Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Rodgers.
Jennifer, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
Slantt is a small sculptural line of jewelry that I design and make by hand in my home studio in Austin, Texas.
The business started as a personal project when I wanted to experiment with shaping wood on a small scale. I had some woodworking experience and had previously worked on a larger scale that required a lot of space, expensive tools, and a lot of time. As I was pretty short on all of those things as a working mother at the time, I started searching for projects that were small in scale, could be constructed from the small collection of tools I had in my garage and could be finished within a few short hours or less.
Founded in 2013, Slantt began with hardwood rings that were modern with a minimal angular or slanted form, and this quality of those early pieces is the origin of the name of the line. The spelling of Slantt signifies the individuality of my line while nodding to the traditional meaning of the word. Those early pieces caught the attention of friends and strangers, orders piled up, I opened an Etsy store and then moved very quickly to my webshop, and signed up for a handful of craft fairs. Then the business organically grew into what it is today.
The evolution in material and technique in the history of my work has been guided by a focus on process, abstraction, and experimentation of material, shape, and line. This led me to exploring metals and a lost wax casting class. After that class, I dove into teaching myself jewelry metalsmithing, and my passion for small scale metal sculptures as jewelry launched into my line by the end of that first year.
All work is proudly fabricated and finished by hand using traditional metalsmithing techniques with an emphasis on craftsmanship and artistry. Slight imperfections and variations are embraced as evidence of a handcrafted practice.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
What I would like people to know about my jewelry is it is unique wearable art crafted by hand with intention and with a focus on environmental and social responsibility. My studio subscribes to the principles of slow fashion, meaning my business operates transparently, and with conscious decision-making focused on minimizing the footprint, we leave on this precious earth. Our jewelry is produced in my studio from start to finish with quality materials purchased from verifiably responsible vendors based in the USA. We use recycled metals whenever possible, and all our packaging is wrapped and shipped in eco-friendly non-plastic packaging materials utilizing 70-100% post-industrial recycled fiber & cardboard. All the raw castings we use are produced from recycled metals by talented independent artisans in New York City in studios I have personally visited.
I hope my work can inspire people to move further into conscious purchasing, to investigate the stories behind businesses we support, and to champion those individuals and businesses that subscribe to responsible and meaningful work.
Any advice for aspiring or new artists?
My advice to other artists is to start wherever you are with whatever you have available to you. Time is the biggest and most meaningful commitment you can make at the start of your endeavor. There is so much growth that can happen before a big financial investment is needed that you might not really be able to afford. Find your creative community as they are going to be your best source of inspiration, support, information, and connections. Don’t believe that you need to feel competitive with other artists. There is enough business for everyone, and we all lift each other up.
What I wish I had learned earlier?…. It helps to be really organized from the get-go! And a bookkeeper is worth it!
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
My jewelry is available to view and purchase on my website and both digitally and in person at a number of retailers and museums around the country. You can find an updated list of these retailers on my website.
Contact Info:
- Address: Austin, Texas
- Website: www.slanttstudio.com
- Email: hello@slanttstudio.com
- Instagram: @slanttstudio
Image Credit:
Jake Rodgers; Jennifer Rodgers
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