Joyce J. Scott, a native of Baltimore, is a storyteller. She does not use words, but coloured beads with which she weaves elaborate figurative neckpieces. Rich in stylized images of plants and animals, they tell family stories with a good measure of humour. In her talented hands, ornaments transcend pure decorative value to become social commentary and denunciation. Her signature style is placed at the intersection between art and craft, between sophistication and naïveté.
Organized by MAD’s Chief Curator Lowery Stokes Sims from 4 September 2014 to 15 March 2015, the Museum of Art and Design in New York, an inspired museum of applied arts, devotes a large exhibition to Scott’s creations. The exhibition features 34 neckpieces along with 13 sculptures in Murano glass, highlighting the variety of her sources of inspiration ranging from theatre studies, textile design, to research on Native American cultures and in particular peyote stitching used by Native Americans.
WHERE: 2 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019