L M deLeon
they/she
El Cerrito, CA, USA
L M deLeon is a queerdo and multidisciplinary artist, with a primary focus on adornment and jewelry using traditional metalsmithing and fiber arts in their home studio currently located in the San Francisco bay area.
“Heeding the call of the rainbow using a set palette from reclaimed telecommunication wire (freeway score!). Akin to the way it’s bound to the frames, wrapped in tight coils, I’m bound and committed to this material until every last piece has been used (I’ve been using it for years already - help!). Crafting and reimagining ways to use this that stray from the original intended purpose. Immersion in its hues akin to the cotton crocheted cords dipped in vibrant dyes to compliment and secure each form to the body. I’m captivated by pigment: Color Bound, boundless color, bound for color.”
What does being queer mean to you in relation to your material choices? Is it something you consider?
“My relationship with chosen mediums comes from a drive to utilize materials that are already at hand, discarded by industry, forgotten by trends or gifted to me by the earth. I cannot say that my material choices are something that I’ve consciously selected to in some way represent my queerness within my work, but rather, a subconscious influence. Especially when comparing those who follow the paths that they’ve been assigned by society and who may or may not recognize the ways in which they work to uphold the societal ‘status quo’ around gender and sexuality, to the wide array of ways in which queer folks exist within our world. We tend to question what others take for granted, we may be quicker to explore alternatives in all aspects of our lives beyond gender and sexuality, no doubt permeating our creative expression."
"Bolo no. 02", Sterling silver, brass, telecommunication wire, glass beads cotton fiber, 2" x 1.1" x .5", 37" cord, 2024
Is the work queer because the maker is queer, or is it queer because the subject matter is queer?
“This piece is definitely a nod to queer culture (or at least what I consider to be more recent queer fashion) because I’ve traditionally associated the bolo tie as gender neutral Southwestern fashion typically worn under a collared shirt, with a vest and big hat (probably boots too). I see the fresh fashionable queer youth of tiktok now sporting smart and stylish bolo looks and I love it!
The subject matter of my pieces always has the potential to be queer because I use so much color. And sometimes pieces happen to have a palette that corresponds to various identity pride flags. For example: I recently found myself gravitating towards the bi flag colors, as an aesthetic choice, and felt no small amount of glee when I realized what I’d done. But typically, it’s coincidental if they happen to correlate, I am just playing with colors.
Thus in this instance the work is queer because the maker is queer. I've my own array of queer identities, the old ‘el jibbity’ (as coined by one of my fav IG personalities themme_fatale) rearing its sweet little head in my art - so my conclusion is that queerness must seep into the work through osmosis and probably makes it all the more fun to wear.
*whispers quietly to self* be serious, jeweler serious."
"Chain necklace no.06", Sterling silver, brass, telecommunication wire, cotton fiber, 15" chain x 11.5" cord, 2023
Anything else you would like to share about this work? This can be an important part of the process, sourcing materials, or research.
“About the Color Bound Series: born of a lengthy, notoriously unpredictable Bay Area commute, leaving me frequently in bumper to bumper traffic. Bored & scanning the stuff accumulated in the medians of the freeway, a rainbow of neatly bundled telecommunication wire in a triangle patch of a merged median caught my eye. Rather than lane hop to grab the mass, I instead pass it by for a few days before finally, after observing the heap transform from a neat bundle to a tangled mess, I pull over to rescue it. I then spent several evenings meticulously untangling the mass, lest the quality of the plastic coating deteriorate further, separating each wire then bundling by color. I felt unsure of how to incorporate this colorful wire into my work. At the time I was making framed shapes in thick gauge copper wire into which I’d crochet lace designs then I discovered this framework also works well for wrapping wire. For these pieces I’ve gravitated towards sculptural and geometric forms complimenting the bold colors & again combining with traditional fiber craft."
