For more information on suspension visit – http://www.suspension.org/

Back in April of 2009, during the Dallas Suspension Convention,  a young woman named Genne Laakso stepped out of the shadows and made a huge impression on even the most seasoned members of our community.  The device/jewelry/art instillation she was wearing that day was the same that you see below.  She calls it Promenading In Elation. We simply call it breathtaking.

Promenading In Elation
Fish Hooks, Copper, Nitrile O-Rings, Latex, Fishing Line, Tungsten Fish Weights

Artist Statement:
Using a post-industrial aesthetic, I push the boundaries of jewelry by exploring ways to create rituals of wearing, marking, and recovery through the creation of objects that make physical demands upon the wearer. The culminating pieces of the series knit together contemporary practices of ornament, piercing, the physical attributes of flesh suspension and relate to my experiences performing within the community. The devices I have created leave a temporary or permanent mark that becomes a secondary form of decoration and as a vestige of the act.

Photography: NJB Photography

Info on the artist:
Born and raised in Kent Ohio. Genne received a BFA at Kent State University in 2004 and a MFA (Masters in Fine Art) in 2009. These photos were part of her MFA thesis exhibition Transmogrify. She taught at Central Washington University for a year after graduation running the Jewelry program. However, Genne is currently not employed. The job was only temporary and with her move to Seattle in October of 2010, Genne is now looking for a jewelry job. If you are looking to hire a talented and brilliant craftsman in the Seattle area, Genne Laasko just might be the artist for your business.

To contact Genne please visit her Facebook page or feel free to drop her an email: LaaksoG@yahoo.com