Adam Atkinson - Out of the Blue

Artist: Adam Atkinson
Materials: silver, cherry wood, acrylic paint
Size: 7
Dimensions: 1.75"H x 6mm band

Artist Statement:
Growth comes despite the most difficult circumstances. Dendrologists have discovered when a tree is cut down in the wild the remaining trunk and roots continue to be fed by the surrounding forest keeping the dismembered organism alive. "Out of the Blue" is a reflection on perseverance during a period of history where the buried roots of our digital communities have come together to support the sequestered individual. Many of us have chosen to self-isolate during the pandemic for the greater good of society, despite the incredible weight of loneliness. This ring celebrates triumph over what has been a blue period for many. An abstracted organism sprouts from tendrils attached to the band, lifting the piece above the wearer. Through structural support new growth becomes possible.

Artist Bio:
Adam Atkinson is a metalsmith, curator, and educator. He received an MFA in Metal Design at East Carolina University in 2019, and a BFA in Interdisciplinary Studio Practices at Boise State University in 2013. Atkinson’s work documents relationships between gender and the body using adornment and small-scale sculpture as formats for exploration. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally including the Wayne Art Center, the Greenhill Center for North Carolina Art, and Nagoya Zokei University, Nagoya, Japan, among others. Recent curatorial projects include Spectral Matter, an ongoing LGBTQIA+ exhibition platform, and Ripple Effect: 168. He has been awarded numerous residencies including the Emerging Artist Residency at the Baltimore Jewelry Center and is currently in the three-year residency at Penland School of Craft. He is an instructor at Virginia Commonwealth University, Boise State University, and teaches at Craft schools across the U.S.

This ring is part of Battle of the Rings: Ring Smackdown 2021, an online exhibition and competition. Shop the entire collection HERE, view the matches HERE, and learn more HERE.