Jill Platner approaches jewelry as small-scale sculpture, handcrafted by a team of skilled artisans in her NoHo studio. Today, over 60 of her large-scale sculptures are installed across the grounds of LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton — “Talking with Trees” places her signature forms in direct dialogue with the trees themselves — not as a backdrop, but as collaborators.
We spoke with Jill to learn more about her work — from the cuff she created with the late Gloria Steinem to what she has discovered about her own work among the trees at LongHouse.
You studied furniture design before jewelry and sculpture became your medium. What about jewelry first pulled you in?
I was a furniture design and metals major, which allowed me to explore sculptural work in both areas. The moment I made my first cut into silver with a jeweler’s saw, I felt as if I had been struck by lightning — and after that I knew I had discovered one of my purposes in life.
The feeling of creating something three-dimensional from a sheet of metal, that could then be worn on the body was astounding to me. I loved the power and beauty in adorning the body, and have always considered my jewelry to be wearable sculptures.
You initially made jewelry for yourself based on your sculptures, and then someone bought one of your first necklaces from you while you were walking down the street. What did you feel in that moment?
Elation! I was wearing the necklace, and someone asked to buy it right off my body. It was a real jolt of confirmation that I was on the right path.
You created a cuff in collaboration with Gloria Steinem to celebrate her 90th birthday. How did that collaboration come about?
Several years before her 90th, we designed a ring together, and Gloria was interested in reproducing the design to sell with the profits going to a cause she believed in. We named it “The Gloria Ring” and have since donated over $30k to Planned Parenthood. We’re still selling the ring — and have no intention of stopping — but now all profits are donated to Gloria’s Foundation.
During this time together in my studio, she really gravitated toward my cuffs, in particular the Warrior cuff — which she immediately doubled up on! With her passion for jewelry, especially substantial cuffs and rings, it felt inevitable that we’d be collaborating again, this time on making the Wonder Women cuff together!
What did you want the piece to communicate about Gloria?
Oh, gosh — I wanted it to communicate what she felt when wearing them, which was deeply empowered, protected, and defiant. She really was the real-life Wonder Woman and said she could dodge bullets with her double cuffs.
After decades of working in jewelry, does it feel like “Talking with Trees” at LongHouse is a return to your original language as a sculptor?
I’ve been creating sculpture along with jewelry since the early ’90s, so I don’t think of the two in binary terms — they’re really just different facets of the same diamond to me. One is always informing the other. To have the opportunity to dream this big and to be able to immerse myself so fully was incredibly exhilarating, inspiring, and exhausting. I loved it all!
With more than 60 large-scale works installed throughout the grounds, how did you think about creating a dialogue between the pieces?
This was really very important for me to get right. My team and I did many site visits throughout the entire process, letting the trees and environment imprint upon us — just quietly listening, observing, and exploring. Those impressions then directly informed the grouping and placements. If you spend time quietly roaming there, you can see and feel the pieces in contact with each other — the sort of feeling you get while listening to birds and other creatures calling out to one another. Each piece has a role in the installation, which is also reflected by their forms, names, and placements.
What did you discover about your own work by seeing it surrounded by trees, weather, light, and now the changing seasons?
Most of my sculptures are made from bronze or copper — because I’ve always felt that they should live outside. Both metals have endured the elements for thousands of years. It was (and still is) incredibly rewarding to see them out there. It’s very peaceful and meditative walking through the installation.
Seeing them sway in unison with the branches on a windy day. Seeing sunlight, mist, or rain sparkle on them. Seeing birds landing on them. Seeing spiders spin their webs and make homes in them. Seeing the snow pile up on them.
All of it makes me so happy and I feel that they are a complete part of the ecosystem there. Every sculpture that we installed immediately felt at home and integrated into the forest, as if they’d grown up there!
It’s a true test of durability, being out for many seasons now and enduring all of the elements. They are just quietly listening to the wonders of the earth. These sculptures (and hopefully the trees) will outlive me, which I love!
