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Q: Where did you study Jewelry/Metalsmithing and where?
A: I began studying metalsmithing at fourteen, I was introduced to the medium at a summer camp and was hooked. I grew up in NYC and my mother found a vocational school which trained adults to work in the jewelry district. I was their first and last high school student. After college I moved to Florence Italy and studied and taught metalsmithing at a local school for several years.
Q: What inspires your work?
A: I see my work as a decorative response to my urban environment. My work has an industrial feel but also a subtle elegance.
Q: Do you have a favorite piece you've made?
A: Probably my Urban Beehive Cuff. I feel like a lot of my work is inspired by this piece.
Q: What made you want to start making jewelry?
A: As an artist I fell in love with a material, my original interest was in exploring metal as fully as I could. Ultimately that interest turned to an interest in making wearable art.
Q: What is your favorite process? Why that one over others?
A: I enjoy hand fabricating pieces and I love my smith little torch. When you hand fabricate, things can go wrong but I enjoy the process of making, rethinking and remaking a design.
Q: Who is your favorite artist/who do you wear?
A: I wear a lot of Nilli Lotan, although lately I wear sweatpants.
Q: Is there an artist on your personal wishlist that you hope to own one day?
A: There are so many artists that I want to collect. I would love a wall of Brooches to begin! Some favorites are: Betony Vernon (I studied with her in Italy), Shinji Nakaba, Melanie Bilenker, to name a few!
Q: What is something you would want someone to know about your work that they might not know?
A: Look for the tiny subtle details!
Q: When you're not making jewelry, what are you doing?
A: I am a professor at LIU and Pratt. When I am not making jewelry or teaching jewelry I am usually riding my horse.
Q: What does sustainability mean to you/why is sustainability important to you?
Q: What made you want to start a sustainable practice
A: I find this a bit difficult to answer, making objects in a world filled with objects is not an eco-friendly career choice. That being said; art is intrinsic to humanity, hunters and gatherers made art and the earliest jewelry forms can be dated back to neanderthal necklaces made from animal teeth and shells. As a maker it is important to find ways to consider your environmental impact. I try wherever possible to be mindful of the materials that I use and how they were produced.
Q: How can the everyday person incorporate sustainable practices into their everyday life without getting overwhelmed or breaking the bank?
A: I actually think this is easier for younger generations who have been brought up acutely aware of their environmental footprint. Choosing alternative materials such as found objects or recycled materials is a great way to begin.
Q: What is a piece of advice that you want to give people that want to start living sustainably but are intimidated or think it’s too complicated?
A: As much as possible use recycled materials; recycled metals, recycled stones, turn waste into art, do your research!
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Pictured: Shauna Burke and her horse Johnny, who passed away last year. |
Shauna Burke Exhibiting in 'Built to Last' in 2021 |
