Josh Davy

I remember sneaking into my grandmother’s room when I was a little boy to rummage through her jewelry box. I was fascinated by the objects, both aesthetically and as things that related so closely to the woman. Many years later I attended the Cleveland Institute of Art with an interest in the metalsmithing and sculpture programs. I had to leave art school when life got in the way, a child and a mortgage and a full time job. I spent my nights making furniture and remodeling bathrooms. I partnered in a small artisan jewelry store in Cleveland for a while, but none of the work was mine; I was back to playing in someone else's jewelry box. I couldn’t live like that.
Making isn’t a hobby or a career or even a passion; it’s a compulsion, a way of life. I create for the sake of creating as much as the objects I produce, so I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what defines an object as art. What’s the difference between original jewelry crafted from silver and sold in a gallery for a hundred bucks and a sparkly, mall store diamond necklace that sells for 50 times that? Why do I think the $100 pendant or an antique heirloom is art and have more respect for the person who wears it?

A successful piece begins with a relationship between an artist and the object they’re creating. I believe we send our work out into the world and let it go, full of our intent but open for interpretation, always imbued with the power of the relationship. When someone takes an interest in the work a new relationship is formed. If I’ve done my part I’ve offered someone something to connect with, but their relationship to the piece is their own. As an artist this kind of meaning is what I’m here to create. I’m here to imbue objects with their own personality, I’m here to bring objects to life.