DIY Beaded Narrative

Museum exhibit: Beaded narrative
Julie Slivka
11.16.10
In an effort to create an example for my students showing a way to use Japanese and Czech glass seed beads to represent communication or a story, I created a personal narrative using different colored beads to represent different parts of my life, beginning from infancy to the present. The length of the necklace represents time, although it is not created to scale because I wanted to highlight certain events in my life more than others, and also, the varying sizes and shapes of the beads would not serve to depict time accurately. The spiral form of the necklace also serves to demonstrate time, representing how I often walked similar paths year after year, or felt similar feelings, both literally and figuratively at different times. A wide array of colors, sizes and textures of glass beads allow me to show slight variations that reflect changing emotions or circumstances. I created this necklace as an example that students could reference as they create their own narratives through the medium of beads, and was surprised at how personal this project became. There are certain events represented that I almost always avoid in conversation, yet they are made public through physical display. The representation of ideas through color and shine, rather than through words, allows me to keep some of the meanings represented hidden if I choose not to share the narratives behind the artwork. To those who do not understand the meanings behind the beaded narrative, it is just a spiral-beaded necklace. To those who are close to me, it tells stories and represents memories that include people that I have loved throughout my life.

Color/ Idea or event represented through color
Blue Swimming, attempts to achieve balance among work/health/exercise/happiness/harmony
Clear Imagination, idealized life, creativity
Teal blue The calming and focusing influence that my husband, Kevin has had in my life
Dark blue Dark times; growing pains of adolescence and the influence of 1990s grunge/alternative rock music; dissatisfaction with my body and mind when I realized the limitations of my physicality, difficult times in college, during my experience teaching in high poverty schools, frustrations in finding my way through emergent research ideas

• Black- Darkest times in my life
• Pink- Construction of identity that is intermeshed with femininity, what being a woman is to me, as well as how it applies to my students, family, husband, etc.
• Yellow- Constant work toward personal happiness, which, for me, has also always been impacted by family and others’ happiness
• White- Pursuit of honesty, attempts to define and then enact what it means for me to be a “good human”
• Green- Signifies the changes in my learning throughout my life
• Red- Onset of menses, color changes as my desire for having a family changes
• Purple/ blue- Represents the “glue” of the family bond that is so important to me, and to my family. The size of these beads change to represent my awareness and the importance that I have placed on the presence of family.
• Rainbow- (at the end) Represents my hope for my future path, my hopes for society and especially for children