The Descent Collar

Details

• Materials: sterling silver, driftwood, leather 
• Finish: oxidized
• Dimensions: 6" x 8" pendant, 20” long

STATE|meant 2020 SIGNIFICANT & POWERFUL Jewelry 

Beneficiary: The Peninsula Trails Coalition has created and sustains the Olympic Discovery Trail as a world-class, multi-use, non- motorized trail system connecting communities across the North Olympic Peninsula, while serving as a catalyst for recreation, community health, transportation, and economic development. They are in the process of acquiring land and building the last segment of the trail near Port Townsend. 

Artist Statement: The Descent Collar was inspired by Ruth Bader Ginsberg's dissent collars. The day she passed I took a walk down through the woods to the beach thinking of her and the impact she had on so many people's lives through her decisions. At the same time, the west was burning up. I felt such a sense of sadness for our planet and the impact that mankind has had. My descent collar combines driftwood that started in the forest as vegetation and ended up washing ashore where I found its shape appealing enough to collect. These small pieces of driftwood are combined with sterling silver castings of Douglas fir tree branches that descended to the forest floor and found a way to sprout and grow. There is a small chance that like the tree that ascends from a tiny seed that we will rise up and get it right. Ruth Bader Ginsberg and her collars are a great reminder of her strength and the need to fight for what we believe in.