Jewelry Draft Eassy

Octavia Cook was born in 1978, Auckland. She currently lives in and works in Auckland. Graduated in 1999 from Unitec Institute of technology with a Bachelor of Design in Jewelry. Since graduating she has had numerous exhibition throughout the years and also started a fabricated company called “Cook & Co” in 2002. Her works include; brooches, rings, bracelets, necklaces, pendants and Chains. Her works deals and relate to autobiographical and idiosyncratic forms, the idea of her jewels point to the indivisibility of craft and concept and how she is drawn to the social role of jewelry, especially its identity-projecting possibilities.

One of the ideas behind Octavia Cooks work is the autobiographical and idiosyncratic form that’s within her work. The meaning behind this idea is that Cook’s work is rewriting her life and her individuality through the form of jewelries. Her cameo work deals with the individual portrayed maybe known and important to her. Her works is about her identity in art and how much of an imagination she specializes in her jewelry. Example of this idea is her work “The Cook & Co Dynasty” 2009 are several cameos of family members recording her background, history and ancestry in a art form that gives herself and her works an identity. Her work also relates to the form of individuality she has established in “The Cook & Co Dynasty” work, which is link to her identity as a person.

Cooks jewels point to the indivisibility of craft and concept. Another way of rewriting thee idea in a simple meaning is that the state of Cooks jewels can’t be separated and divisible. The meaning behind this idea is the state of her skills and process of steps she uses to create jewels are inseparable. The series of instructions in making her jewels are the same, aren’t divisible and can’t be separated. Her work all point to this idea, for an example her four part “Cook & Co Cameo” set are separable from each other cause of the tools and material that were used to create this work can’t be different cause of the similarities of the four jewels in its design and shape. Her individuality is identified in her jewels cause of the process; tools and instruction she took to make her jewels are the exactly and inseparable.

Cook’s drawn to the social role of jewelry, especially its identity-projecting possibilities”. She’s attracted and drawn to the society world of jewelry and to an extent the representation of identity that can be created and presented in numerous ways. Cook likes the role of jewelry today and its direction it’s heading, indicating her interest in identity and how important it is to her. Cook defines this in her jewelry work, her portrait cameos that are important and precious to her. She redefines her idea around identity in her jewelry chains as well; her work monogram tennis bracelet has “COOK & CO” in big gold letters connected by tiny jump rings. She uses her company name to symbolize the company jewelry, creator, ownership and identity.