jewellery sketches

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detail

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the back of a sterling silver ring, with hand engraving

sketches

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watercolour, ink, acrylic on paper


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details

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green ring

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sterling silver, malachite



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All things
are too small
to hold me,
I am so vast

In the Infinite
I reach
for the Uncreated

I have
touched it,
it undoes me
wider than wide

Everything else
is too narrow

You know this well,
you who are also there




Hadewijch II, 13th century


from Inside the Visible

Inside the Visible

Lygia Clark

When I first started at RMIT many years ago, a friend recommended a book to me, which had a great impact on me creatively. Inside the Visible, an elliptical traverse of 20th century art. in, of, and from the feminine. edited by M. Catherine de Zegher, was published in 1996. I found the incredible diversity of the artists included inspiring.
Many of my favourite artists were included:
Louise Bourgeois
Hannah Hoch
Nancy Spero
Eva Hesse

and it reminded me of others:
Emily Carr
Agnes Martin
Sophie Taeuber-Arp

and introduced me to a number of artists that I had not heard of, and have since greatly inspired me:
Carol Rama
Jana Sterbak
Mona Hartoum
Cecilia Vicuna
Ellen Gallagher
Lygia Clark
Yayoi Kusama
Mira Schendel
Avis Newman
Anna Maria Maiolina
Gego
Ana Mendieta
and more

All of a sudden I was presented with a range of artists who explored their own personal narratives through many different media.
When I was young, I wanted to be a painter, but I also loved working with metal. and then there was my love of words.
When I read this book I came to understand that materials were there to help me realise my subject, they were not an end in themselves. and that narrative and storytelling was perhaps the most important thing for me. and that that was ok.


inside the visible

impulse of the possible


Cecilia Vicuna 1994




He who already knows cannot go beyond a known horizon.

Georges Bataille, Inner Experience



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milly

I don't know how to say no to this face




my toast is her toast

Open Studios Nicholas Building

There are some excellent people participating in this, among my favourites are:
Vikki Kassioras
Jen Martin
and Natalia M.P.

(click on image to see larger version)

I set a loom in the street
looming above
a puddle of rain.

"We are the thread",
says she
"To weave is to speak."

A thread in the air
a cloud in the mud.

Cecilia Vicuna, 1995

there is lots to do
how to get it all done?
(and on top of everything else, a friend has just lent me season 4 and 5 of Buffy)

RMIT Jewellery Auction

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A good event to support. More info here


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monday

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e.g.etal has done a feature on my new work, you can see it here
(these two photos by me)





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sketches

the initial sketches to work out the form for the cup

Doris Leadbetter Poetry Cup

In 1996 I was commissioned by Ron Smooker and Pam Davison to make a new cup for the Doris Leadbetter Melbourne Poetry Cup award.
The award is sponsored by Ron Smooker and Pam Davison.

This is the cup that I made.




Sterling silver, yellow gold plate, Australian yellow, green and blue sapphires, wood




The poetry award honours Doris Leadbetter, a Melbourne poet.
At the award night, about 40 poets present a one minute poem, and the winner gets a cash prize and their name on the Cup.





The Cup is 110mm high. I wanted it to be quite small but very precious, as I think words are very precious. Also to reflect this sentiment, I wanted the surface to be intricately detailed and laboured over.
Across the surface of the cup are engravings of decorative motifs as well as a part of a poem by Doris Leadbetter. The motifs are from illuminated manuscripts and Byzantine artifacts. The small dots that you see on the cup are coloured sapphires.

I have put multiple views of the cup, as there is detail covering the whole surface. This was intentional as I hoped that the object ( cup) would be a continual process of discovery for the viewer. And if it could not be touched, the materials that the cup is made from would also evoke a sense of touch and texture ( like reading a manuscript). words are like jewels









Rather than write the winners names on the cup, I decided to make a series of plaques that would hang off the side of the cup. I liked the idea that as time went on the plaque series would grow in length ( like a tale or story) as more names are added. And that this piece could end up being larger than the cup itself.








Doris Leadbetter Melbourne Poetry Cup
Saturday 15 August 2009
St Kilda Bowling Club at 7:00PM

the edges of things

more trees

the photos from yesterday were taken the same day as these ones (from the same walk). When we started there was a heavy fog, after it lifted, blue sky and sunshine.

at the moment I find myself mostly interested in the edges of things