Christine Alaniz
Cobra Lily, Brooch, 2009, Resin, 6.5" x 5.25" x 2.5"
Orchid01, Brooch, 2009, Resin, 6" x 5" x 2"
Pitcher Pair, Bracelet, 2009, Resins, 7" x 8.25" x 4.25"
Artist Statement
To attract attention to themselves, orchids beguile their desired pollinators and pitcher plants tempt their dinner by suggesting, through form, that there is something desirable inside them. Forms inspired these large flowers and plants are found throughout my work. I use the juicy, bulbous forms of these plants to lead the gaze through my hollow, lightweight designs and to lure the wearer into slipping on my jewelry.
Beyond being inspired by plant forms, many of my pieces have mechanisms that are able, through the flexibility of photo-polymers, to mimic expanding and compressing movements found in curling tendrils and vines. This fluidity gives my jewelry a gestural, humanlike quality.
In addition to flora, I consider human relationships in my work because jewelry has an intrinsic association with the human body. Considering this, I create pieces that are both representative of relationships, and that adjust to fit various people. The interaction between two people is subtly suggested through mirrored or nesting components. These elements work together to form the closure or attachment that makes my jewelry move and function. When the components of the mechanism are adjusted in order to fit the piece of jewelry to size, the movement of the two parts suggests an interaction between two people.