Calendar: December 2010

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Summer Master Class: Manon Van Kouswijk

A quick post to pass on information about a Summer Master Class at RMIT with Manon Van Kouswijk ‘Longings and Belongings‘.

Dates: 21 – 25 February 2011
Fee: $695

Description: “How do objects define us?
This workshop will focus on the value and meaning that jewellery (and other precious objects) represent and the way in which these things often mark significant events and moments in daily life such as birth, birthdays, victory, weddings and death. The different roles that objects play in these rituals, as gifts, souvenirs and heirlooms, will also be discussed. The aim of the workshop is to both open up the possibilities of this universal subject matter, of which the history of contemporary jewellery is only a tiny little part, and at the same time to look at how each individual maker can define their personal approach, to makes sense of who they are and where they come from, as an expression of their place and their own time.
What is it that interests you in jewellery? Let’s find out”

Further information see link here. This looks so interesting … now I wonder if I can get more time off work …

Sally Marsland ‘odd one out’ @ Gallery Funaki

I quite enjoyed my visit to Gallery Funaki, to see Sally Marsland’s ‘odd one out‘ exhibition.

Exhibition media: “And I was impatient because I was aware that what I didn’t hear now I would never hear; there would be no instant replay, as there can be when you listen to a tape or watch a video and can press the rewind button, rather, any whisper not apprehended or understood there and then would be lost for ever. That’s the unfortunate thing about what happens to us and remains unrecorded, or worse still, unknown or unseen or unheard, for later, there’s no way it can be recovered. …” Javier Marias, A heart so white (translated by Margaret Jull Costa), English edition 1995, The Harvill Press, p. 26-2

Sally Marsland, brooches; stg silver, unknown wood (eggcups); photograph Jeremy Dillon; Gallery Funaki; click on image for original source

Exhibition media continued: “… The day we didn’t spend together we never will have spent together, what someone was going to say to us over the phone when they called and we didn’t answer will never be said, at least not exactly the same thing said in exactly the same spirit; and everything will be slightly different or even completely different because of that lack of courage which dissuades us from talking to you. …”

The majority of the pieces are wooden, made from other objects – such as bowls, vases and eggcups. Many of the surfaces are left raw, with the remainder being painted in bright colours – white, red, yolk-yellow, sky blue.

There are also a few oxidised sterling silver pieces that look like cast twine; a few twig-like constructions; and a few coloured neckpieces made from resin cylindrical beads.

Sally Marsland, brooch; stg silver, smokey quartz; photograph Jeremy Dillon; Gallery Funaki; click on image for original source

Exhibition media continued: “But even if we were together that day or at home when that person phoned or we dared to speak to them, overcoming our fear and forgetting the risks involved, even then, none of that will ever be repeated and consequently a time will come when having been together will be the same as not having been together, and having picked up the phone the same as not having done so, and having dared to speak to you the same as if we’d remained silent.“

My favourite pieces though were the three brooches like the one above – made with conical elements with briollette semi-precious stones. Their presence, with the other blackened pieces, were quite a contrast to the wooden pieces.

I am not really a fan of large wooden jewellery – not sure why really. The material certainly seems to be experiencing favour, especially components that have had a prior life – see previous exhibitions by Yuko Fujita and Djurdjica Kesic. I find it fascinating that at times there are concepts or materials that surface in many people’s work at the same time… is there perhaps a collective consciousness…

Sally Marsland, brooch; unknown wood (eggcup); photograph Jeremy Dillon; Gallery Funaki; click on image for original source

‘Odd one out‘ is at Gallery Funaki until 4th December 2010.

Artist profile: Michelle Taylor

It’s been a little while since my last post in this series, on Lucy Hearn, and I thought it was about time to remediate the situation. Again I have turned my attention to jewellers who were in my class at RMIT, and I’m happy to say that Michelle Taylor has agreed to be my subject.

All images used with permission of the artist; not to be reproduced without permission.

The Point of the Matter, Michelle Taylor; photograph by Tom Roschi; courtesy of the artist; image not to be reproduced without permission

1. What have you been up to since we graduated from our RMIT undergraduate degree (at the end of 2006)?

After graduating from RMIT I moved to Adelaide to take up an associate position at JamFactory Contemporary Craft and Design. This two year program was a fantastic step forward after graduating, with a focus on developing the careers of emerging artists and designers. The facilities available were very well equipped and the immersive creative environment was an inspiring place to be, an enjoyable place to work where everyone is so involved in producing work for many varied projects.

Adelaide in itself is a very artistically orientated city, I think the small size of the city has a great impact on the thriving arts community – It offered me a great starting point in my making career.

After finishing the position at JamFactory I moved to Gray Street Workshop, as I was in Adelaide already I could not miss the opportunity of experiencing the renowned studio. I loved my time at GSW; it is such a great place to work. It is a space made for making, where you can either feed off the people around you or be focused on your own making which I found was a good contrast.

To depths unknown; Michelle Taylor; photograph by Tom Roschi; courtesy of the artists; not to be reproduced without permission

2. What has been your most exciting / rewarding experience over the last few years?

There are a couple of moments that come to mind the first of which was being invited to participate in COLLECT 2008 by the Italian gallery – Alternatives. The gallery director had seen my work in Talente in Germany and contacted me to ask if I would be interested in representation at COLLECT, that was a very exciting. Through receiving a grant from Arts SA I travelled to Rome to visit Alternatives and then across to London to attend COLLECT at the Victoria & Albert Museum. To see my work on show in that space was very enjoyable, if a tad surreal.

Another moment that stands out is when I was contacted by Schmuck museum in Pforzheim who was interested in purchasing two of my brooches. I was thrilled, and didn’t believe it would happen as it is a lengthy process, fortunately it did!

Wow Michelle – so much success, especially internationally! Very much deserved too.

A few links for readers:

• Alternatives gallery in Rome [link]
• some images from Collect 2008 [link]; and the Craft Council [link] and the Victoria & Albert Museum [link] where the exhibition was held
• an RMIT news article about the five students accepted into the 2007 Talente [link]
• I think Michelle may also have been in Collect 2010 earlier this year – see this page on Klimt02
• Smuck museum [link]
• and a profile of Michelle on CountryArts [pdf]

Drifting Ranges, Michelle Taylor; photograph by Tom Roschi; courtesy of the artist; not to be reproduced without permission

I really like the above piece!

3. Wood has become an important part of your work – can you tell me about the progression and the significance of the material for you?

Timber has been a revelation in my making of objects – the immediacy of the material is very appealing, being able to make marks and create dimension quickly works well for me.

Initially I used wood for these reasons but as my work progressed the material became a direct correspondent of the ideas I was representing through the object.

Late in 2010 I undertook a mentorship with contemporary jeweller and maker Catherine Truman, with the aim of developing my skills and understanding of wood as a material. While also looking at my relationship with the material and my reasons, intuitive or deliberate, for choosing to work with wood. This was an enlightening process and one that has moved my ideas and thoughts on making forward and enhanced my technical capabilities.

After several months of working with the techniques of carving I am thinking again of drawing back on some past uses of the material, combined with carved elements and who knows what else. I am always searching for materials to contribute to the landscape of the objects I’m making – I like thinking that anything is possible.

4. What do you like most about making?

Being utterly absorbed in what I am doing, the material the process, having an idea and figuring out how to make it work. I find this very satisfying and it quite simply makes me happy. Using my hands and relying on your skills to adapt materials, working both within the bounds of an idea but allowing for the intuitive nature of making to push things along.

Between the gaps it grows, Michelle Taylor; courtesy of the artist; photograph by Tom Roschi; not to be reproduced without permission

5. Where are you currently represented? Any upcoming exhibitions?

I am currently represented by Blackfinch Gallery in Melbourne, Workshop Bilk in Queanbeyan (soon to be moving to Manuka space in Canberra), Zu Design Jewellery + Objects in Adelaide, Metalab in Sydney, Neuer Schmuck in Hannover, Germany and Alternatives Gallery in Rome, Italy.

Upcoming exhibitions include a couple of group Christmas shows – at Studio 20/17 in Sydney and Zu Design Jewellery + Objects in Adelaide. Next year I will again be represented by Alternatives Gallery at COLLECT 2011 at Saatchi Gallery in London.

That’s a fantastic collection of galleries – congratulations again! And the upcoming exhibition sounds great.

Some links are below:

• Blackfinch in Melbourne
• Workshop Bilk in Canberra
• Zu Design in Adelaide
• Metalab in Sydney; her last exhibition was Layer-on-Layer
• Neuer Smuck in Hannover, Germany
• Alternatives in Rome, Italy
• Studio 20/17 ‘Wrapped‘ show

Upon the horizon, Michelle Taylor; courtesy of the artist; photograph Tom Roschi; not to be reproduced without permission

6. What is the next step for your work / What does the next year or two hold for you?

There is a long list of what I would like to achieve over the next couple of years the first of which is to further establish my practice in Melbourne, being in Adelaide for several years I feel I have not yet found my place in Melbourne. Developing a website will be a good step towards this; I have purchased my domain name but am yet to build the pages!

In terms of making I am aiming towards all new work for COLLECT – so over summer I’ll be spending many hours making. I have found the best approach for me when developing new work is not to throw away or disregard all previous work but to build on what I have already developed: whether that is in the ideas behind the work or the material approach. The next step is to experiment with some new wood varieties, while also revisiting a mixed material approach – in a way combining the old and new of materials and techniques.

I’m currently working from a studio at home (very well ventilated, but a tad frosty during winter – being located in the Dandenong ranges!!) which is great for now but in coming years I would like to move up from this, maybe build one from scratch…eventually. In an ideal world I would like to spend time in both my own home studio as well as being apart of a shared space. For now I’m just happy that I have somewhere to make ‘stuff’.

I’ve always admired Michelle’s precision and patience. Especially her dedication to pursuing her vision of her work – she has always spent any time necessary to achieve the desired result – which wasn’t that easy during uni … I sometimes found myself just being too tired and just making do, but never knew Michelle to do this!

Many thanks to Michelle for being so generous and sharing so much about herself. I look forward to seeing your website when it’s completed, and to the pieces she creates for Collect and future exhibitions … best of luck Michelle!

All images used with permission of the artist; not to be reproduced without permission.

… previous artist profile: Lucy Hearn …