New Work

I am really uncertain about this new work.  This piece I made, enjoyed and surprisingly it became.  It is however, going back to some older pieces I made but not with the same concept.  Here in lies my uncertainty.  I have made a piece that is similar but different to work from 3 years ago.  I have been basing my work on this idea of re-using materials, collecting and composition.  I am worried this new piece is too loaded and what if I get stuck on morbidity, questioning mortality and the effect we as humans are having on the eco-system around us? Does it tie in with my original veign of work?  Or is the correlation too thinly spread?  I need to think on it some more.  Originally I felt collecting dead debris worked well with my idea of re-using materials, sustainability and merely picking up and appropriating materials.  Now I feel that I need to acknowledge the other messages these materials contain and I fear I may get lost.  I guess there really is no hurry and I need to feel more comfortable exploring the idea until perhaps the answer finds me.

The Topp Twins

This post is dedicated to some people that care about our country.  Political activists who say something while having fun.  People who don't mind standing up for what they believe in.  People who remember to fight for the important things.  New Zealand is certainly changing and no one seems to be making a difference.  Political protests are no longer common.  Policies are passed and I believe transparency is not always used.  I know there are people here who don't like the way our country is changing.  Making a difference can seem hard but I like to think about the Topp twins and how they did it while having fun and seemingly not always political.  Subtle words that resonate later.  This post is dedicated to the Topp Twins because they are inspiational.

Image by Bruce Connew

Christine Webster - Photographer

Love her?
Hate her?
Either way Christine Webster's new book, "provocations" is just that.
"I use eroticism to expose societal myths and belief systems and to expand understanding of sexual gender and mores."

Not for the faint hearted but if you are interested in challenging your ideas about people, expanding your knowledge and seeing sensuos colours overlapping it all in beautiful composition, then please check this new book out.  Some images strive not to even hold anything substantial and are mere scrapes of colour and movement across the pages, they evoke senses of times you might have had also, focus on background in these images like a still apple tree, pull memories of your own from your mind.  railways, trees, space.

Lou's shoes has a new home!

http://lousshoes.bigcartel.com/

New work to look at and possibly purchase

Contemporary jewellery - suddenly it’s everywhere

Two shows of new work by Sarah Read





Nestle: at L’affaire au Chocolat, 464 Adelaide Rd, Berhampore, and neighbouring shopfronts, August 23rd (10 am to 7pm) and Aug 24th (10am to 4pm)











Mine: at The See Here, 12 Constable St, Newtown, August 16th-29th, and online at theseehere.com









Contemporary jeweller Sarah Read is showing new work this month in two linked Wellington exhibitions; Nestle, in Berhampore, and Mine, in Newtown.



Nestle occupies several shops in Berhampore’s Adelaide Road. With a taster in the window at Emma Collections (number 476), the show engulfs nearby L’affaire au Chocolat (464), then overflows into the window spaces of Nelson Dorizac Pianos (462) and Europe Modes Tailoring (465).

“I wanted to take my work out of the gallery environment” explains Read, whose aim is to bring contemporary jewellery to a wider audience.



Read’s work explores power and nuance within relationships. “I am fascinated by the bonds we form, and the way they shape our lives,” she says, “so jewellery is the perfect medium for me. We have adorned ourselves since earliest times, whether for decoration or talismanic purposes, and today most of us have a piece that we cherish, regardless of its monetary value or whether we actually even wear it. Jewellery has been our constant close companion through the ages, and this means it can touch us in a very direct way.”



The work in Nestle is all about nurturing, symbiosis, growth, watching out for the vulnerable and treasuring the imperfect. The sumptuous interior of the chocolate shop cradles a collection of jewellery that invokes our instinct to hold and protect. The surrounding shop windows feature playful pieces that are ready to be released into the wild – or at least into the safekeeping of a good home.



Mine, on the other hand, considers the flipside – the nurturing relationships that tip into dysfunction and destruction. Taken as an adjective, mine is “Belonging to me”. Taken as a verb, it becomes “To sap. To dig away or to remove the foundations of. To remove resources without attempting to replenish.” We’ve all seen the smothering parent, experienced the guests who morph into plague; here we have adornment that obliterates.





Contact: Sarah Read 027 226 5736, sarah.read@xtra.co.nz

As recommended by Lou's shoes

http://whywho.co.nz/about/

The thought of a modern craft movement, one where the idea of being able to buy handmade in New Zealand would be a great reality.  Sure the cost is higher outright, but would you need to buy as much?  as often?  I think that disposable culture has brought such an over inflated sense of consumerism, people buy and buy, more and more, the quality is unable to last and therefore you end up with many things that are not sustainable or useful.  How many pairs of shoes do you own?  How many do you need?  Think quality, style and creativity the next time you need to purchase some.  Support local, hand made objects.

Finished pieces

The End of Multiples

Today I finished Multiples which feels great.  I can hand them over and continue on my body of work.  My hands are really sore and I don't feel like making a bezzel for quite some time.  My brain is bursting to make some new things and I am excited about my next piece which includes textiles, bird legs and silver!

New Project

As well as having my school work to do, I am part of a collective.  The Run Amuck Collective is a bunch of artists from all genres making work for a theme once a year.  Last year we did the robot show and this year we are doing a monster show.

http://runamuckcollective.wordpress.com/

I have decided that I am going to go with a simple definition of monster, hideous!  I want it to be based slightly on Tim Burton and teenage, goth bogan!  I am going to use possum paws, birds legs etc, set into the middle of large balls made from prom school satin and stitched up like the corpse brides head.

This is one of my friend Mica's paintings that will be in the show.

It is going to be a great show at the new MYGALAXIE gallery, run by Arlo Edwards.
http://www.capitaltimes.co.nz/article/3276/Behindthecraftymind.html

The show is in October, I will be blooging more about it as it gets closer.

Multiples

This is a project for school.  Making a design that can be reproduced....for $$$$$$.  Mine is a sort of advertisment for my art, all the images inside the brooch pins are of my work.  We also had to get somewhere that would stock them.  I got an order for 15 after showing a prototype for a store in Newtown, Wellington.  They will be going into NIDUS, Constable street, Newtown.

Where is my work going? Where has it been?

This is Go Teddy!  He was piece I made earlier this year.  Teddy means a lot to me in my making.  I like the idea of where teddy has been, what he has done, who he was with and where he will end up.  I want my work to progress along the lines of what I see teddy means.  I have become fixated on the price tags that come on the objects I buy at the second hand store.  I have always been a second hand shopper.  We lived next door to one when we were growing up.  I was always really emabarrassed by the price tags.  I wanted people to think I had spent more than $1 on an item.  How rediculous because now I just love a bargain and the least I spend the better.  Recently I was out and I still had a price tag on a skirt I was wearing, I had a fleeting embarrassment until I realised I was an adult and I could do whatever I wanted.  If I want I can buy second hand and I don't have to justify myself to anyone.  I think a lot about commercialisation and disposable culture, institutionalisation and how we are all meant to fit with in the square to promote these ideals to our children.  Well behaved citizen never really interested me.  I wonder if you can write on a blog that you don't believe in government, or if it means they tag you and follow you, well I suppose that would actually be a good thing.
My work is mostly about ideas, some technique but mostly a collage of things to compositionally sit well and to say something or tell a story.  I characterise my pieces.  Most inanimate objects to me become, 'she' or 'he'. Occasionally I really need to do some metal work that contains my piece and extends it to make it wearable and sometimes I desperately need to let a piece escape and it leaves with only a pin to help him along the way.  Sometimes I try to not think about my work until I am in a space all by myself and I can think it through so much that when my hands become involved it is a relatively quick process to completion.  This seems to be a strong point for me.  My laboured pieces have little personality.  This semester I hope for my work to develop more compositionally, recognise the pieces that need to sit with each other and provide background with either words or images that make the completed message.

Here is a cohesive website list thanks to peter

http://www.klimt02.net/ Your research site for contemporary jewellery

http://www.galerierobkoudijs.nl/site.php?xs=artists (Rob Koudijs gallery: artists to explore)

http://www.marzee.nl/ (Gallery Marzee: artists to explore) http://vimeo.com/7440275, (videos)

http://www.galerie-ra.nl/kunstenaarsen/kunstenaarsframe.html (Gallery Ra: artists to explore)

http://www.artjewelryforum.org/ interesting site to explore

Visit Fingers http://www.fingers.co.nz/artists.htm and Masterworks http://www.masterworksgallery.com/index.cfm?action=artists&media_id=4 website and check for local artists

http://kitandcaboodle.ning.com/ (Australasian website for jewellers)

http://www.theseehere.com/whatis.html (Newtown gallery show space and website for ex students and myself)

http://www.objectspace.org.nz/programme/show.php?documentCode=623 (Object Space, Auckland… check out their past exhibitions)

http://www.charonkransenarts.com/booklist.html Extensive side for all jewelry books you can order, Charon Kransen, NY

http://www.larkbooks.com/catalog?section_key=19&limit=10 Jewelry Books

http://pauadreams.co.nz/ Damian Skinner site

http://www.jewellerytalk.se/ video: interview with European makers, gallery owners, etc



Techniques and general background knowledge

http://www.ganoksin.com/ search for jewellery questions and/or techniques

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/jewel/ encyclopedia for all traditional stones, techniques and jewellery

http://www.metalcyberspace.com/ info about everything jewellery



Metal, Castings, Tools to buy:

http://www.regal.co.nz/ Regal castings for metal, castings and tools

http://www.warburtons.co.nz/ Warburtons jewellery tools, Auckland

http://www.riogrande.com/ Rio Grande, USA (tools)

http://www.goldschmiedebedarf.de/ Karl Fischer (German tools)



Whitireia things:

Link from a year 3 jewellery student (Jessica Winchcombe) who is oversees and could not be at her presentation: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xe5kw7_jessica-winchcombe-bow-2010_creation

This link is from the Exchange Project with Sydney College of the Arts jewellery students: http://scawhitireia.wordpress.com/about/ and the Sydney gallery: http://studio2017.wordpress.com/

Here you can find some end of year publications from our students and HandStand - a show I curated for emerging jewellers: http://www.jhanamillers.co.nz/Design/Design.html (Jhana Millers is a 2008 graduate)

Andrew Ross

A wellington based photographer who makes hand prints from a large format camera.  Andrew has an interest in old, well made things.  He is a supporter of historic buildings and places that create community.  He has a book titled "Fiat Lux", you can obtain the book through photospace.  Andrew has a show coming up in Wanganui, it is the result of a residency he did there.

Photospace Gallery

http://www.photospace.co.nz/gallery_index.htm

Wellington's photo gallery.  We love this space.

The Golden Awesome

Have you seen this band?  you should, Wellington based.

http://www.myspace.com/thegoldenawesome

Ex de Medici

This artist covers many genres and was someone who inspired me when I was quite young.  She has done large xerox projects and also tattoos beautiful pieces largely based on native flora and fauna from Australia.  She is australian.  I saw her do a tattoo demonstration in the DPAG when I was in my early 20's.

Sebastian Buescher

In my first year of studying this jeweler really interested me.  He had a  lo-tech way of working as he loves to travel and needed a practice that went with this.

websites

http://www.galleryfunaki.com.au/

http://www.klimt02.net/

http://www.fingers.co.nz/

http://www.masterworksgallery.com/

http://www.theseehere.com/

http://www.objectspace.org.nz/

http://www.thehighseas.co.nz/

http://iheartphotograph.blogspot.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/count_of_lilies/

http://rootdonlonieforcash.blogspot.com/

Warwick Freeman

Warwick is a one of the leaders in the art/jewelry movement in New Zealand.  His work is incredibly well  made and intellectual without being inaccessible.  He is a lovely man with a lovely temperament.

Karl Fritsch

We like to talk about our jewelry superstars.  The list is growing now which is truly great.  Karl is a wonderful artist who resides in Island Bay.  He is the husband of fellow superstar Lisa walker.  They make the jewelry superstar team.

Matthew Mcintyre Wilson

We get to work with Matthew at school as he is our technician.  He is amazing.  His work is meticulous, thoughtful and truly beautiful.

Peter Deckers

Peter is a lecturer and the head of our jewelry department.  He is amazing.  He really drives the jewelry bus here in Wellington and we love getting on everyday.

Lisa Walker

Lisa Walker is a really great artist.  I like where she comes from.  I identify with it.  I love the vibrancy and the journey.  She has a lot of work to view.  Follow where it comes from and where it goes if you think it is something you are interested in yourself.

http://ducklingmonster.blogspot.com/

This is a photo by Louise Clifton.  It is me and ducky.  We are in a band called The Ghastlies.  We are quiet almost sensible noise, howling vocals and a whole lot of giggles and silly smiles.

Makers of interest

http://lousshoes.bigcartel.com/

many things cause inspiration.  I appreciate well made objects.

I am interested in all types of music.  I love what came from punk and I love many things before and after.  I particularly like lo-fi artists who just have to make.  That compulsion really interests me.
http://stabbiesetc.blogspot.com/

This is

This is a place for me to workbook.  It saves on paper, gluesticks, ink and printing.  It is a place to show what I like, what inspires me and where my own work comes from.  This is a tool for me to use while doing a degree in contemporary jewelery at Whitireia Polytechic, Porirua, New Zealand.  It is dedicated to the talented people whom I am inspired by, my family and the places I love.