SETTINGS & FINDINGS N.13 WITH NEON ZINN
by matt lambert
"New Orleans based artist Seth Damm has been creating hand dyed rope designs for over 10 years under the name Neon Zinn. The steadfastness with investigating rope as a material has allowed for a deep understanding and constant discovery of form and possibilities of color through small batch hand dyeing. Here Seth reflects on the work under Neon Zinn and unpacks some of the poetics and metaphors working with rope has opened up and how it engages with body. I invited Neon Zinn for its diversity in scale, color, and pricing, allowing for multiple ways to access the work without compromising artistic concept. It is work I have not seen often in the contemporary jewelry landscape and I am happy to give you all a thoughtful reflection alongside an opportunity for visual indulgence." - ml
Neon Zinn
A necklace awakens on the body. Awakens the body.
"There is a feeling of awakening in the transition of a design from the flat surface of the studio table, where gravity holds the shape artificially still and an idea remains untested, to the lifting up into the aware, awkward, vulnerable state of the vertical. The mobile, breathing, stumbling state of the upright world, where we collide, bump, turn up against the constant other.
As I consider the definitions of ‘settings’ and ‘findings' I can’t help but go back to when I first started working with rope, considering its wearability, usage, purpose, and my intention to shape it into a form of jewelery. One of the earliest challenges working with rope was to find ways of fixing it in place; holding a shape on the horizontal plane that would translate to the vertical. Rope naturally twists, flips and tangles, so many of my first design experiments involved not only the final wearable form but ways of holding, cradling, and separating the material.
Now, I look up the definition of “tether”, a word that might help me draw parallels to the use of a “setting” to hold in place. It turns out the definition reveals an ancient etymology with roots in rope; a tether being a rope/cable that holds something in place, or by extension, the limit of one’s abilities, resources,etc. The use of rope to hold people, to tether, to hang, to bind, to restrict...How could I face this difficult history of rope’s function; should I perhaps start over and choose a different, less triggering material. But all material carries history at an atomic level, so instead I asked, What is my rope for? How will I express a different potential in my chosen material? As we find ourselves in unexpected territory, do we turn away and avoid the difficult or do we envision, project, imagine beyond the limits of our individual experience." - Neon Zinn
[email protected] IG: @neonzinn
"New Orleans based artist Seth Damm has been creating hand dyed rope designs for over 10 years under the name Neon Zinn. The steadfastness with investigating rope as a material has allowed for a deep understanding and constant discovery of form and possibilities of color through small batch hand dyeing. Here Seth reflects on the work under Neon Zinn and unpacks some of the poetics and metaphors working with rope has opened up and how it engages with body. I invited Neon Zinn for its diversity in scale, color, and pricing, allowing for multiple ways to access the work without compromising artistic concept. It is work I have not seen often in the contemporary jewelry landscape and I am happy to give you all a thoughtful reflection alongside an opportunity for visual indulgence." - ml
Neon Zinn
A necklace awakens on the body. Awakens the body.
"There is a feeling of awakening in the transition of a design from the flat surface of the studio table, where gravity holds the shape artificially still and an idea remains untested, to the lifting up into the aware, awkward, vulnerable state of the vertical. The mobile, breathing, stumbling state of the upright world, where we collide, bump, turn up against the constant other.
As I consider the definitions of ‘settings’ and ‘findings' I can’t help but go back to when I first started working with rope, considering its wearability, usage, purpose, and my intention to shape it into a form of jewelery. One of the earliest challenges working with rope was to find ways of fixing it in place; holding a shape on the horizontal plane that would translate to the vertical. Rope naturally twists, flips and tangles, so many of my first design experiments involved not only the final wearable form but ways of holding, cradling, and separating the material.
Now, I look up the definition of “tether”, a word that might help me draw parallels to the use of a “setting” to hold in place. It turns out the definition reveals an ancient etymology with roots in rope; a tether being a rope/cable that holds something in place, or by extension, the limit of one’s abilities, resources,etc. The use of rope to hold people, to tether, to hang, to bind, to restrict...How could I face this difficult history of rope’s function; should I perhaps start over and choose a different, less triggering material. But all material carries history at an atomic level, so instead I asked, What is my rope for? How will I express a different potential in my chosen material? As we find ourselves in unexpected territory, do we turn away and avoid the difficult or do we envision, project, imagine beyond the limits of our individual experience." - Neon Zinn
[email protected] IG: @neonzinn
Neon Zinn
Pictures List & Credits
Hand Dyed 100% cotton Rope
Headshot credit: Leone Julitte
2. First name is photo credit
NeonZinn1 Cecilia Corsano
NeonZinn2_Cecilia Corsano
NeonZinn2 Cecilia Corsano
NeonZinn3_Larisa Stinga
NeonZinn3 Larisa Stinga
NeonZinn4 Larisa Stinga
NeonZinn5 Lara Forte
NeonZinn6 Lara Forte
NeonZinn7 Najva Sol
NeonZinn8 Najva Sol
NeonZinn9 Travys Owen for Orange Culture
NeonZinn10_1 Leone Julitte
NeonZinn10_2 Leone Julitte
NeonZinn10 Leone Julitte
NeonZinn11 Seth Damm
NeonZinn12 Seth Damm
NeonZinn13 Seth Damm
NeonZinn14 Seth Damm
NeonZinn15 Frank Darko
NeonZinn16 Seth Damm
NeonZinn17 Seth Damm
Website: www.neonzinn.com
Facebook: NeonZinn
Instagram: @neonzinn
Headshot credit: Leone Julitte
2. First name is photo credit
NeonZinn1 Cecilia Corsano
NeonZinn2_Cecilia Corsano
NeonZinn2 Cecilia Corsano
NeonZinn3_Larisa Stinga
NeonZinn3 Larisa Stinga
NeonZinn4 Larisa Stinga
NeonZinn5 Lara Forte
NeonZinn6 Lara Forte
NeonZinn7 Najva Sol
NeonZinn8 Najva Sol
NeonZinn9 Travys Owen for Orange Culture
NeonZinn10_1 Leone Julitte
NeonZinn10_2 Leone Julitte
NeonZinn10 Leone Julitte
NeonZinn11 Seth Damm
NeonZinn12 Seth Damm
NeonZinn13 Seth Damm
NeonZinn14 Seth Damm
NeonZinn15 Frank Darko
NeonZinn16 Seth Damm
NeonZinn17 Seth Damm
Website: www.neonzinn.com
Facebook: NeonZinn
Instagram: @neonzinn
