Neighbor Featured Artist #3: James-Ben: Designer/Artisan

The “artist neighbor” for this issue is a team rather than an individual. But, like our previous featured talents, the lure of East Tennessee proved an irresistible siren song. In the case of James-Ben: Designer/Artisan, the come-hither tune was heard not by one set of ears but by two. As producers of wearable art, James-Ben Stockton and Daniel Luther have come a long way from “lost-wax” casting on a kitchen floor in Nashville. In coming to Greeneville, what they had originally intended as a semi-retirement has become a personal and professional reinvention. For the proof of this assertion, look no further than the byline of this column. You’ll find the name of one of the fellows featured in this piece. There’s more going on than someone tooting his own horn. Consider instead that Greeneville is a place where a silversmith can be an art columnist.
James-Ben Stockton grew up in Jamestown, Tennessee, on the Cumberland Plateau that splits the difference between the middle and eastern divisions of the state. Immensely creative as a child, he worked in pottery until his studies at the University of Tennessee exposed him to metalsmithing and jewelry design. “I admired a ring worn by the metals professor and asked her to make me one,” he recalls. “She told me to come take her class and learn how to make it myself.” As an artist, James-Ben had found his medium. “I took enough classes to keep my forestry scholarship but I knew from that point that I was a jewelry designer/artisan.” His mastery of technique was so rapid that he was student teaching while still an undergraduate, and his first national design awards came during this same period. He also studied at Arrowmont in Gatlinburg and believes to this day that his artistic roots are deep in the mountains of East Tennessee. “Working with precious metals is like alchemy. It’s based on science but has a strong element of magic in the creative process.” James-Ben’s individually designed and crafted jewelry in gold, silver, and platinum has been commissioned, collected, and worn by folks in more than 30 states and 8 foreign countries. “I am so fortunate that I’ve been able to spend most of my working life as an artist,” he says.
In the 1980’s, James-Ben worked as the Designer/Artisan-in-Residence for the Regional Gallery at the Knoxville World’s Fair. During this time he met partner Daniel Luther, who also had metalsmithing in his blood. “When I began working with James-Ben in the jewelry studio, my hands were immediately comfortable with the tools. My Granddaddy Luther was a foundryman whose backyard workshop was one of my favorite places growing up.” The two have collaborated in jewelry production for more than twenty years. “We use the word ‘bottega’ to describe our process,” says Daniel. “The word refers to the Renaissance masters who divided the elements of their commissions among their apprentices according to their talent and skill level.” “From design to final polish, there are many steps to creating jewelry,” adds James-Ben. “We each do the steps we’re best at, which means every finished piece has both sets of hands involved.”
“Our awareness of history has a personal application for many of our clients,” says James-Ben. “Within the studio creativity, my favorite experience is a process called “Contemporary Heirlooms. For lack of a better term , we "recycle" a client’s legacy gold and stones. This is particularly applicable in the creation of wedding jewelry. Brides and grooms are frequently offered family rings to use for their wedding. which at times can become somewhat awkward. How does the couple choose a personal reflection of themselves while honoring these family gifts? Our contemporary heirloom process recombines all that family history into a set of rings that express the new couple’s preferences while celebrating the merging of the families.”
For several years, Stockton and Luther operated James-Ben: Designer/Artisan within a larger fine craft gallery in Franklin, Tennessee. The experience led to the opening of James-Ben: Studio and Gallery in 1992. “The wonderful interactions with other artists in many different media has expanded our own creativity,” says James-Ben. “Our experience of art itself has expanded to include writing, performance, and, best of all, cooking!” The number of artists represented by the gallery has grown from a dozen or so to more than 140, encompassing the whole state of Tennessee from Memphis to Bristol.
In 2001, Stockton and Luther were recruited by philanthropist Scott Niswonger to bring their talents to Greeneville. “Our only regret is that we didn’t make the move sooner,” says James-Ben. “It’s marvelous to be part of Greeneville’s rebirth. We’ve re-energized ourselves. The addition of teaching facilities to the gallery has expanded us into an art center.” But at the heart of it all, James-Ben: Designer/Artisan is still in operation. “The making of jewelry used to be our sole focus and now it is one among many,” says Daniel, wistfully. “But there is still such joy in doing that process that started it all.” “The studio is where we go to rekindle the creative fires,” notes James-Ben. “And to get our hands dirty.”