Evan Senderowicz

BFA Exhibition: Modular Jewelry System

Modular Jewelry System (Base Set), Anodized Aluminum, Brass, Steel, Titanium (for earring posts), Tagua Nut, Ink, Acetal, Repurposed Rhinestones, Fre-Thane® Polyurethane Tubing, Epoxy, Manufactured Stainless Steel Set Screws, Manufactured Nickel Silver Pin Backs, Manufactured Earring Backs, Carbon Steel Circlips, Manufactured Hex Key, Manufactured Waterproof Case, EVA Foam, Polyethylene Bags, Digital Laser Print on paper, Label Maker Tape, 2023

Example 1-6, Digital Photograph, 2023

This set of parts is an interchangeable and expandable system for adorning the body. Screws, blocks, decorations, and attachments let the user choose how a piece of jewelry will be worn and how it will function, and a set of standards lets them make more parts to further expand the system. Inspired by scientific and medical equipment, parts are shaped by their function, though here the function is inseparable from aesthetics because the purpose is aesthetic.

Jewelry has historically served as a store of wealth from the arbitrary value of its materials and the artistic value imbued by its maker, while functional precision tools demand hard work and expense in order for them to do their jobs most effectively. The visual language of precision is defined by function first and foremost, but also almost always by at least a hint of aesthetic consideration; some humanity, perhaps some pride in the work. Dyed anodizing, for example, is a functional way of checking the quality of the oxide coating, but also offers the option of adding color and visual appeal, something seen from microscopes to surgical tools to spacecraft.

Precision is not rare; basic functions of our lives depend on dozens of sextillions of precise parts made by very clever and very complex systems of rules and tools. Precision is, however, labor intensive. The difference between making one part that looks good and making a set of parts that fit together and fit a set of rules that allow for reproduction is days to weeks to years of work and planning. I think it is impossible to make something with that much thought and care without making it some kind of beautiful.