Nova Bronstein jewelry at the Museum of Art and Design

If you’ve visited the Museum of Art and Design lately you may be familiar with Nova Bronstein’s work. The only daughter of two artists, Nova embraced the hand-made from a very early age. Currently an open studio resident artist at MAD in New York, Nova has started a new series of enameled jewelry in conjunction with her residency. This enameled collection entitled, Denim Series, seeks to capture the look of folded indigo fabric using sterling silver, copper and enamel.

Having come across an article about "The Blue Jean Bandits" of Atlanta, a gang that has stolen over 1.5 million dollars worth of premium denim since 2007, Nova became intrigued with the idea of denim as a prominent wearable measure of status. The exploration of what is common to so many and yet, to others, a symbol of status is something that Nova found intriguing. Believing the uniqueness and exclusivity of blue jeans lies in the cut, stitching and wash, she utilizes the same elements for the aesthetic parameters in her denim inspired jewelry pieces.

Looking at her body of work, it should come of no surprise that Nova has a background in textiles, knitwear and fashion. She regularly emulates fabric, both in texture and in form with metal, embossing it with netting or lace. Her Lace Series, uses lace both as subject matter and as visual texture. Pieces are often made of pierced copper that is then enameled, usually white, and set with sterling silver.

In addition to referencing her background in fashion, Nova’s travels to Mexico and to India also inspire her pieces. Reacting to the issue of garbage disposal in India, Nova created her Re- Series. This collection uses recycled aluminum cans as sheet material to be manipulated. The resulting look is often compared to blown glass beads and illustrates the fact that just because a piece is big doesn’t mean it needs to be heavy. The Re- Series is Nova's attempt to make sense of the chaos, beauty, and rich history craft, which saturate India.

Nova moved to New York in 2006 to pursue her BFA at SUNY New Paltz and now makes her own jewelry line in her Brooklyn studio. Her pieces range in price from $95 for sterling earrings and simple pendants to $5000 for one -of-a-kind enameled statement necklaces. You can watch her create her pieces at MAD most Tuesdays until the end August or enroll in the workshop she is teaching at MAD on October 23rd during their LOOT 2010 jewelry event. Shop: http://novacolette.etsy.com Email: novacolette@gmail.com