Belle Brooke Barer Biography
"We now live in a digital age, art as we know it is entering a new plane, one that seems to be seamlessly and without question integrating the digital and the handmade"
Belle Brooke Barer began her artistic career in a darkroom at her grade school in Houston, Texas. Her pursuit of art and photography continued throughout her studies at Pitzer College, where she received her BA. While photographing historic buildings for the Library of Congress she began to study metalsmithing. Her new found passion led to studies at Revere Academy in San Francisco and a goldsmith job at Studio 311 in Sonoma County. In 2006, she moved to Los Angeles and incorporated Belle Brooke Designs Inc.
Brooke has received numerous awards, including the prestigious Spectrum Award and Niche Award. She also received a Halstead Business Grant and was a JCK Rising Star and JA New Designer of the year. Her work has been featured in many national and international publications as well as numerous jewelry books. A skier, runner, yogi, and adventure girl at heart, Brooke has since moved to Taos, New Mexico, where she finds her balance in nature, art, and life.
Artist Statement
An effervescent matrix of tiny circles balances strong lines in each of my collections, creating movement and flow akin to that of a living organism. From this, symmetry and harmony emerge in otherwise asymmetrical designs. Each design incorporates both yin and yang energy to realize its fullest composition.The circle is present in our universe on all levels, from microscopic examination of the tiniest organism to the incomprehensible ball of everything. It symbolizes flow, completion, cycle, and most importantly -- harmony. The wearer is grounded in the power of the circle. Chaos is present in all of us and in everything; each piece represents the power to organize from within.
Philosophy
I am drawn to the art of goldsmithing because the techniques used today are not very different from the ones used for hundreds of years. I strongly believe in leaving something more tangible behind than a digital footprint. We need to retain our knowledge as makers and share the healing properties of craft with those who have lost touch with that part of their humanity. I believe true joy comes from the act of making things by hand. With this in mind I have chosen to remain traditional in my studio. Each piece is made using traditional tools and techniques, with human hands, from 100% recycled metals and thoughtfully sourced gemstones and diamonds.