Barbara Knuth: Metalsmith/ Jeweler

My work contemplates the experience of the bereaved. After a loved one has passed, there is a longing for return; an urge to ‘put things back’. Fueled by a need to reconcile with the past, I repair and restore detached branches and cut sections of trees. Using the familiar bodily forms of a tree, I create sculpture and body adornment that act as memorials. Metal, wax, and salt are used in combination with the wood in efforts to preserve and salvage the items. Repetitive processes such as wrapping, stapling, and pinning are meditative and express a passing of time.