Jewelry: Interview with Bloodmilk Designer J.L. Schnabel

So while I've got too much shit to do to actually get a proper outfit shot in...here's an awesome interview I did with the talented jewelry maker J. L. Schnabel. Check out her designs...they're badass and totally fit my aesthetics. The first two are my absolute favorite designs from her.

How did you come up with the jewelry line name "Blood Milk"? BloodMilk began as a line of “collage” jewelry before I moved into casting. I assembled antique pieces, catholic relics, bone and other curious objects together to form a new whole, or wearable “art”. This process stemmed from the surrealist idea of ‘objective chance’ where seemingly unrelated objects are actually secretly and marvelously connected. This is where the name BloodMilk also stems from, the conjoining of two powerful words to make a new whole. It sounds grotesque but beautiful.

So in addition to being a jewelry designer, you're also a painter and a writer? Please elaborate! How did you ultimately decide to start designing jewelry? It’s funny and strange how life turns out…. I always planned on being a writer and received most of my formal training in literature and creative writing. Language is essential and wondrous. It will always be the way I know best to communicate my inner landscapes. How I began painting is: I was writing my thesis novel on a pair of painters and I wanted to try it for myself, to sound authentic. By then I was already following the ‘pop surrealist’ art movement and it became something I enjoyed doing. Jewelry came about as a practical way to transform the spiritual & fabulist language I was exploring in my 2-d work into a 3-d form. Being able to wear a piece of art has a more personal effect than reading or viewing it. I find that jewelry has a life with it’s wearer, it can become an extension of their beliefs, their personality, their dreams

What are some of your inspirations (Blogs/websites, artists, bands/musicians, philosophers. writers) on your jewelry design aesthetics? I’m inspired by a variety of historical debris. The surrealists & the Victorians play a large part in the spines of each piece, as well as different religious traditions such as Spiritualism, Catholicism and Native American spiritual beliefs. Mostly, I’m interested in my jewelry being ‘talismans’ a kind of psychic armor that can “protect” their wearers both emotionally and spiritually.
Blogs/Websites
Hi-Fructose: (http://www.hifructose.com/ )
Haute Macabre: (http://hautemacabre.com/ )
A Journey Round My Skull: (http://ajourneyroundmyskull.blogspot.com/)
Mutter Museum: (http://www.collphyphil.org/MUTTER.ASP)
Artists:
Jennybird Alcantara
Remedios Varo
Frida Kahlo
Max Ernst collages
Writers:
Danielle Vogel
Kelly Link
Brian Evenson
Anne Sexton
Stacey Levine
Bands:
Portishead
Neutral Milk Hotel
Nina Simone
The Knife
iamamiwhoami

Describe how each piece is designed. Do you start out with a particular design solidified in mind or do you chip away at a piece until it feels perfect? My process is sporadic and chaotic. I take a lot of notes and mini sketches. A design can haunt me until I have it figured out and realized. I like to defy traditional jewelry designs and see how far I can push things, how big I can make a ring before it becomes un-wearable or too absurd. I like to make bold pieces that will stand out and sometimes these pieces can be tricky to fully realize as practical, comfortable pieces.

What are some common "motifs" in your designs? My most recurring symbol is death. I don’t intend for it to be morbid because I view it in a more curious, exploratory way. Death is sad and terrible, but also a great, thrilling mystery. The jewelry, for me, is an exploration of the after-life, how we communicate with and honor the dead; whether it be through wearing the symbols of a Saint or the bones of magnificent birds and animals.

Who do you imagine as a Blood Milk girl (ie. describe the kind of person that would be most intrigued by your designs)? Mostly I imagine the people who wear my jewelry to be brave individuals, unafraid to make a bold statement or to reveal themselves. Jewelry is an aesthetic, spiritual language and I make BloodMilk with exclamations.

What's the future of Blood Milk? I’m most excited about launching my website before the end of the year! The only other certainty is that I’ll continue forging work that interests and excites me.

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