There's a long, long trail a-winding / Into the land of my dreams ...

Link: Karen Gilbert at Velvet da Vinci Art Jewelry and Sculpture Gallery, San Francisco.

"ARTIST'S STATEMENT I see my work from two sides. One is the exploration of materials such as sterling silver, glass, and steel. The other is the content of my ideas. Both sides pull together to create my voice.

I found myself attracted to silver and glass because of their working response and beauty. I grew to love the way they counterbalance one another. I almost always oxidize (blacken) the silver and use transparent glass to balance the bold forms. Over time I went deeper into the form, texture and movement trying to progress the the language of my process. The work has moved from bold shapes to multi leveled textured shapes. I am trying to give my work life.

The content has also developed over the years. My early work was influenced by objects that humans created for practical use. I was drawn to objects and materials that historically were not labeled as beautiful. Objects that were “damaged” create there own unique narrative through nature, the human hand and the onset of time. The evolution of these Ideas moved more into the realm of science. I think working on such small objects moved my area of interest toward the microscopic world. As I focused on the details of my work I began to think more about what made up forms and how they functioned. It went into how the human body works to how all organisms in nature develop and function. I love the functional forms in nature and science that put together are the shapes we find familiar. What is underneath the surface is what I choose to explore."   KG