Brandi Couvillion
Hailing from New Orleans, Brandi is inspired by the built environment around her and the various states of its decay, and its relationship with the ever-evolving natural landscape. Her jewelry work and accessories are inspired by architectural details such as decorative wrought iron and plasterwork, as well as historic maps and imagery - some dating from as early as the 1700s culled from archives - and make permanent an ephemeral aspect of our cities’ histories. From raw sheets of metal, they transform into jewelry through an intensive, handcrafted process involving heat image transfers, various etchants, patinas and polishes, as well as hammer forming, ultimately becoming small, wearable archives in suspension. This adornment immortalizes the transitory landscapes of history: from trade routes and forgotten swamps to abandoned asylums whose architectural residue still decorates the landscape today. Ultimately, Brandi Couvillion's work blurs the lines between the past and the present weaving the poetics of space with the fabric of time.
