Private Commissions

Volcano Necklace and Box

2008

Commissioned by: Jaye Nydick, New York, New York
Medium: Necklace: glass beads; Box: archival board, Ultra Suede, silk charmeuse, thread
Dimensions: Necklace: 50 × 3/4 × 3/4 in.; Box: 3 3/4 × 3 3/4 × 2 1/2 in.
Photograph: Courtesy of the artists
Artists’ Registration Number: 2008.035.001

Commission Overview
When we began working in the photo advertising industry under MAK, two of the producers we collaborated with often were Jaye Nydick and Louise Feldman at Proof—a creative partnership that became a cornerstone of our early years in New York. They supported our work, connected us with photographers such as Andrew Zuckerman and Clang, and became dear friends and early collectors. Louise and her husband acquired one of our Terre du Lac books, while Jaye commissioned this Volcano Necklace, drawn to its tactile construction and sculptural resonance with our Volcano series.

Artistic Approach
The Volcano Necklace is hand-sewn from glass beads in radiant purple tones and finished with a Double Beaded Ball Closure (DBBC)—a signature technique that creates a seamless sculptural connection point. The beadwork, executed in circular peyote stitch, forms a piece that feels both dense and fluid, holding its structure while moving naturally with the body.

The necklace is housed in a pearl gray Ultra Suede box, part of a series originally made for two landscapes titled Big Shot Danny, a work about a neighborhood bully. This particular box was one that remained unused from that series and was repurposed for Jaye’s commission. The interior is lined with wheat-colored silk charmeuse, offering a soft contrast to the cool gray exterior and echoing the warmth of the purple beadwork.

Engagement and Impact
For Jaye, this work represented a merging of friendship, craftsmanship, and shared creative history. For us, it was both a gesture of gratitude and a continuation of a visual language that bridged our personal and professional worlds. Seeing this box again always evokes memories of that formative time—the friendships, the fabrics, and the sense that every object carries within it traces of the works that came before.

Context and Legacy
Created during the same period as Library Tower, the Volcano Necklace and Box reflects our ongoing process of reuse and transformation. The repurposing of a Big Shot Danny box underscores how one narrative folds into another—how materials, relationships, and memories are continually reshaped into new forms of devotion and storytelling.