Inflori Illumini (Invited)

Before pursuing visual arts, I trained as a dancer. I found I was drawn to body adornment because there seemed to be a seamless transition between positioning the body to achieve beauty and creation of an external element that supplements human form. This engagement with the body breathes life into an object, elevating it into an extension of a living being. I create forms I find beautiful and combine them in accordance with my aesthetic, which is inseparably connected to my experiences, generation, and environment. I take into consideration that my work is intended to be worn, and the size and shape of the human form dictates scale and functionality.

Mathematical organization derived from natural forms has always inspired me. I began working with computer-aided design and 3D printing to create my work. I found that CAD allowed me to create organic but precise forms. After my work is modeled on a computer it is produced by a machine that prints in 3D or builds the pieces layer by layer, an additive process that has always reminded me of the growth of tree rings. Recently, I have been looking at natural elements such as shells, spider webs, and whirlpools, and combining them into a hybrid form. 

In my work, I discuss the idea of using current technologies and evolving materials to create forms inspired by natural forms that have existed for centuries. I explore similarities I see among nature, the body, and technology: function, mechanics, adaption, beauty.

Jocelyn Kolb 
Albright College