Barry Ace
Thunderbird in the Digital Age - Two Concepts of Power (2022), mixed media neckpiece.
Velvet, glass beads, metal, capacitors, resistors, light-emitting diode, circuit board, horse hair, synthetic hair, paper, porcupine quill, rope, deer hide, thread.
17 x 7 in / 43.18 x 17.78 cm
Digital Bling
Ace started producing his signature digital bling in 2010, and he has sold them over the years through the Native North American Museum in Zurich, Switzerland; the Museum of Contemporary Native Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, and L.A. PAI Gallery, Ottawa, Ontario. His digital bling includes hair ties, bolo ties, brooches, earrings, and bead wrapped rope with round medallions. Ace’s digital bling work incorporates his signature use of electronic components (capacitors, resistors, light emitting diodes) that he manipulates to create Great Lakes’ style motifs that are complemented with treatments of velvet fabric, horsehair, copper wire, deer hide, porcupine quills and glass beads. Symbols of power included as motifs include the Thunderbird (protection) and floral motifs (medicine flowers).