The Italian painter, Elio Carletti, once described beauty as a summation of the parts working together in such a manner that nothing need be added, taken away, nor altered. And so begets a myriad of abstract questions in the realm of creating jewellery. Questions such as: How do we design beauty? How do we instil it within an object? How do we combine elements in such a precise fashion that we feel as though, as Carletti would argue, not an ounce of the final form need be eradicated.
These are inherently unknowable ideas which lie at the heart of all creative pursuits, especially those seeking some form of beauty. What makes something beautiful is an intangible concept that promotes a deep and endless dive into profound feuds over semantics, ideas, and impossible compromises concerned solely with uncovering some imaginary bridge between the subjective and objective experience. Which is, of course, the constant challenge within the world of art.
With this in mind, the intention of posing such a question here is not to fake some form of secret answer. But rather, through an in-depth discussion with Seán Dowse, a new age goldsmith and founder of the jewellery platform, Dowse, it simply became clear that the term beauty could perhaps embody an array of esoteric and emotional desires that exist within the soul of the artist as they engage in their specific craft, whatever it may be.
Such desires include an honouring of nature, an authentic expression of self, a pursuit of truth, a sharing of love, and a creation of something near permanent, awe-inspiring, and dare one say, important.