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| Media Exposure |
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Found
Object Jewelry: One Artists, Two Approaches 2008
-
"Out of the Box" Review
of Wordage Collection in New Age Retailer by Jean M. Haller, Fall
2006
- "What Is Art" Article
by Denise J. Bonaimo in Surf City Times, August
2003
- "Nofufi Go Figure
Exhibition" Article by Jess Mc Carter in Surf City Times,
September 2003
- "About the
Artist and her works- Denise Bonaimo" Article by Julie Wolfe,
Surf City Times, Summer 2003
- Surf City Times Cover-
Scrabble Jewelry
- Sister Spiral
Bustier with model Kiki
- "Local Jeweler Inspired by
Mysterious Pods" in Oceanview, May 1997
- "Mystique and Exoticism
Inspire Work of Wayside NJ Jeweler" by Lisa M. Begin-Kruysman in
Montclair Craft Guild Newsletter, January 2000
- "Monmouth Arts Festival
Features Local Artists" Oceanview, 1997
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Found Object Jewelry: One Artist, Two
Approaches
San Diego artist Denise J.
Bonaimo visualizes the potential art in everyday objects and
breathes new life into them.
This left-of-center jewelry designer has a knack
for seeing the potential art in everyday objects. Denise J.
Bonaimo takes the mundane and makes it extraordinary. When most
people look at the plastic pawns from a board game, or a handful
of malformed dirt covered antique metal thimbles, do they think
“That would make a great bracelet!”? Bonaimo does.
At the start of her professional jewelry
career Brooklyn born artist, Bonaimo, found it difficult to
stick to one medium or theme. Inspiration was everywhere. She
wanted to experiment and explore. She wanted to make jewelry out
of everything. “I’m an artist, why limit myself?” Bonaimo
reasoned. Fourteen years, and several jewelry collections later,
the theme has arisen. The experimental nature of the work has
remained. The common thread is creativity. |
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In 2003 Bonaimo made a necklace out of her
mother’s vintage wooden set of Monopoly™ houses and
hotels. (right) She drilled each tiny, faded piece; wire wrapped
a delicate freshwater pearl to each one and linked them together
in an alternating green and red configuration. This kicked off a
jewelry collection called The Game Series.
This one-of-a-kind collection continues to
grow today. It includes a wide variety of clever reincarnations
of board games, toys and cards.
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For some of the jewelry in
this collection, the actual pieces from the games are used, set
in hand fabricated sterling silver as in the case of the wooden
Bingo Marker Rings and Sorry™ Pawn Bracelet (below) or
wire wrapped like the Lincoln Log™ Necklace, Bingo Marker
Bracelet (below) and the Uno™ Card Dress. (left)
Other times, the artist casts the plastic game pieces into
sterling silver: such as the Battleship™ and Spirograph™ pendants and brooches. (not
pictured)
The artist admits she finds
it relaxing as well as exciting to spend an afternoon “hunting”
through San Diego’s many thrift stores and antique shops. “I
never get tired of sifting through piles of other people’s once
beloved cast-off treasures. The hope of finding another vintage
board game keeps me going,” the 36 year old Bonaimo says.

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Another approach to transforming found
objects into art is her Unearthed:Metal collection.
Knowing Bonaimo has a penchant for making art from recycled
objects, art collector Donna Bernard presented her with a
glorious box of dirt covered small metal objects and fragments.
The Ebay seller from Great Britain from whom she bought the
pieces, said they were found with a metal detector and very old.
Grateful for, but unsure what to do with the gift Bonaimo took a
good month contemplating the box of crusty “junk” metal.
All these metal objects, with their beautiful
naturally occurring green patina, at various stages of
decomposition are a cross section of interesting everyday
objects: thimbles, fragments of World War II toy soldiers, lead
fishing lures, brass hinges, copper buckles, latches, buttons
and spoons of various sizes to name a few of the treasures.
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When Bonaimo brushed away the crusty, dried soil
and filed some of the edges, she was delighted to see how these
forgotten objects, buried within the earth for so many years,
had been transformed into such beautiful objects. With the use
of an acetylene torch, drill bits, saws, hammers, files and
shears Bonaimo’s Unearthed:Metal collection was born, or
reborn, you could say.
This collection of absolutely
un-reproduce-able jewelry includes pieces such as Random
Neckpiece (left) with copper and gold wire,
Time:Less Bracelet with handmade toggle clasp and rings of
copper chain mail (complete with handmade stand which features
an old hammer head and nail) (detail below) , Two People
Necklace (above left) made from fragments of toy soldiers,
a lead ball and fishing weight, and the Thimble Bracelet.
(below right) 
Upon graduating college with a Bachelor of
Fine Art from Rowan University (NJ), specializing in
metalsmithing/ jewelry design, Bonaimo hit the wholesale art
markets and retail craft shows to sell her creations.
Today, she owns and operates Studio Fourteen
in San Diego’s Balboa Park at Spanish Village Art Center.

The thirty seven individual art studios and
guilds at Spanish Village feature the work of over two hundred
regional artists in a funky, colorful village setting.
Open everyday, the public can meander in and
out of the studios, watch the various artists fabricate jewelry,
blow glass, paint, sketch, carve, throw and sculpt. All the
artwork is available for purchase.
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Many of the Village artists also teach classes, including
Bonaimo. She offers jewelry design classes for adults, children,
teens and seniors at Studio Fourteen at Spanish Village as well
as at various venues around San Diego County.
For more information contact the artist at
(619) 284-DIVA or artdiva@bonaimo.com.
www.bonaimo.com, www.spanishvillageart.com.
High Resolution photographs available upon
request.
Model: Megan Pagoda
Photographer: D30John
Artist Denise J. Bonaimo at Studio Fourteen
(Above) |
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