Positively consumed by the energy of CCA’s end-of-year celebrations, we’re shifting blog gears from the beginning of the undergraduate experience to its conclusion. Through July, I’ll be posting short profiles of this year's graduates, a talented group of young emerging Bay Area artists. Stay tuned!

First up is Corey Lico Wolffs (Jewelry / Metal Arts 2010), who spent his last year at CCA developing and constructing a bevy of original instruments made for two. Working with metal, wood, and recycled materials, Corey created a body of thesis work that requires multiple levels of interaction; one player can’t operate any instrument alone, and each individual creates just one-half of the instrument’s sound.

For this reason, Corey explains, players are working with a heightened awareness of how their sounds are resonating with those made by their coplayer.

The final series seems at first unexpected emerging from the Jewelry / Metal Arts Program, but this work is highly informed by the artist’s background as a jeweler. PercussionDiscussion, a xylophone variant, is worn as a series of ornamental rings, and Harp-to-Harp is an oversized accessory, hooked over the shoulder (see images at Corey's blog).

Conceptually, Corey’s interest in the musical conversation between instrument and players grew out of an attention to the interplay among jewelry piece, jewelry wearer, and jewelry viewer: “Now, I’m just making musical, wearable sculpture.”

Watch the short video above to see Corey share some features of Harp-to-Harp, installed in PLAySPACE Gallery as part of the college’s 2010 Baccalaureate Exhibition.

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