Joseph Hall

 

“Good jewelry, at its best, is more than a fashion accessory—it is wearable art. It is both an expression of the artist, and the wearer.”

 

Joseph Hall has a BS from the University of Wisconsin in Microbiology and an MS from UW in Urban and Regional Planning as well as an MFA from the University of Washington in Metalsmithing and Jewelry. He is a Distinguished Member of the Society of American Goldsmiths, a member of Northwest Designer Craftsmen and has received awards from The Ford Foundation.

 

In his words: “I have been an artist-metalsmith for thirty five years. For most of that time I have been the owner of The Ringworks Studio, a jewelry studio and gallery located in Seattle, until my move to New Mexico. I specialized in contemporary custom and art jewelry.

 

Aesthetically, my work often centered on abstract architecture and landscapes, but after coming to New Mexico, my work is beginning to show the influence of the desert, geology, culture and myths that surround me. I am particularly interested in pushing the idea of “ring”—what a ring can be, while still being wearable.

 

One of my interests is exploring unusual metals and materials, usually in combination with gold, to create jewelry and small-scale sculpture. In 1979, I published a seminal paper (Metalsmith, Society of North American Goldsmiths) on the use of and coloring of titanium, tantalum, niobium and other metals for jewelry and sculpture. I have also developed gold alloys whose colors range from whites to yellows, pinks, reds, greens purples and blues. These metals and alloys give me a large palate for creating new designs. I am currently experimenting with non-traditional techniques for applying color to jewelry as well as using images and words in jewelry.”