Origins // Variance Objects

At Crown Nine our motto is 'Real Objects Made By Real People' because we believe that where things come from matters.  That how things are made and who makes them matters.  That objects have significant power and can deepen our everyday experiences.  So with that in mind, we are beginning a new regular blog feature called 'Origins' in which we will talk with each of our artists in depth about the origins of the objects they make.

First up is one of our newest artists, Nicole Rimedio, the designer behind Variance Objects.  Nicole founded Variance in 2013 with her partner Scott. Scott manages operations and Nicole is the artist. They both have a passion for gemstones and together they source the finest natural and unusual gem specimens and rough rock. Nicole and Scott live and work in Santa Cruz, California.  Find them on Instagram @varianceobjects .

We have met Nicole and Scott a few times over the years, and this summer added Nicole's work to the shop which they dub as Rough Fine Jewelry.  We love the cohesiveness of her irregularities, how each piece almost looks suspended in it's process.  Fusing silver and gold together for her settings, the overall aesthetic is an esoteric twist on classic gemstone-centric jewelry that we just cannot get enough of.  Here is our interview together, boiled down to the essentials.

KE:  Why do you make art?

N: I'm unhappy doing anything else.  I tried to not be an artist and I was miserable.  I think I was born this way.

KE:  What themes are in your current work?

N:  Destruction and erosion and the juxtaposition of those themes to the pristine. Those qualities become magnified when in relation to each other.  It's both pleasing and confusing to the eye.



KE:  Current obsessions?

N:  Stones.  I have lots of books on stones, both scientific and metaphysical.  Nothing better than a day at a gem show. One of the things I love about Santa Cruz is all the young travelers selling rough stones on the street.  Each room in my house has a place set aside for stones.  I hold, carry them and sleep with them.  I even hide them under Scott's pillow (my husband and co-owner of Variance).  I don't think he minds.  Well, he doesn't always realize it until he has strange dreams and I have to come clean.

 

KE:  Best piece of advice you have gotten?

N:  A glass artist I worked for in Cleveland, Steven Tater, once told me, "the key to being an artist is to keep showing up".

KE:  What artwork or artists influence your work?

N:  Abstract expressionist painters such as Agnes Martin, Jackson Pollock, Gerhard Richter.

KE:  How do you want someone to feel while wearing your work?

N:  I want them to feel like the piece is theirs, like it has always belonged to them.  Sometimes it feels like the jewelry is looking for the right person as much as vice versa.



KE:  How do you know when a piece is finished?

N:  It feels like it takes a breath.  And also there aren't any sharp edges.

KE:  What do you admire in other people?

N:  Competence and risk-taking.





KE:  What special talent would you choose if you could magically gain one?

N:  Fireproof hands

KE:  How does destruction play a role in your work?

N:  Big time!  Sometimes I think about Variance jewelry as artifacts or found in ruins.  You know what I mean if you know my work.  Sometimes the pieces are about the way the fire moves the metal; that molten quality has a destroyed feeling. It's all about the interaction of the fire and metal.



Stay tuned for more Origins posts with our house of artists.
L O V E + M E T A L

All images courtesy of the artist, Copyright 2014 Variance Objects.

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In The Studio

I finally got around to cleaning up and making pretty my mezzanine studio above the shop.  Common issue for creative types is to spend zero time making the working space conducive to creating.  But having a clean, organized, and aesthetically beautiful space to do my most important work seems pretty basic and important, like a big forehead smacking 'DUH'.

Since the space really is utilized for making, it often gets untidy and dirty (like actual dirt, grime, and dust) so there are limits to how much 'pretty' to put into a space like this.  I found just hanging a few pieces of art, adding a plant or two, and organizing my tools really transformed the space.  Take a peek, and enjoy.

Turquoise Woman by Obi Kaufmann

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Harena Launch Party

I am beyond excited to share the news: I am finally launching a new collection.

We are having a private launch party for viewing and pre-ordering--as well as a whole *ishload of champagne to celebrate this massive creative process coming to fruition.

I have been designing and thinking about this new work for two years, actually mostly I was just daydreaming, as my hands were so full of the daily tasks of getting Crown Nine up and running. Opening a retail shop is equally harrowing as exhilarating, requiring all of your creative and brain power and spiritual tenacity. Not much was left over for making new things.

But the new shop location has been so warmly embraced that it finally gave me more time to create--and having my studio in the shop has been a literal dream come true.  I am making things everyday, living my aspiration everyday.

The new collection, Harena, means 'sand' in latin.  Sand because all the original models for the series were hand sandcasted right here at Crown Nine.  Sandcasting is the crudest, most ancient form of casting, used by ancient cultures the world over.  The process starts with making an impression in an oily sand mixture, heating the metal until it's molten, then pouring it directly into the sand mold.  The result is a gritty, sandy texture that looks dug out of the earth.  Perfect.

The shapes of the Harena collection come from my travels in the last two years {Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree, Zion, Yosemite}.  It has characters who have taught me things, like the Crow and the Horse, and lots of silver and gold.  Like a lot of gold.  And sparkly diamonds, offset by pitch black spinel.

Please join us in celebrating, it won't be the same without you.  RSVP

L O V E + M E T A L

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Shout Out // Design Conundrum

Creative living guru, Maia McDonald of Design Conundrum, recently stopped by for a visit in my studio and Crown Nine to talk to me about creativity, art, jewelry, and our beloved Oakland for her inspirational series, Creative Spaces.  Take a peek at our conversation...

Name: Kate Ellen
Occupation: Jewelry Designer + Boutique Owner

What made you want to be a jewelry designer?
Oh my. I love working with my hands, and it's such a powerful experience to have an idea in your head and then make an object. I can't really explain what it feels like when you just know a piece is done, but the best way I can describe it is affirming and joyful. So I love that part of it, the actual thinking, problem solving, and transforming that takes place in my studio in total solitude. 

And then I just love-love-love jewelry, always have, always will. I especially love rings and bracelets because they are the two things that as a wearer you really get to look at and enjoy, you can have little private moments throughout your day in which you can look at your hand or wrist and feel happier by what you see there.  Read on >>>

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