Master of Design (Hons) Examination Exhibition
Ivan Dougherty Gallery
University of New South Wales, Art & Design
Gadigal (Sydney)
10-14 February 2004
In some categories of jewellery, particularly those promulgated by the commercial jewellery trade, precious materials such as gold and diamonds equate monetary value with forms of sentiment and love, social status, wealth, prestige and exclusivity. In the commercial industry ‘value’ or ‘preciousness’ is commonly associated with the predominant use of precious materials in conjunction with customary forms and techniques for the production of 'ostentatiously impressive and expensive'[1] jewellery. Many contemporary jewellery practitioners, for whom jewellery possess the power to communicate beyond public declarations of wealth, challenge these ‘values’ by opting to employ humble, inexpensive materials as well as unconventional treatments of traditional materials.
The value of hand skills, extensive experimentation and incremental refinement as part of a process analogous to Alchemy are key areas in the research. In this context the concept of alchemy, borrowed from Game and Goring[2] as well as from Helen W. Drutt[3], describes a magical transformation of materials considered worthless by mainstream society into objects of desire.
The importance of these investigations is to affirm the value of the idea, of hand-work and of extensive and reflective design and making processes within contemporary jewellery practice. In broader terms though, the research aims to contribute towards an expansive and poetic vision for contemporary jewellery.
Dormer, Peter and Turner, Ralph (1985) The New Jewelry. London: Thames and Hudson, 7.
Game, Amanda and Goring, Elizabeth (1998) Jewellery moves – Ornament for the 21st Century. Edinburgh: NMS (National Museum of Scotland) Publishing.
Holzach, Cornelie (2002) Peter Chang, Jewellery, Objects, Sculptures. Stuttgart: Arnoldsche Art Publishers.
Photos by Blue Murder Studios, Sydney
image 1: Cycles 2003. Paper, sterling silver, stainless steel cable. 45 cm long.
image 2: Childhood memories 2003. Brown wrapping paper, 9ct and 10ct yellow gold, stainless steel cable. 40 cm long.
image 3: Progression 2003. Paper, sterling silver, stainless steel cable. 65 cm long.
image 4: Renewal 2003. Plastic, sterling silver, stainless steel cable. 48 cm long.
image 5: Numerical Calculations 2004. Paper, ink, sterling silver, stainless steel cable. 57 cm long.