EXPO ‘Diamonds & Dead Things’ – MINT, London (UK) – 7-31 Mai 2011

Diamonds & Dead Things Exhibition
an exhibition, recreating the wonder of the cabinets of curiosities of the past.

In the beginning of May we are putting up our first Diamonds & Dead Things exhibition at MINT in London. See all the details on the flyer below… Hope to see you there!

Kelly McCallum and Märta Mattsson, graduates of the Royal College of Art are exciting new artists, updating the cabinet of curiosities for a new audience; by injecting their collections with humour, glamour and a twist of Victoriana. Their love of taxidermy and obscuring the expected united these talented artists, to collaborate, starting with a workshop in Poland last summer.

The collection is a modern twist on taxidermy through the use of semi-precious stones and metals that bring the jewellery to life as objects of beauty and astonishment. These miniature objects of delight, feature stones such as black diamonds and pink sapphires or embellishments with gold such as delicate moustaches or glasses, whilst others are encased in golden resins or merged with vintage wallpapers, or sprinkled with luminous malachite creating unique and captivating treasures.

Kelly McCallum- ‘ Colonol James Blashford’

Kelly McCallum- ‘Lady Wilamina Cartwright’

Kelly McCallum-  ‘Admiral Gustav Ullrich’

Kelly McCallum’s works explores personalities and humour, naming her pieces with titles such as ‘Lord Alfred Turnbull’ or ‘Lady Willamina Cartwright’ evokes a playfulness; a touch of whimsy, in the case of Lady Willamina Cartwright who sports a moustache. Each piece assumes a personality, allowing the viewer or the wearer to create a story for them. Whether they are a funny little friend on your lapel or a brilliant way to start a conversation, they will capture your imagination.

Marta Mattson- Brooch: Rebirth – Copper electroformed Atlas beetle, white cubic zirconias, lacquer silver

Marta Mattson- ‘Rhino Beetle’ Brooch - Copper electroformed Rhino beetle, cubic zirconias, lacquer, silver

 

Examining the tensions between attraction and repulsion through her works, Märta Mattsson hopes to translate ordinary and familiar objects into extraordinary and unfamiliar. Taking reference from the eighteenth century cabinets of curiosities, Märta brings new life to the creatures in her work, allowing her audiences to rediscover their beauty whilst reminding them that once they were considered extraordinary and to be marvelled at.

 

 

MINT shop
2 North Terrace
Alexander square
London SW3 2BA (UK)

http://www.mintshop.co.uk/

EXPO ‘Ring a Day – 65 artists. 1 year. 365 rings’ – Punch Gallery, Seattle (USA) – 5-29 Mai 2011

Ring a Day
65 artists. 1 year. 365 rings.

May 5 – 29, 2011

Opening Reception: 5 – 8pm
First Thursday, May 5, 2011

As a tie-in to the annual SNAG (Society of North American Goldsmiths) conference, PUNCH presents this totally RAD (Ring a Day) exhibition showcasing 365 rings, accompanied by select photographs to illustrate the diverse, creative and inspiring rings artists have made from Day 1 to Day 365.

Colleen Baran, Kathryn Cole, Shannon Conrad, Nina Gibson and Sara Westermark juried RAD from over 16,000 rings (!!!) submitted to the Ring a Day group on Flickr. The exhibition features 65 international artists with work ranging from ephemeral and conceptual art rings to functional jewelry in both alternative and classic materials.

(Ring 100, Victoria Takahashi, April 10, 2010 – wood, mixed metals, polymer clay, dyed feather, acorn cap)

This project was an open challenge to metalsmiths and other artists across the globe to make one ring a day out of any material for the entire year of 2010. Over the course of the year artists continually added rings, new artists joined the group, ideas morphed into new ideas, artists played off the ideas of other artists, and materials were used in new and unexpected ways. On a daily basis, rings were created, photographed, and posted to the Ring a Day Flickr group. The majority of the artists represented discovered the project through social media networks like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, blogs and word of mouth. This project reflects a population of metalsmiths and jewelry makers who are facile with current online technology.

Ring a Day is part of the Society of North American Goldsmith’s yearly conference; an event that brings together 800+ visitors from around the world for exhibitions, artist’s talks, trunk shows and more. SNAG is an international educational non-profit organization that supports and advances the professional practice of artists, designers, jewelers and metalsmiths.

 

Thanks to the RING A DAY blog I got the list of exhibiting artists !!
Ashley Akers
Sabine Amtsberg
Loren Angulo
Maria Apostolou
Erin Austin
Meg Auth
Angela Baduel-Crispin
Colleen Baran
Inbar Barbaket
Laurie Brown
Kathleen Brughelli
Maureen Brusa-Zappellini
Catherine Chandler
Kathryn Cole
Kerry Alice Collins
Shannon Conrad
Jennifer Culp
Beth Cyr
Casey Daurio
Trudie Davies
Lisa Dienst-Thomas
Nina Dinoff
Thomasin Durgin
Laura Flavin
Renee Ford
Nina Gibson
Lynne Glazzard
Natalia Gomensoro
Heather Goodwin
Lora Hart
Sarah Hood
Chris Irick
Alice Istanbul
Norsola Johnson
Sarah Loertscher
Marthe Le Van
Kate Jones
Maggie Joynt
Evelyn Markasky
Bill Martin
Marta Miguel Martínez-Soria
Denise McCoy
Alisa Miller
Danielle Miller
Carrie Nunes
Margaret O’Brien
Marta Sanchez Oms
Paul Phillips
Calan Ree
Kathryn Riechert
Andrea Ring
Lígia Rocha
Kathi Roussel
Kest Schwartzman
Ponsawan Silas
Mike Stromberg
Rachelle Stromberg
Victoria Takahashi
Leslie Tinnaro
Susan Trindle (= »Quercus Silver » !)
Mary Lu Wason
Emily Watson
Sara Westermark
Dee Wilder
Jaqki Withycombe

(go to see the pictures on the blog ! INCREDIBLE things … well, RINGS !)

The Ring a Day project, initially proposed by artist Nina Dinoff, was intended as a challenge to set a daily routine of exploration

Susan Trindle (the mysterious »Quercus Silver » !)

Maria Apostolou

Thomasin Durgin‘s « Crown of Thorns Cilice Ring » RAD 31

Thomasin Durgin (a.k.a. Metal Riot)

 

 

PUNCH Gallery
119 Prefontaine Place South
Seattle, Washington 98104 (USA)
tel [phone]
[e-mail]

 

BOOK :

Ring a Day – by  Marthe Le Van – LarkCrafts Ed. – 256 pp
publication date : sept. 2011

 

COUP de COEUR : Katie SCHUTTE ….. « in the deepest part of the oceans »

Katie Schutte

« My work is the result of uniting two unrelated areas of art and focusing on the exploration and execution of crochet techniques as methods for working with materials and processes associated with jewelry, enameling and metalsmithing.  By merging the craft of crochet with metal, I work to blur the separation of what is considered fine art and craft. At the same time, I am examining the value that contemporary society places on traditional women’s work by using crochet techniques and items to create objects and wearables from precious and non-precious materials. 

            By the end of the 19th century, traditional crochet items and the technique itself had come to be viewed by European and American society as valuable sought after status symbols.  However, as years progressed, crochet lost its importance and was eventually relegated to the status of ‘kitsch’, and continues to keep that connotation despite a renewal of interest in the technique.  As a result, crochet, like many other traditional feminine crafts, is undervalued in current society.
            Society’s notion of value also extends to the materials that compose any particular object. The pieces I have crocheted are either made from silver and plique-a-jour enamel or are discarded steel wire coated with plastic, while works incorporating imagery from found doilies are composed entirely of enamel.  Metal and corresponding techniques generally imply value but the type of metal itself can reduce the perceived worth, especially in an item worn on the body.  However, large and vibrant body adornment, even when constructed from ‘cheap’ materials like plastic, evokes a sense of high fashion, which carries undertones of preciousness by society’s standards.  Like past crocheted objects and adornment, which was once considered high fashion, these pieces can connote high social status and access to material wealth even when made from materials and processes that would be banal on their own.« 

Katie Schutte – Sabellida Motif Collar - Crocheted and powder coated found wire. 2010

« I use crochet as a method for working with metal. The form of this piece was inspired by the bright red tube worms that live in the deepest part of the oceans. »

Katie Schutte – crocheted brooch 

Katie Schutte -  Clypeasteroida Motif Neckpiece – Crocheted found wire, powder coating. 2010
« ….  These forms are based off of organisms found in the scientific group that includes sea urchins and sand dollars. »

Katie Schutte – Purple Ring – Crocheted found wire, powder coating, cubic zirconia. 2010

« ... This is one of my first pieces where I am combining just crocheted wire with the bright plastic coloring of  powdercoating »

Katie Schutte – Wire Ring V – crocheted wire, cubic zirconia

Katie Schutte – ring V – Crocheted and powder coated wire, cubic zirconia.

Katie Schutte – ring

Katie Schutte – blue ring – crocheted, electroformed, and powdercoated found wire, cubic zirconia

 

EXPO ‘The Spirit of Stone’ – South-Karelia Museum, Lappeenranta (Finland) – 8 Mai 2011-8 Janv 2012

The Spirit of Stone event will bring to Lappeenranta an exhibition, 
workshops and lectures, related to stones and jewellery. Theme of the event is the spirit, mythic and power of the stone. The Spirit of Stone 
is organized in cooperation with Kalevala Jewelry
 (Kalevala Koru) and South-Karelia Museum.The exhibition called The Spirit of Stone will present the prehistory of the stone and some of the best works from the international competition for art jewelry students.The exhibition also includes an invitation exhibition for jewelry artists around the world and a stone jewellery exhibition of Kalevala Koru.

Invited artists:
Piret Hirv, Eve Margus, Kadri Mälk, Ulla Ahola, Tarja Lehtinen, Terhi Tolvanen, Tarja Tuupanen, David Bielander, Iris Bodemer, Helen Britton, Ute Eitzenhöfer, Karl Fritsch, Deborah Rudolph, Bettina Speckner, Charlotta de Syllas, Gijs Bakker, Herman Hermsen, Ruudt Peters, Slawomir Fijalkowski, Dorota Kos, Lucia Babjakova, Fabrice Schaefer

Herman Hermsen: Slice of jewellery

Kadri Mälk: brooch « Väga süüdi « 

Ute Eitzenhöfer – brooch – Mixed media (labradorite)

Dorota Kos (PL) amber necklace

Bettina Speckner – brooch -Tourmalines, white gold 750

Iris Bodemer ring – Silver, beryl – 2010

Deborah Rudolph – necklace- rock crystal, silver

Ulla Ahola – Rintakoru. 2010

Bettina Speckner brooch

 

 

Spirit of Stone – symposium
The Spirit of Stone event will bring to Lappeenranta an exhibition,
workshops and lectures, related to stones and jewellery. Theme of the event is the spirit, mythic and power of the stone. (…)
Place: Saimaa University of Applied Sciences (Lappeenranta, Finland)
Dates :  6 & 7 Mai 2011 (lectures will be in english)
Saimaa University of Applied Sciences
Pohjolankatu 23
53101 – Lappeenranta
Finland
Telephone: [phone]
website: www.saimia.fi/spiritofstone
mail: [e-mail]

 

 

Workshop : Helena Lehtinen: Cameo
Cameo is a traditional piece of jewellery which has its origins in seals.
 During history it has been in and out of fashion in courts in Europe. Nowdays it is usually a red-white silhuet of a lady, most often worn by eldery ladies.
Reflecting to what this classical piece of jewellery has been in the past, students will search cameo´s meaning today. 
What it has been, what it could be? Is there any significancy left, what it could present in today´s society / to today´s people?
 What is your cameo? 
With new materials and way of working students will create new traditions in cameos. 
Working with stone is possible in the workshop.
Lead by jewellery artist Helena Lehtinen,
 assistant Tarja Tuupanen
Cameo is a part of The Spirit of Stone event that will bring to Lappeenranta an exhibition,
 work-shops and lectures, related to stones and jewellery. Theme of the event is the spirit, mythic and power of the stone. The Spirit of Stone
is organized in cooperation with Kalevala Jewelry 
(Kalevala Koru) and South-Karelia Museum.
Place: South-Karelia Museum, Lappeenranta, Finland
Price: 100€ (not including materials nor meals)
Dates : 2 – 5 Mai 2011, four days.
To apply to a workshop you have to fill an on-line application. To the workshop will be selected 10-15 participants. 
Deadline for application is 15th of April, 2011. All accepted participants will receive detailed information. Upon receiving your on-line application we shall confirm you that it has reached us.

Helena Lehtinen – cameo brooch

 

 

 

South-Karelia Museum
Kristiinankatu 15
53900 – Lappeenranta
Finland
Telephone: [phone]
website: www.saimia.fi/spiritofstone
mail: [e-mail]