Photo by Sarah Stover
Created from materials such as tossed-away items found in abandoned buildings, Marion Brooks’ jewelry is anything but typical. Incorporating forgotten treasures like medallions, old Kodachrome slides and skulls, using her newly-found welding expertise and having a knack for creating beautifully unexpected pieces, Brooks’ jewelry, sold through her Mechanica Jewelry Etsy store, is more aptly called wearable art by both her and her fans.
Here, CommonCreativ talks to Brooks about finding her treasures, creating one-of-a-kind wearable art and the local creative scene.
CommonCreativ: How did you get into jewelry making?
Marion Brooks: Around this time last year, I took a welding/forging class in North Carolina which in turn sparked my interest in metal fabrication. When I returned home I was introduced to a man named Greg Brennan, who I then started working under. He had just started a new business called Torch Custom Illumination where every light fixture we created was made purely of salvaged materials. In the midst of our adventures to recover said goods, I became a hoarder of small possessions, and thus, Mechanica Jewelry began after I started toying with the treasures I’d found and turning them into wearable art.
CC: Your jewelry is so unique and beautiful. What inspires your designs?
MB: My designs are never thought out. I dedicate time every day to sitting down and creating at my work bench. My hands usually end up steering my design in the right direction, but most of my designs are the products of happy accidents.
CC: Where do you typically go digging for treasures? What’s one of the oddest items you’ve found?
MB: I tend to venture into dirty, abandoned places, which is where I began to find all of my treasures. Now that I have a small amount of money to play with, so I’m able to outsource my chain, findings and oddities that play into the aesthetic (such as taxidermy goods). One of the strangest things I ever recovered was this gorgeous antique safe. I was unable to remove the whole thing, so my boyfriend, Chris Yonker, managed to remove the safe’s components. I later broke down the safe dial a little more and made them wearable.
The artist
CC: What are some of your favorite jewelry pieces to make? Why?
MB: I can’t really say which pieces are my favorite because most of the items I use are so unique that they cannot be replicated. However, I do have a favorite style: I adore Lariats, and I make one every chance I get.
Photo by Sarah Stover
CC: How do you promote yourself locally and (inter)nationally?
MB: I am very new to promoting myself, however my best ally has become Instagram. I do share through Facebook as well, but I’ve been able to quickly start a following on Instagram.
CC: Are there any local artists you would want to collaborate with?
MB: Greg Brennan is probably my favorite person to collaborate with. He’s very knowledgeable when it comes to salvaging antiques and always brings me to new places to search for goods. If I don’t know how to do it, Greg does.
CC: Do you have any new projects in the works?
MB: I’m constantly pumping out jewelry for AmericasMart and Etsy, so I usually post a new creation a day. However, I have been collecting glass shards for a while and started making small stained glass pictures—a cure to my idle mind and ever moving hands.
CC: What are some of your favorite Atlanta spots?
MB: You can usually find me in Downtown Atlanta, because I live and work there. I would have to say my favorite spot downtown is The Mammal Gallery. Not only can I get down and funky there, but I also plan on renting their artist space to use as a personal workshop soon. It’s got a nice work/play environment.
CC: What artists or projects are some of your favorites in Atlanta?
MB: I’ve got a girl crush on Stephanie Pharr—her performance art makes me pick my jaw off the floor. Follow that girl around enough and you’re sure to experience something magical.
CC: What do you think of Atlanta’s creative scene right now?
MB: Atlanta’s creative scene is one of the main reasons I stay in Atlanta. There’s constant movement in this city. I’ve met so many wonderful people in my stay here. The movers and the shakers, you can really feel them whipping this city into shape.
You can see more of Marion Brooks’ jewelry in her Etsy shop.
