Jewelry can be personal — small items worn by individuals as a means of self-expression. But Treviño is also interested in the ways ornamental metal contributes to communities, from playground slides to fine serving silver used to entertain guests. Her work incorporates elements seen as lowbrow until they get co-opted by white cultures and given more cache; think costume jewelry, nameplate necklaces and doorknocker earrings.
“Everything I do has a jewelry language, but I’m interested in recontextualizing things,” Treviño said.
Treviño splits her time between California and Mexico, and much of her work takes inspiration from the specific culture of the border, where street vendors hawk everything from souvenir T-shirts to beaded jewelry to cold refreshments to travelers waiting in their cars. About 135,000 people pass through the San Ysidro checkpoint, which links California to Mexico, each day, making it the busiest land border crossing in the world.
For the HCCC show, Treviño has created three mini-worlds, each adorned with her specific vision and aesthetic. The first is reminiscent of a placita like the one in Old Town San Diego, complete with a bubbling fountain. Instead of tile mosaics, the fountain is embedded with hundreds of pieces of thrifted costume jewelry. Nearby, Treviño has commissioned a custom souvenir penny machine with images and sayings similar to those on prayer candles, which wish for good health, wealth, and success in love and romance. Visitors are invited to squash a penny and throw it into the fountain while making a wish. An engraving station will be set up nearby for visitors to write custom messages on their wishing pennies.
Next is a playground area complete with a 15-foot swingset, the seats of which are modeled after nameplate necklaces. Nearby is a wall hanging made of metal license plate frames with sayings including “k onda perdida” and “maldita envidia” engraved on them. The frames are inspired by cars she’s seen on her many border crossings, as well as Norteño music. Other inspirations include ’90s pop culture. Characters like the Pikachu, Tweety Bird, the Playboy bunny logo and the mask from Scream are present in many aspects of her work.
The third section of the installation looks like a pawn shop, with a “We buy gold” sign outside and burglar bars on the door. Inside, lit glass cases showcase conceptual jewelry items, including a tiny goblet meant to be worn as a ring and a series of sterling brooches literally embossed with a tortilla press (reminiscent of the pressed pennies in the first section). It’s also here that some of Treviño’s most recognizable work is on display: a ski mask covered in body jewelry that Bad Bunny wore for a Rolling Stone photoshoot and a pair of earrings made for Beyoncé.
Treviño said she wants to challenge people’s perceptions of contemporary jewelry-making, that it’s an art form just like any other. She compares it ceramics, an art form that now holds its own in museums next to paintings and sculpture. And she’s getting there. A few years ago, she designed a custom brooch that was auctioned off to support the Black Lives Matter movement. That piece now resides in the permanent collection of New York’s Museum of Arts and Design.
For her HCCC show, she hasn’t just created a new collection of pieces. She’s created a whole immersive experience around the idea of culture, community and self-expression.
It’s not just a jewelry show, HCCC curator Sarah Darro said. “It’s a jewelry world.”
La Fuente del Deseo opens May 24 with a reception at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft.
