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Cher the Love: Strong Enough thong
thong sculpture 2005

"'Cos I'm strong enough/To live without you/Strong enough and I quit crying Long enough now I'm strong enough/To know you gotta go." Cher from Strong Enough

Cher the Love: Strong Enough thong is a tribute to the artist who continues, after four decades in the spotlight, to empower women through her music. A living testament to her music, she drives home the fact that sensuality and strength can coexist. The door to the world is opened wide once we have gained a strong sense of self-worth and self-love.

In an interview during her Farewell Tour 2004, Cher discloses that "Strong Enough" is one of her most cherished songs of her repertoire, and the costume she enjoys most is [the black thong bodysuit] from "If I Could Turn Back Time." Cher the Love: Strong Enough thong displays around a tube form of clear Plexiglas, mounted on the wall with an illustration of Cher in the full costume, as if they were artifacts from one of her performances.

in the red: fashion*craft*art
craft tiara 2006

As designers, our work is often pigeonholed into one of three categories: fashion, craft, or art. Rare to find the example of work that is accepted into all three realms, even though the boundaries between the three are becoming blurred. Who determines the criteria, sets the standards for these titles—Museums, Consumers, Artists, or more likely, the Marketplace? In truth, design blends across multiple realms. Do not most craftspeople consider their work an art? Is not art often seen as "in fashion", and cannot fashion be regarded as a "craft"?

Truth1: Infotainment
from the Truth series, neckpiece and frame 2002

"Today [‘s media] it’s not about the quest for Truth, it’s about Entertainment."
                                John Nichols, Washington DC correspondent

It’s up to each one of us to gather the grey, the missing Truth,
from amongst the black and white fragmented "facts".

Truth 2: The Past
From the State of Liberty Series, crown 2003

The Statue of Liberty is globally recognized as a symbol of Freedom and as an aspired American Ideal. However, the government has interpreted "with Liberty and Justice for all" as is sees fit to serve its agenda.

During WWII President Roosevelt ordered for the evacuation of all persons of Japanese ancestry, including Japanese American citizens, to be put into concentration camps. For four years, over 120,000 people were forced to live under harsh conditions with little contact from the outside.

Currently we are seeing these same war hysteria patterns arise, but towards people of Arab and Muslim descent. Who will be the next target? In a climate of international war how does the symbol of Miss Liberty take on new meaning, and how are the boundaries of liberty and freedom blurred? Is truth accessible within today’s corporate plutocracy?

Truth2: The Present
From the State of Liberty Series, crown 2003

The Statue of Liberty is globally recognized as a symbol of Freedom and as an aspired American Ideal. However, the government has interpreted "with Liberty and Justice for all" as is sees fit to serve its agenda.

Unnecessary suffering versus military necessity. There is no agreed definition of unnecessary suffering. Whether a weapon causes unnecessary suffering turns on whether the injury, including death, to combatants is disproportionate to the military advantage gained by use of the weapon. The effect of a weapon must be weighed in light of levels of injury to enemy combatants by comparable, lawful weapons in use on the modern battlefield. The critical factor is whether the suffering is needless or disproportionate to the military advantage secured by the weapon, not the degree of suffering itself. The MOAB weapon kills by way of blast or fragmentation. Blast and fragmentation are historic and common anti-personnel effects in lawful military weapons. There are no components that would cause unnecessary suffering. The explosive ingredient H6 is a widely-used explosive that is typical for weapons of this type. The components RDX and TNT do have some potential toxic effects from long-term exposure, but these are limited and within US government tolerance levels. The potential psychological effect of the weapon does not constitute suffering. The intent is to demoralize or frighten the enemy by impressing them with the large footprint, resulting cloud, and tremendous noise of the explosion.

Excerpt from MEMORANDUM FOR AAC/JAQ (Mr. Luthy), 3/21/03, DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE Headquarters; SUBJECT: Requested Legal Review of the Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) Weapon

Truth3: Mediacracy—Sold! To the Highest Bidder!
From the State of Liberty Series, crown 2003

"Any relaxation of ownership restrictions will further denigrate the quality and diversity of information received by the public and will have grave consequences for the fee and open debate necessary to sustain a democratic society." Linda Foley, President of The Newspaper Guild—Communications Workers of America

A total of six multinational corporations own and control 80% of the Media around the world. It is their viewpoint that we see and hear daily on TV, in print, and radio. Because of the power these corporations wield it is almost impossible for alternative media to compete monetarily. As a result, alternative viewpoints are being suffocated, and may ultimately be wiped out.

June 2, 2003 the Federal Communications Commission voted to abolish the last of the media-ownership limits. These rules—intended to protect diversity of viewpoints, competition and local ownership—keep major TV networks from merging into one and prevent a single company from dominating the local TV market or owning a cross-platform of local media markets. FCC's Chairman Powell (former board member of AOL and son of Colin Powell, Secretary of State) claims "media mergers are good for business." Since when has it been the FCC's job to protect business interests over public interests?

By September 16, 2003, thanks to the hundreds of thousands of citizens who spoke out against the FCC's ruling, both the Senate and House voted resoundingly in favor of reversing the FCC's ruling. And by using the Congressional Review Act, Congress passed a resolution in a 55-40 vote to roll back the FCC rules.

President Bush vows to veto this resolution when it passes his desk. Is it any coincidence that the media industry has spent $124 million on political contributions and lobbying in Washington, DC since 1995?

Will you hear about this on the nightly news? Does the Bush Administration believe our voices matter?

Truth4: The Past is Present—Violations of the IV
From the State of Liberty Series, crown 2003

"May it serve as a constant reminder of our past so that Americans in the future will never again be denied their constitutional rights and may the remembrance of that experience serve to advance the evolution of the human spirit." Plaque at the Poston Relocation Center

During WWII from the spring of 1942 through the spring of 1946, over 120,000 individuals of Japanese ancestry, the majority of them American citizens were forced to live in "relocation camps", tar paper barracks thrown up in the middle of the barren lands. War hysteria had overtaken the country and Japanese Americans were the targets of extreme racial discrimination, losing their lands, homes, and businesses, not welcomed to return after the war.

Ironically, during the entire course of the war, only 10 people were convicted of spying for Japan, none of which were of Japanese descent.

Their Constitutional rights guarding against unreasonable search and seizure were violated. And it is happening again, this time against individuals of Arab descent. The Bush Administration has deemed it lawful through the Patriot Act to arrest whomever they please, without reason for an infinite amount of time. No one is given access, not even families, not even lawyers.

Is this what our Statue of Liberty, the international icon of "freedom and justice for all" stands for in today's democracy?

in the red Bay: the Arts
neckpiece 2001

"The technological boom is forcing cutting edge art groups out [of San Francisco]...is losing it's heart and soul."

"San Francisco is not artist-friendly anymore, it's too expensive and it's difficult to make art when your scrambling to make ends meet." San Francisco Chronicle, "No Room For the Arts", Oct 18, 2000

This "dynamite" neckpiece was created at the height of the dot com boom and incorporates quotes from dozens of art groups and how they and the city were affected. It stands as a testament, a time-capsule of that brief moment in our history.

Quotes imbedded into neckpiece:
MORATORIUM          MASS EVICTION          RAPID FIRE PACE          BOOM FORCING ART OUT
EXPLODING GENTRIFICATION
Losing Heart & Soul     erosion of diverse heritage     appendage to fine dining     Artistic Health at Risk     400% Rent Increase     Rents will TRIPLE     UNDERSIEGE     TIME RUNNING OUT     Starbucks Entertainment     911 RENT     2000 Musicians DISPLACED     Rent to the Highest Bidder     pulse growing fainter     $55 PER SQ. FT.     500 Bands EVICTED     85 Arts Groups AT RISK     SOLD!     MonoCulture Estates     EVERYONE MUST GO!     THIS  CRISIS  IS  REAL     space culture     so much apathy     losing grassroots     the City blew it     We're your Embassadors     they won't come back     you need us     greedy landlords     fucked situation     Money for Money's sake     faceless new economy     organizations threatened     intangible life needs     clear cutting of culture     What does SF value?     What do you value?     need space to create     no time for art     Money without Class     times are good for who?     fabric of the City will change     TAKE  BACK  SAN FRANCISCO!

"with these words I thee…"
bridal veil and tiara on platform 2001

"To plan a decent wedding you need at least 20K… can't wait for it to be over."

Weddings are Big Business. "Properly" done, it can create a year of stress and a mortgage-size debt. Bridal Marketing inundates and convinces us that we need so much to make our day picture-perfect. And our society buys into it.

The veil is a juxtaposition of this crazed, cookie-cutter wedding planning, and the very personal, sacred event. The "fabric" of the veil is marked with direct quotes from people's wedding experiences and passages from Gibran's The Prophet and from the Bible. The use of refuse, industrial materials, along with precious metals and gems, symbolizes how we can reinvent our Everyday into sacred Breathtaking Moments.

Lionize II
From the Patent Pending Collection, collar 2006

Words on Lionize II collar:     ©     ®     ™     patent pending     jewelry isn't art Art     sell out     nobody will wear     i'm a freak     uncomfortable     who will buy?     too Gallery     too futuristic

Lionize--"to treat as an object of great interest or importance; to treat as celebrity."
Welcome to a world where your product's chance for fame is only a celebrity away! Just flip through the glossy pages of Instyle or Lucky and see for yourself what the power of a celebrity can do for your success as a designer. Got a necklace that is ridiculously tight and uncomfortable—no problem—just get a shot of Beyoncé or Angelina Jolie wearing it and you're golden. And don't forget to get a trademark for your creation to prevent others from being inspired by your work.

Showroom 007 & Pioneer a movement
From the Patent Pending Collection, set of cuffs 1999

Words found on cuffs:

Showroom 007 cuff:     jewelry isn't Art     sell out     nobody will wear     i'm a freak     uncomfortable     who will buy?     too Gallery     too futuristic

Pioneer a movement cuff:     jewelry isn't Art     envogue     mass market     be responsible     bread&butter     knockoff     markdown     SALE!     hip&trendy     commercial
Made in Indonesia     pioneer a movement     hot item     fashion     everyone's wearing     don't listen

Lionize
From the Patent Pending Collection, collar 1999

Words found on collar:

Lionize collar:     ©     ®     ™     patent pending

"The mistake everyone makes is in thinking that jewelry is art and it ISN'T." buyer, NYC showroom, 8/99

Our culture blindly compartmentalizes jewelry by its price tag: higher prices=Art; lower prices=Fashion Trend. Mind-expanding objects (i.e. art) are not immediately profitable, and are therefore not as accessible to the public. Rather, profit margin and mass appeal validates "quality" design as do brand names, Hollywood, and © or patent marks. Individualist thinking is discouraged—we are programmed to only buy into what is "hot this season".

The Queen Margherita
from My First Royal Jewels Jewellery Collection 2007

This neckpiece is a modern-day reinterpretation of The Royal emerald, pearl and diamond necklace of Queen Margherita, consort of King Umberto I of Italy during the 1870s. For her love of jewelry and pearls, she was known as "The Queen of Pearls," the necklace being part of her dowry, originally in the dowry of her mother, Elizabeth of Saxony, the daughter of King John of Saxony. During the 20th century many of the royal jewels were unmounted and reset (the necklace included), and redesigned so that large neckpieces could convert into bracelets, brooches, and smaller necklaces, akin to what was happening in French jewelry at that time.

In the spirit of Queen Margherita's jewels comes this similar "transformer"-like tribute, repurposed from a child's LEGO® set, hence making it the debut neckpiece in My First Royal Jewels Jewellery Collection. For you can never be too young to start your own jewelry collection, especially if it's made from LEGO®, the gold of children young and old!

Snow White
from My First Royal Jewels Jewellery Collection 2007

Tictactoe
Necklace 2008

The Duchess
from My First Royal Jewels Jewellery Collection 2008

My First Royal Jewels, "The Duchess" neckpiece is a modern-day reinterpretation of a gold, turquoise, amethyst and diamond bib necklace, by Cartier, Paris, 1947. Given to Duchess of Windsor from the Duke, it was but one of many royal pieces that he had commissioned for his bride by the great houses of the day-Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Harry Winston. As with much royal jewelry, that neckpiece was designed around stones that had once been in other pieces. Both the Duke and Duchess worked closely with these design houses to create an astounding collection that spoke of their love and that showcased the exotic jewels they collected over their travels.

In the spirit of the Windsor's jewels comes this similar "recycled" tribute, repurposed from children's LEGO®, the second in the series, My First Royal Jewels Jewellery Collection. For you can never be too young to start your own jewelry collection, especially if it's made from LEGO®, the gold of children young and old!