Inspirations (Robert Ebendorf)

From top left 1. source 2. source 3. source 4. source 5. source 6. source 7. source 8. source (collaboration with Elizabeth Turrell) 9. source 

If you do any research on found objects in art jewelry (and of course I do), then Robert Ebendorf's name comes up with some frequency. He's considered a major pioneer in jewelry that elevates random bits to another level--bits of packaging and tin, costume jewelry, newspaper, driftwood...

I'm really drawn to the playfulness of much of Ebendorf's work, in addition to the way he sometimes combines these inexpensive objects with traditional fine jewelry materials. For example, check out the I Love My Mother brooch above, with it's mix of junk jewelry, sea glass, and opal. It's jewelry as three dimensional collage, and it's quite exciting to see what Ebendorf has come up with over his long career.

Found object jewelry is a popular and fascinating genre, and while not nearly as out there as it once was to combine the precious and the discarded, it is still a wonderful and inspiring way to look at metalwork.

Check out an in-depth interview/oral history with the artist here.