Much like a painter or jazz musician, artist William Harper enters his studio with an improvisational approach. Each movement inspires the next, and he is driven by an intense love for the material process. Harper's lush objects combine unexpected materials: plastic beads, nails, bone, pearls, jewels, and precious metals. "The Beautiful & the Grotesque" emphasizes the tension between high and low, precious and disposable. Harper's decidedly contemporary approach to jewelry making is not for the faint of heart.