Quiet Temperament was a collaborative exhbition between Betsy Lewis and Valerie James presented during New York City Jewelry week. The exhibition was installed for a period of 8 hours on November 8th, 2020, on the rooftop of the Lido Knitting Mills in Brooklyn, NY.
Statement: “The permanence of making a mark. The conviction of a hammer’s blow. Silversmiths Valerie James and Betsy Lewis present Quiet Temperament, a two person exhibition of individual and collaborative pieces that recontextualize traditional jewelry and metal practices. James and Lewis are actively fabricating, forging, and engraving new works to rejuvenate established techniques in the field. This exhibition bridges critical craft theory, physical process, and studied gestures of the body to advance these practices in contemporary jewelry and object work. Contemplative habits and persistent repetition in making create the core of the work. Examining process and the virtuosity of technique, their work shares pathways of entangled memories and the quiet temperament of silver.”
Statement: “The permanence of making a mark. The conviction of a hammer’s blow. Silversmiths Valerie James and Betsy Lewis present Quiet Temperament, a two person exhibition of individual and collaborative pieces that recontextualize traditional jewelry and metal practices. James and Lewis are actively fabricating, forging, and engraving new works to rejuvenate established techniques in the field. This exhibition bridges critical craft theory, physical process, and studied gestures of the body to advance these practices in contemporary jewelry and object work. Contemplative habits and persistent repetition in making create the core of the work. Examining process and the virtuosity of technique, their work shares pathways of entangled memories and the quiet temperament of silver.”
©Photography by Kevin Condon