Jim Charles is a Pennsylvania born artist currently living and working in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His work ranges from jewelry to sculptural wall pieces. He received a degree in Jewelry and Metalsmithing from the State University of New York at New Paltz and his master’s degree in special education from Cardinal Stritch University. His work is represented by the Heidi Lowe Gallery in Rehoboth, Delaware. Locally it is on view at Magpie Jewelry and Metals Studio in Wauwatosa. He is currently teaching in the Peck School of the Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and is the Director of the Crossman Gallery at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. As part of a cooperative program between University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Hubei University of Technology, Jim regularly teaches Jewelry and Metalsmithing courses as a Visiting Assistant Professor in Wuhan, China.
About Jim’s Work"
Combinations of various materials including silver, rubber, real and imitation pearls create layers and dynamic transitions based on the traditional format of the pearl necklace. This and other traditional jewelry formats are fragmented with common industrial, automotive and random materials creating a layered cohesiveness that transitions seamlessly from one component to the next connecting recognizable fragments and common materials. The RJM Artist Project is a great way to explore transitions between varied jewelry elements, attempting to use only what one is given.
