Hair Bracelet, Earrings, and Brooch c. 1936

Florence Stevenson made this drawing of a hair bracelet, earrings, and brooch with what looks like watercolor and pencil. There is something so painstaking in the rendering of these tiny braids. You can tell she took her time. I love that the artist is also highlighting the labor and materiality involved in crafting the original objects. The palette, dominated by browns and golds, is earthy but with an appealing glint. The bracelet is the most impressive; it looks substantial. I think about how hair holds memories. Here, the hair is not just a material but also a repository of intimate histories. The subtle variations in tone suggest the play of light on the woven strands. It also tells me this piece is about more than just jewelry design. Thinking about the exacting work of someone like Agnes Martin and her grids, I’m reminded that repetition can be meditative. This drawing is more than the sum of its parts. It’s a quiet, persistent meditation on what it means to make something by hand. What is left unsaid?