Output details
34 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
Birmingham City University
Flock Together
This collection of related brooches, located within contemporary art jewellery, comprises four series: ‘Flock Together,’ ‘Connected’, ‘Double Bubble’ and ‘Target the Heart’.
Highly innovative within its field the collection challenges conventional notions of jewellery in its concept, design, visual aesthetic, materials and techniques. This is because the materials and processes explored are industrial in nature and are not traditionally or typically related to the discipline. The researcher integrates different processes and it is the combination of these which offers a new visual aesthetic for jewellery. The work has been seen internationally across Spain, Japan, UK, China and Italy in exhibitions, publications and on websites.
‘Flock Together’ (created 2009) exhibited at Paradigma 2 in China and at the Goldsmiths Craft and Design Council, Craftsmanship and Design Awards (received a ‘Silver Award for Gallery Jewellery’)
‘Connected’ (created 2009) exhibited at Paradigma in UK and Spain and also Paradigma 2 in China
‘Double Bubble’ (created 2011/12) in the publication: Jewel Book - International Annual of Contemporary Art Jewellery (2012/13)
‘Target the Heart’ (created 2011/12) honorable mention at Cominelli Foundation's International Competition for Contemporary Jewellery exhibition, Italy (2012) organized by the Foundation and the AGC Contemporary Jewellery Association (43 artists selected by an international jury).
Technical processes new to jewellery were pioneered, including, dye sublimation. Two-dimensional images manipulated in Photoshop were printed onto clear plastic transfer sheets and then placed within a sublimation ‘pictaflex’ machine where the inks were three-dimensionally transferred into the cast resin components of the ‘Connected’ and ‘Target the Heart’ series. Also introduced was the use of haptic software and rapid prototyping in a high density engineering foam before flocking.
Innovations exhibited included double brooches, originated by the researcher and uniquely consisting of two-part sculptural forms in which no traditional attachments are evident.