Similar to art mediums like clothing and tattooing, jewellery awaits a final crowning before fitting into its full definition. It is art formed around the body. An ancient practice of decorating the living form. We travel back far into history and we see humans from all ages adorning themselves with silver and gold, leather and seashells. Granted, there were such practical reasons for this, one such being a convenient way to show and store one’s wealth. But beyond this, it becomes more evident how, as a meta-conscious species, we have always looked to instil profound meaning into inanimate objects. Even going so far as to transform ourselves into biological canvases.
“Wearing it.” Dowse answers with clear conviction when asked about where exists the line between object and jewellery. Though, of course, he acknowledges, one can get into semantics by travelling further down that kind of abstract road. But to him, this is the obvious definition, as it directly relates to his dominant purpose in making the stuff. The desire to create a comfortable and enduring piece of wearable artwork.
As Dowse himself notes, Jewellery is a pretty impractical thing. And not only that, it’s expensive. “It’s all a crazy fronting of costs.” But what it can do for a person that is undeniably practical, and perhaps even essential, is shift focus toward authenticity. Both in the creation of the piece, as Dowse customises his commissions to suit each individual who will wear them, and in the owner’s admiration of the piece.
In almost every creative practice money and access allow the art to exist on a grander stage. That said, however, money and access are not essential in the creation of beauty. It seems that all that’s ever really needed is a willingness to lay down an authentic effort.