adornment that is water resistant with a resilient memory.

If, by chance, your paper jewelry becomes completely wet, (say in a rain storm, or an accidental spill) don’t fret. Simply place it in a safe, flat area to dry. This unique paper wants to return to its initial form and will shrink back.

Be ATTENTIVE when traveling with these adornments. While strong, the paper can be punctured, stretched, and slightly affected by major changes in humidity levels. When transporting, please be sure to carry separate from all other (non-paper) jewelry; small containers, such as plastic mint tins or paper jewelry boxes work perfectly.

Do not store paper jewelry in a damp place (like your bathroom). Shine the sterling silver with a jewelry cloth to keep it sparkling like new.

ARTIST BIO

2010-11-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

about me

I am an installation, sound, and adornment artist who has been integrating handmade paper into my work

for the last nine years. My distinctive paper jewelry emerged first as miniature three-dimensional models for a large permanent sculpture installed at Macalester College in 2003.

Originally from Iowa, I studied studio art at Macalester College. In 2005, I began integrating my sculptural objects into video, sound, installation and performance projects while at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. My jewelry business took root unexpectedly. Entranced by the artistic potential and environmental poignancy of the vast white expanses at the bottom of the world, I began a job with the United States Antarctic Program. During two Austral summers from 2006-2008, I honed my jewelry craft while creating adornments by headlamp, on my lap, and in little hallway nooks on Ross Island, Antarctica. In February 2008, I relocated to Seattle.

Inspired by our relationships to the natural and architectural environment, I create jewelry objects that make visible our interactions with structure and movement. My adornments are performative sculptures for one’s ears, architecture for the body.

I look closely at our often unnoticed everyday lives: telephone wires suspended amidst tall evergreens, the negative space stretching between two neighboring skyscrapers. Using cold-form fabrication, I build organic and geometric wire forms that pare down these environments to simple line modules. These non-soldered jewelry structures move independent of one another, dancing on the ears, neck and wrists of the wearer. Like leaves on a tree limb, my adornments punctuate the wearer’s movement and expression.

You can find my adornments at museums, galleries and boutiques nationally including: San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) Store, Seattle Art Museum (SAM) Shop, Quirk Represents, and Heidi Lowe Gallery.