Danse Macabre

The World of Heidi Gardner Spring/ Summer 2012 Did you ever wonder where all the obscure emotions and thoughts from the dark side of the human heart and mind, end up? Well, jewelry designer Heidi Gardner delicately and aggressively reinterprets them, exposing the beauty of what lies beneath the surface, with a collection of skeletal structures ranging from spines to pelves and a myriad of animal skulls. Rather than depicting the usual skull and bones, she cleverly morphs creatures to make for new micro-beings, such as hummingbird craniums with cranes to create 2 faces, depending on how you view it. Her uncanny and dark humored detailing, hint for a love of Hieronymus Bosch and thrilling films, like The Shining and The Exorcist. Originally hailing from Buffalo, New York; growing up she found herself drawn to subjects of eccentricity and the esoteric, but felt uneasy expressing it openly within the conservative surroundings. Designing jewelry has become an outlet for her private imagination, but the gracefulness of her dance background shine in the elegant nature of the collection. Also, her training as a painter is revealed in her choice of placement for materials to provide contrast, such as silver, black rhodium, gold, and brass, paired next to fine diamonds and rubies. ~ Mister Lee - http://heidigardnernyc.com/index.html

OWN magazine  5/18/2012 9:00 EDT