Wednesday, 15 May 2013

The lady that inspired "Love It Back"

Sherie Cordaz
In summer 2013, my husband Nick and I and our two boys Edmund 17, and Toby 13, were on holiday in a sweltering New York. One day we visited the High Line, a public park built on an historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan's West Side. In the shade of a railway arch, Sherie Cordaz sat at a stall selling handmade pendants and earrings made using her own original photography, discarded wood and small amounts of sterling silver. They were exquisite and sold under the company name of "Shoosh". Below is the one I bought and I wear it frequently.


I can't say that I had a damascene moment as I stood in the railway arch but the fact that Sherie spoke as enthusiastically about using discarded wood to make her jewellery as she did about her own photography stayed with me. A seed was sown.....and by the end of our American holiday I was wondering what else there was to discover about a craft where recycled materials are so imaginatively used.  So, Sherie, thank you - because you started me off down this fascinating path.




Sherie is Australian but has been living in New York for the last 10 years.  She says her photography has, and will, always come first and that she is more inspired by what nature can create beyond any human attempt. 


"Beauty lies in the fragility of the roots system of a tree or the flight of a bird", says Sherie

Sherie is jaded with the consumerism of 21st century society and angry with the general apathy to corporate control of our lives.  She has devised a plan to learn the skills to survive off the land and off the grid. In June 2013 she takes a course to learn how to build a sustainable Cob home where she will grow her own food and have enough to share with others.



You will most likely find Sherie selling her works in outside venues at local markets, art shows and music festivals because she hates to be cooped up inside buildings. Her pieces generally sell for between $20-$25 (roughly €15-€19 or £13-£16).



Sherie says she hopes sincerely that her images inspire an appreciation for nature so we end up taking more care of it. She has helped inspire that, and a great deal more, in me.


http://shooshphotography.bigcartel.com/shoosh

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