Peaches + Keen ‘The Hanging Garden’ @ Craft Vic

Peaches + Keen latest show, ‘The Hanging Garden‘, in the window of Craft Victoria, is gorgeous.

Joyful. Colourful.

The Hanging Garden

There are enamelled vessels and hama-bead jewellery from Lucy Hearn.
There are embellished prints from Lily Daley.
There is a large terrarium; crocheted hanging planters; and new beaded hanging planters (I loved them!!).

The Hanging Garden

I only managed to see the window on a public holiday, and so wasn’t able to pop inside – which I really want to do soon, as I want to see the book they’ve made too (the open pages in the window are lovely!).

The Hanging Garden

Make sure you check out their blogs … so much to love.

‘The Hanging Garden‘ is at Craft Victoria until 5th May 2012.

A few more images below….

‘Oh Opal!’ exhibition

I’ve mentioned this in the recent May 2012 sneak peek,
and even in a little peek post,
and you’ve likely noticed I’ve been doing a little making too ….

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Exhibition media:

Oh Opal! (re-imagining Australia’s national gemstone)
A new exhibition by Part B – a Melbourne-based research jewellery group

It’s a conundrum! What to do with the opal? Why don’t more Australians love it? Melbourne-based research jewellery group Part B takes on the challenge of exploring the history and legend surrounding the opal and bringing a new fire to this strange and alluring gemstone.

Since Roman times, the world has been fascinated by the opal. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were great proponents of this mysterious gemstone, and Art Nouveau master René Lalique used it to great effect in his jewellery designs. It has been perceived as both good luck and bad luck (the latter sometimes attributed to the 1829 novel ‘Anne of Geierstein’ by Sir Walter Scott, among other factors). Moving into the twenty-first century, the creative director of Dior Fine Jewellery, Victoire de Castellane, is often quoted declaring her love of Australian opals. This coincides with the recent wave of interest in the gemstone from other big European jewellery houses.

In Australia, however, the opal still languishes, perhaps a result of one too many souvenir teaspoons. But given our bounty of these brilliantly-coloured beauties (Australia’s opal fields are bigger than the rest of the world’s combined), surely there is more to be done to improve the opal’s lot! This is just the kind of challenge that Part B loves…

Founded in 2009, Part B is a Melbourne-based research jewellery group, made up of a fluid collective of emerging and established jewellery practitioners. In this age of online social media, Part B is quietly flourishing with its focus on first- hand experience of exhibited works and face-to-face communication through monthly ‘gallery gatherings’ in and around Melbourne. Their own exhibitions and one-day-only happenings seek to investigate form, function, materials and the social engagement of jewellery, and are designed to challenge the Part B participants (aka
particles) and audience alike.

Exhibition dates: 2-23 May 2012
Opening night: Friday, 4 May 2012, 6-8pm
Venue: Redox Jewellery Studio
Shop 3, 51 McKillop St, Geelong VIC 3220
http://www.redoxjewellerystudio.com.au

exhibition media; Gillian Hillman: Brooch - Boulder opal, sterling silver, 18ct yellow gold

Stay tuned….

Exhibition opportunity

Lord Coconut has asked that I tell you all about a pretty super exhibition opportunity …

I like the idea very much!

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Contact Lord Coconut for more information; applications close on 18th May 2012.

‘Unexpected Pleasures’ @ NGV

This super special contemporary jewellery exhibition, ‘UNEXPECTED PLEASURES: The Art and Design of Contemporary Jewellery‘, opened at the National Gallery of Victoria last night.

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I should be at the lecture tonight, sadly though am not feeling so hot right now. So if anyone wants to send their impressions as comments or emails, I’d love to receive them!

There has already been some media on the exhibition:

• The Age: video (with lots of images of pieces and an interview with Susan Cohn)
• ‘The ugliest and loveliest of jewellery on show’, story (Sydney Morning Herald)
  … or here (dailylife; similar text but with more images)

One of my favourite quotes so far (I’m sure I’ll have more later) is from Susan Cohn:
”After procreation and survival, our next instinct as humans is adornment,” Cohn said when asked, ”Why?”
”Adornment is about attracting a mate, which in turn, is about procreation and survival.”

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‘UNEXPECTED PLEASURES‘ (no, I’m not sure why it’s in capitals!) is at NGV until 26th August 2012.