Ancient, ethnographic and contemporary adornments for the modern goddess.
Ancient, ethnographic and contemporary adornments for the modern goddess.
La Primativa is a name I came up with when I began making necklaces in the early 90's. I was living in Santa Fe part time and became fascinated with the beads found at the old Santa Fe Flea Market. The vendors were from all over the world and I loved hearing the stories of their beads. Trade beads from Africa told the story of a migration from the glass furnaces of Venice to colorful adornment in West Africa. Berber pendants, Ethiopian crosses and beads made out of silver coins by Jewish silversmiths in Yemen seduced me with their stories and primitive beauty.
I began to create necklaces which combined ethnographic beads and pendants with contemporary stones. When I wore one of these pieces, I was told I should make more and sell them and so La Primativa was born. Over the years, I have expanded to include contemporary beads and fresh water pearls in my creations, but my first love of primitive and ancient beads is still being expressed. My daughter, Jennifer Joseph, is a respected multi-disciplinary artist in Los Angeles and brings her eye and hand to the creation of a more minimalist vision of La Primativa. Her necklaces and earrings are a refreshing contrast. She approaches her jewelry making from the traditional use of stones and pearls for their vibrational and energetic properties through the lens of a contemporary aesthetic. As mother and daughter, we hold distinct visions of talismanic adornment and honor all women who adorn themselves in the beauty of the past, the primitive, and the natural world.
My career has always been about stories. I received a degree in history from College Misericordia, Dallas, PA in 1964 and Master's degree in the history of art from Temple University in 1990. From 1990 to 2001 I was adjunct faculty at Temple University and Moore College of Art and Design both in Philadelphia. Following retirement, I completed the two guide training programs at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and served as a guide until 2009, when we relocated to Santa Fe, NM after many years as a part time resident.
My necklaces have been exhibited and sold in galleries and boutiques in New York, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Duck, NC, Westport, CT and Santa Fe as well as in trunk shows throughout the country. Being accepted to show my necklaces in the craft gallery of the Philadelphia Museum of Art was an honor. Click here to see a selection of past works.
I am a contemporary artist and designer and my years of making jewelry with my mother have influenced my contemporary art practice to realize large scale installation pieces that have been exhibited in galleries and museums, nationally and internationally. I also maintain a studio practice, a small decorative sculpture business with my husband, and a social practice as an intuitive advisor. I am a graduate of Moore College of Art and Design and I lived and worked in Santa Fe, NM for 26 years. My studio is currently located in Los Angeles.
