Interview with Caleb Witvoet

CO-WINNER OF THE 2020 L.A. PAI NATIONAL JEWELLERY STUDENT COMPETITION

By: Emma Piirtoniemi
Published: 2022/04/19

A recent graduate of Alberta University of Arts Jewellery and Metals program, Caleb Witvoet is an emerging jewellery artist whose co-winning body of work is based on renovation: the restructuring and rebuilding of both object and self. Using materials reclaimed from home renovations Caleb works on with his father, his careful examination and skillful rebuilding of scrap wood and metals into brooches, sculptures, and earrings illustrates new ways of appreciating something that has already served one purpose in its lifetime. New constructions form through Caleb’s lens, proving the point that nothing really loses its use or vitality. Instead, it’s a matter of putting in the labour to shift one’s perspective.

In this interview, we discuss Caleb’s beginnings in jewellery and his approach to making his newest series Knuckle Dusters, on display at L.A. Pai Gallery in Ottawa, from April 14th - 27th, 2022.

What made you choose jewellery as an art form?
I was in university at ACAD (now AUArts) and had been dating this girl I met in art history. I thought I might take a jewellery class and make her something nice to impress her. Well I got lucky and stumbled onto something I really liked. Instead of renting a tool kit from the school, I bought a basic set and committed. I guess it worked out because Sophia and I are still together five-and-a-half years later, though it would not be so if I hadn’t figured myself out.

The body as a site for rebuilding: can you expand on how you see the body as a symbol for inner development?
Sometimes I wonder about the physical toll of my work, that if one day I may not be able to make art the same. If that happens, I will have to renovate my method of making to fit my needs. That includes healthy work habits today. Part of my identity is wrapped up in what I do because it keeps me interested in life, I also meet enriching people as I develop my craft so the experience is more valuable than the physical work. I think the period of early adulthood is especially focused on development/progression and competition, I’m still trying to understand what it means to grow stronger in a body which all older folks tell me is only strong for so long. I like the feeling of the race though, it’s exciting.

Are there any psychological theories, research, or experiences that you drew on to make this work?
I pull from the work that I do to pay the bills and right now that’s home renovation. My neighbours all know me as a craftsman but not the contemporary kind. I’ve been hired to finish a basement, drywall the garage, trim and floor rooms and on occasion to design furniture. The biggest influence on my jewellery comes from the process of learning how to work with the people behind the job because each one of them presents a unique accord. I made the Knuckle Dusters to be worn in many positions that hopefully the wearer may suit to their needs.

How important is scale in your work? You run the gamut from sculpture to small earrings. How does the variation in scale affect your message? 
I have used 2x4’s to build life size wall frames that bow or sag but for my newest work in Ottawa I have scaled down the 2x4 about ten and a half times to about 3/16’s of an inch by 3/8’s of an inch (technically nine times smaller by todays farmed lumber at 1^3/4”x3^3/4” dimensions). What I make in miniature is similar to scale models for use in film special effects and animation, I also like to photograph the small structures at a forced perspective to make them appear larger. There is more magic and more wonder in mini. Working large can also be fantastic but the kind that is grounded in reality.

Do you find inspiration from specific art/design movements or artists?
At AUArts, I happened upon a book called Structural Adjustments, a publication of selected works by Kapwani Kiwanga. In the University of Chicago, Kiwanga installed this temporary stud frame which she called a “patchwork wall”. Kiwanga partially panelled the studs with painted drywall so you could see through the wall, layering its surface and other architectural information within the gallery. I relearned what my Dad taught me, how the wall frame acts to support and is also strengthened by other materials; including those abstract.

 Can you describe how your time at AU Arts influenced or helped to shape your artistic practice?
I was accepted to ACAD but I graduated from AUArts so my experience was of a program in transition. Change has always been good to me and I benefitted from many voices. I took two courses in Lithography which I otherwise doubt I would have been aware of. The group of jewellery students was very small and tight knit which was also true of the Maine College of Art where Sophia and I studied for a semester on exchange.

Is your new body of work in the upcoming exhibition a continuation of your winning work? What have you been exploring more specifically, with this series?
That’s right. The Knuckle Dusters are again based on residential wall framing but this time with more room for the wearer’s expression to come through. Many of the rings have more than one “band” and fit two or more fingers at once. There are some positions which may feel more uncomfortable or awkward yet on the other hand there are certain postures that just work. Maybe flipping the bird comes naturally to you like when there’s a truck riding your bumper - one of these knuckle dusters will set your finger above all the rest. If you want to embody that but “just couldn’t” then try it on and let the frame show you how. There’s a Knuckle Duster for the peace sign too because sometimes there’s a need to fight for a little peace. 

I’ve been setting these up like building blocks to make little framed rooms or playing with them and filming the process for a video to go in the exhibition. I wanted to show people their playful side because the form of a knuckle duster implies violence but mine are more like rough housing. The jewellery empowers the wearer but off the body they are open structures, something to fidget with or to arrange and display. Like scale models, the frames make space for the mind to navigate.

Do you have certain inspirations that may not be obvious to the average viewer? What are they?
The world of animation is incredibly inspiring to me. I especially love re-watching Hayao Miyazaki’s movies for the wealth of detail he puts into the material just to set the stage. When I’m working I am most likely listening to music but it could be an audiobook some days. I put on mostly heartfelt guys like Mac Demarco or Kurt Vile but almost anything keeps me going.

What other activities or interests do you enjoy outside of your jewellery practice? Do you see those things filter into your approach in some ways? If so, how?
Yes, there is overlap. I skate and just like studio craft, skateboarding gets me in the zone. My goal is to have a permanent installation that gets some attention from local skaters. I also want to be involved in the construction of a skatepark or skate spot. Skating is expressive politically and creatively as well as being a form of exercise and recreation which is generally how I feel about art. Yes, sometimes I work up a sweat in the studio. There’s also the sense of progression in skateboarding and art, I’m always building off of the last piece/trick.

Besides the exhibition at L.A. Pai Gallery, what is coming up next for you?
I am moving to The Netherlands! Right now I’m preparing for an interview with the department of the Master Artistic Research who is assessing my application to the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. Also waiting to hear from the Sandberg Institute in Amsterdam. If I don’t make the cut, I will work as an artist and labourer until the next academic year. The backup plan is so vague that it scares me, I’d have to figure things out and be quick about it. 

Find more information on Caleb’s work and his L. A. Pai Gallery exhibition Knuckle Dusters Here!