Decision  bead-work assemblage  13 x 6 x 2″  $750

Whitten’s art practice expresses passion for materials and methods and for finding a balance between product and process.  Her artwork is about both the content of the piece and the way in which it is created.  She creates a bridge between worlds and considers her work to be medial objects.  Intricate and repetitive processes, such as beading, stitching, binding, and embellishing, bring visual and haptic presence to her work.  She is inspired by expressions of cultures that capture similar ideas, from the pointillism of Aboriginal artworks to the sequined surfaces of Haitian voodoo flags.

Decision was created using a process she calls bead-work assemblage.  It is part of a series where found objects are combined with labor-intensive beadwork techniques in order to comment on ideas about time, cognitive process, and utility.  She is interested in the body’s response to hand tools and hand skills.  When we decide we cut one option away from others.  This piece was welded, stitched, and wrapped.  It includes metal, thread, and 22kt gold fumed glass seed beads.

Jennifer Whitten