Julia deVILLE : OSSUARIUM – Viva la muerte

Taxidermy jewelry with Julia deVille , a Melbourne based jeweller.

“Death is a taboo subject. We’re so obsessed with looking young, finding ways to prolong life. We need to remember that every day is important, life is important. I want to inspire people to contemplate their own mortality, in a positive way. I’m not a morbid person, bit I’m not afraid of acknowledging that I’m mortal.”

« My jewellery is inspired by the Memento Mori jewellery of the fifteenth to eighteenth centuries and Victorian Mourning jewellery. I find the acceptance of death in these periods fascinating.
I work predominately in traditional gold and silversmithing, combined with materials that were once living such as jet, a petrified wood historically used in Victorian Mourning jewellery, human hair and taxidermy. I use these materials as a Memento Mori, or reminder of our mortality.
I incorporate the symbols of death through out my work because I think it is important to identify with the concept that we are in fact, mortal creatures. The nature of our culture is to obsess over planning the future, however in doing so, we forget to enjoy the present.
I consider my taxidermy to be a celebration of life, a preservation of something beautiful. I feel strongly about the fair and just treatment of animals and to accentuate this point I use only animals that have died of natural causes. « 

website: www.discemori.com

Julia deVille (AU) – ‘Mechanical Wing’ brooch, Kingfisher Wing, silver

Julia deVille – Parrot’s wing brooch

Julia deVille – Brooch ‘Gunclub’ 2004 – Mouse, diamonds, jet, 9ct gold

Julia deVille -  brooch  ‘Trophy Mouse’ – mouse, Jet, Gold, Glass

Julia deVille – claw ring
Julia deVille – Claw Brooch with Pearl

Julia deVille -  Claw With Lilies brooch

Julia deVille -  bird wing brooch

 Julia deVille -Lily Rook Necklace -memento mori –

Julia deVille -  Sarcophagus brooch with skeleton bracelet 2008 – Antique Box, 925 brooch & Bracelet

Julia deVille -Bird shoulder piece – Starling, Gold Leaf, Sapphires, Leather

Julia deVille – Bird skull brooch – Bird Skull, cubic zirconia, sterling silver – 2004

Julia deVille – Sparrow brooch – Sparrow, Silver, Gold  (THANKS to Apocatastasis blog)

 

expo « OSSUARIUM«  30 October – 29 November 2008
An ossuarium is a container or receptacle for holding the bones of the dead. Coffins, skeletons and deaths heads have historically been used to symbolise the imminence of our earthly demise. Julia deVille’s practice takes its cue from this tradition of ‘Memento Mori’ (reminders of mortality). In Ossuarium we see the results of meticulous research into the anatomy of the skeleton: DeVille has photographed, drawn and disassembled carefully sourced specimens; cast the pieces in a range of materials and finally re-assembled them into wearable objects and sculptural pieces. DeVille is well-known for combining traditional gold and silversmithing techniques with materials that were once living, such as jet, human hair and taxidermied animals. Ossuarium will examine both the structural and cultural meanings carried within the skeleton, the most tangible marker of a life lived.

 

Julia deVille -  Ring of Bones -bracelet, silver & bones

Julia deVille -  Onyx Earring with Hair

 

 

Julia deVille’s pieces are available in Coco de Mer in London. See her website for more details

 

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