Loves me not

Ring
Sterling silver, vitreous enamel
[ Poem by Aaron P. Decker }

Detroit-based jeweler, Aaron P. Decker, has proposed a different kind of Poesy Ring in this contribution to Dandelions. Poesy Rings, historically bearing inscriptions of love, poetry, and sentiment. In Decker’s brightly enameled and oxidized silver ring, two halves are linked together as they shift, rub, and clash together. Often utilizing symbols of childhood toys alongside the pageantry of military regalia, Decker’s work deals with play. This ring exudes fun, but is far from frivolous.

Aaron P Decker is a Midwest based artist and jewelry designer and a recipient of the Mercedes Benz Emerging artist award, the Marzee Prize, Talente Prize, and selected multiple times as a finalist for the Art Jewelry Forum Young Artist Award. Decker's approach to jewelry blends militaristic aesthetics taken from his time growing up on military bases with queer sentimentality, often juxtaposing joy and violence, using materials akin to military medals and kids toys.