Many jewelers are silent in the face of the protests and I think the assumption is that they want to protect their brands. But there’s an alternate theory that is unsettling to think about…do they side with the government? Are they apathetic or indifferent towards the death of George Floyd?
Variance has been using their Instagram Stories for activism and I commend them for it. They reposted a photo of the Santa Cruz police chief kneeling alongside peaceful protesters, an image that has since gone viral. They also posted an image of the Louisville Community Bail Fund, an organization created by #BLMLouisville to help those in jail because of bail, after making a personal donation. Variance also posted an image of their donation receipt for the Grassroots Law Project, an organization whose mission statement involves defunding the police and demilitarizing both schools and neighborhoods.
These are the kinds of actions we need to see small businesses taking as allies in the movement against systemic racism. I stand with Nicole Rimedio and Scott Zankman of Variance in affirming that #BlackLivesMatter. I hope that you enjoy this interview as much as I did! If you would like to contribute to the Louisville Community Bail Fund or the Grassroots Law Project, you can do so here or here.
Amiah Taylor: How do you both feel about police brutality and do you consider yourselves to be allies?
Nicole Rimedio and Scott Zankman: We are fully supportive of the protests. We see protest as a vital part of American society. We hope that the protests continue until there is a real, serious, and measurable change to the way BIPOC are treated by this country. We believe that systemic racism is a problem that all people need to work to solve and that white supremacy is a problem that white people need to see as their problem. It’s not a black issue, it’s a white issue.
AT: How do you relate to the Black Lives Matter Movement?
SZ: We’re interested in reposting BLM related content through an art lens. We’re not an activist organization or a news source. We are a deeply artistic jewelry brand. We will look to highlight images and words that speak to us as art. Yes, we want to repost the work of black artists and others but we also want to expand the definition to include actions taken in the protest. For instance, dismantling a statue of a slave owner and then defacing it is something we consider to be art.
AT: If you could be a superhero husband and wife team, saving the world from the crime of hideous jewelry, what would you call yourselves?
SZ: We already are that: Team Variance. We want to change how beauty is perceived. The standardized version of it never really gets questioned. It’s a mission of sorts.
AT: What was your original intention behind getting a master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from UC Berkeley?
NR: I thought it was the right thing to be a professional and have a good steady career. I’ve always been interested in urban systems. How people inhabit spaces, what makes a place seem magical. I love observing how people move through space. I think the most valuable experience of it all was sitting through 3 years of what felt wrong, which led me to see clearly what was right for me.
AT: I love that perspective and I’ve had the same experience of sorting through what was wrong to gain more clarity. Speaking of clarity though, I love the way that your jewelry stands out in pictures. Do you have any tips for how to best capture jewelry in photographs?
SZ: A nice lens helps, get a macro lens. For us, we’re looking to capture the texture of the work as we believe this is an important aspect of our aesthetic. Plus, jewelry is small so we believe it is important to focus on the actual piece.
AT: You approach your jewelry from a minimalist perspective, do you also embrace minimalism in your daily life?
NR: Yes, from the perspective of where I put my focus. I prefer to only have a few things I am focusing on at a time. I don’t do well with feeling scattered. I guess you could say I approach minimalism from a mental place. But I like stuff. You should see my closet.
AT: Do you have pets and if so, how would they describe you in 10 words or less?
NR: We have a Maine coon cat named Roosevelt. He sees us as the source of all things good. But that can definitely be a burden as he yells at us when it rains as if somehow it’s our fault.
Image Credit: Scott Zankman, Variance.
