Here's some new work by Israeli jewelry artist Shirley Bar-Amotz. Not only are these pieces eye-catching, but they're also designed to be a commentary on conditions in contemporary Israeli society.
The works shown here are from her 2012 "Happy Days" series of sterling silver brooches, where she combines traditional and synthetic materials with readymade objects.
The animals are partially covered by brightly colored epoxy resin and acrylic paint and surrounded by pearls and zircon gems. They appear to be trapped in a morass of color.
Bar-Amotz grapples with questions of identity and social values in her "Happy Days" series. Under the guise of playful animals and colors, she shows how some Israelis are stuck in difficult political realities that surround them.
Bar-Amotz lives in Kibbutz Ma'abarot, where she teaches in the kibbutz studio, which she founded. She also lectures in the Department of Jewelry at the Bezalal Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem.
Bar-Amotz was awarded the 2012 Andrea M. Bronfman Prize, which is designed to serve as a showcase for Israeli decorative artists. You can see her work online or in person at the Tel-Aviv Museum of Art through October 31, 2012.
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