What process did you use to make the pieces?
The process is a combination of being inspired by a colour pallet and excited by a material. Then comes the obsessive folding and threading, like Christmas decorations when I was a kid, I take my folding seriously. Components are made and laid out for another day. Another day begins and each composition is decided and new components made to fill in gaps, gaps in the piece or the group to fit an overall colour pallet. Editing as I go and finishing only the successful combinations.
What is the idea behind the pieces?
I am interested in the character changing side effects of costume. Inspired by life as I see it. A changing room full of interesting characters just waiting to jump on stage and play their part. I hope my jewellery pieces will be an accessory of empowerment.
I use leather as a medium, interested in how skin holds our history. I like the idea that each piece I make starts telling its own elaborate story over time.
Why were you drawn to this material?
I really like to work with fabric however jewellery seems to demand to last a longer length of time, so I moved onto using leather as this medium has respect and looks better and gains character over time. I enjoy the context of quality leather holds throughout the world and felt if I was using a material other than precious metals this would be it. After that I fell in love with it and the love affair with leather has continued.
How long did it take to make the pieces?
They take anywhere between 30 hours to 300 hours each.
How long has it taken to develop the technique?
I spent about 3 years on different combinations and folds before I had really solved all the problems and developed a consistent way to work each kind of leather.
Jessica Winchcombe
What is the most difficult part?
Hand cutting straight lines of leather and seamlessly matching joins throughout the piece. Any variance in the size or join can be seen by the eye so clearly and looks terribly out of place. For such a simple outcome the time and energy put in is immense, some days if I just fold the leather with too much tension all the work looks to laboured over and I have to edit them out.
What do you enjoy the most?
The process of collecting the different leathers from around the world and developing both outlandish and subtle pieces from the same technique.
Seeing people wearing the pieces and then after some time seeing the pieces again, they sometimes look like carved stone when the leather settles down. It is very exciting.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Warning: This jewellery may have character changing side effects.
Can you tell me more about the character changing side effects of your work? How do people conduct themselves when they are wearing it?
Some of my pieces are so large that they are like putting on a costume. So in that way it breaks many barriers and they seem to be more free and outlandish. Other pieces are rather glamorous and seem to bring out the lush side in a person. All the works have a flavour of their own and seem to draw out the alter ego.
Jessica Winchcombe
Jessica Winchcombe
Jessica Winchcombe
Jessica Winchcombe
Jessica Winchcombe
What are your thoughts on where leather comes from? Do you use cow leather? Is there any kind of animism or spiritual connection to the animal in these side effects? Sorry if I’m putting words in your mouth. It’s just that when I worked with sheep skin previously I was particularly aware of the source of the material and its visceral nature.
Originally I started using leather in concepts dealing with armour and protective mechanisms. So skin is a very fitting material. Now I prefer to let the viewer put their own attachments on to it as making is not just about me and my piece, it is a collaboration with the wearer as soon as they put it on.
Whereabouts in the world do you collect the leather from? Are you involved in any of the production of the leather e.g. the colour of the dye?
I collect it from everywhere around the world, old clothing, full pelts and scraps from other peoples projects. I did play with dying and tanning my own leather but that took me away from making the actual pieces and was a very unpredictable outcome so now I enjoy collecting all the fresh colours and starting from there.
Yes your work does look very simple and refined and it is amazing how exact you have to be make it look so easy. Are you a perfectionist by nature or have you developed the ability to attend to that over time?
I am the total opposite to a perfectionist. I am a crafty whirlwind actually, preferring to rush things simply to see the outcome and then cast them aside as a new idea comes crashing in. It was during the Handshake project when I was matched with Warwick Freeman that I refined my making. For a few reasons actually:
- Galleries were confused about what I made as each show was so different, the works only really told a good story and style in mass so it was tricky to get shows.
- I had been talking with curators and my ex tutors about how it was nice to just have one piece that was amazing compared to many ok pieces. (I finally clicked that maybe they had a point).
- Warwick said that a piece didn’t need to be over designed. “Just finish it fluidly rather than adding a fancy clasp if the design doesn’t call for it”
So I limited my pallet and refined my skills and made loads of the same idea until I had a way of working that had the energetic feel that I love, but a touch of sophistication in the finish.
Then I learnt how to edit. (I still make loads of crazy random things out of many materials but now I hold them back from the shows until they are more resolved or simply keep them around to inspire me.)
Your mention that the leather “settles down” after time. Can you describe the difference between how it is when the piece is first finished and how it is when the piece has settled?
It is tricky to describe but recently I was looking at a piece that was a year old next to a freshly made piece. Each fold were originally a wee bit fluffy on the edges was now smooth, the places that had been sitting on the curve of the neck had polished slightly leaving me thinking it could actually be made of stone. I considered the confusion in materials if it was just in a photograph. It is much more beautiful than the original and that made me very happy. The partnership between wearer and the piece is complete.
Jessica Winchcombe
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