Wearable Art Blog

Amber Jewelry by Pawel Kaczynski

In the spirit of my vacation to Krakow, Poland, here is the work of Pawel Kaczyński, a jewelry designer from Warsaw who's developed a unique way of combining amber with steel, silver or aluminum. Kaczyński is well known for his stunning textile-look-and-feel jewelry.

I found Kaczyński's work on the Burtsztynowy Amber Portal, which is all about amber jewelry made in Poland. 

The thread-like quality of his metalwork makes a wonderful contrast with the amber in every one of his pieces. I find the delicate/solid mix of materials lovely and fascinating. 

Here's a great quote from Kaczyński about his passion for amber: "I like raw amber. Untreated blocks (of natural amber) are like a mystery: they are original, they provoke curiousness." 

Kaczyński likes the challenge of working with amber. He wants to retain its natural character rather than making it conform to a more typical, classically beautiful form of the stone.

The amber combined with silver, aluminium, and stainless steel above adds a nice contrast to the stark metals. It's striking work, even though not in a conventional way.

Polish amber, also known as Gold of the North, is one of the most valuable types of amber and is widely available in Krakow, given its proximity to the Baltic sea.The Baltic region has about 80% of the world's known amber deposits.

Since medieval times, the production of amber jewelry has been a big business in Poland. Artisans in Gdansk (an old port on the Baltic) have long had a reputation for their outstanding craftsmanship, and today, high quality amber jewlery can be found throughout Poland. I'm hoping to buy myself an amber gift (or two) while I'm in Krakow.

Intrigued? Stay tuned. I'll be showing you more jewelry from Krakow, in the weeks to come.

In the meantime, go to Pawel Kaczyński to see more.

 

 

 

Emerald Rings by Nathalie Dmitrovic

Once a stone sculptor, now a ring designer, Nathalie Dmitrovic of France is making some amazing pieces that she refers to as "ring sculptures".

Intrigued with forms, Dmitrovic produces rings that build on her background in stone cutting and sculpture. Her silver and gold rings, with their rounded or unique geometric forms, are gorgeously futuristic.

Silver ring plated with black gold and topped with Tahiti pearls and sapphires.

Every ring she makes comes with a certificate in French which describes the name of the ring and how to take care of it. She even makes rings with stones you can choose.

White gold ring set with fuschia sapphires.

Dmitrovic studied art history in Florence and spent 10 years there as a stone sculptor. She then returned to her native Paris, where she trained at the École Boulle, a school of artistic crafts and applied design.

Silver ring plated with black gold with sapphires.

 

She says: "I want my rings to be different from other rings, yet remain wearable”. From these fabulous images, I think she's more than succeeded. But, of course, the only way to know for sure is to try one on. If only I could simply fly to her boutique in Marseille to find out!

Silver ring plated with ruthenium set with purple sapphires.

 

Aren't these just stunning? Beautiful, shiny, perfectly polished and sensual. You can see more at Nathalie Dmitrovic.

 

 

 

 

 

Once More, With Love Australia

Going to Australia? If so, you must check out the Once More, With Love show. It's a fascinating example of ethical jewelry - 21 contemporary jewelers with interests in recycled materials re-work 'with love' unwanted jewelry items donated by the Australian public.

The artists were given a 'mystery' bag of recycled items like wood, metals, and plastic costume jewelry, out of which they had to recreate a piece of jewelry.

"Scatter necklace" (below) by Melinda Young is made of lapis lazuli, sodalite, scrap acrylic, silver and silk thread.

 

 

Here's Young describing how she made this piece: "It uses materials from three of the necklaces in the bag of materials I was sent. It was an exercise in randomness - I roughly worked out the footprint of the beads and then free-cut a shape from some scrap acrylic, counted the beads and drilled 72 random holes in the acrylic (one for each bead). I selected the beads randomly and stitched them around the shape. So much fun and a direct contrast to the first piece I made for this exhibition Grid, which drove me crazy and took me weeks to make."

"Shuibuichi brooch" (below) by Jill Hermans is made from shuibuichi, a Japanese alloy that is one part silver to three parts copper and assumes a silvery gray patina when treated. Hermans has been experimenting with shuibuichi and Japanese ideals of beauty.

 

Simon Cottrell uses predominantly monel (a hard nickel-copper alloy) in his work. The ring below is described with humor, in Cottrell's words: "Gold shiny sparkle polite, with impolite eruptions of 18ct gold, diamonds, monel cast-offs from my own work."

 

 

"Cameo" brooch (below) by Regina Middleton is made of an assortment of materials like electrical wire, shell, coral, cameo, pearls (both fake and real). Middleton is an 'ethical' jewelry who routinely uses cast off items in her work.

 

Sun God" necklace by Melissa Cameron is made of saw-pierced brass and steel cable (below). Cameron saw pierces recycled objects by hand using of a variety of materials, from thick stainless steel plate to thin pressed tin. Cameron likes geometry and symmetrical patterns.

 

Aren't these great pieces? They're all appealing and stand on their own, despite being made out of recycled materials. 

Once More, With Love is now at Studio 20/17 in Sydney through August 18.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Badges & Buttons, Waistcoats & Vests at Velvet da Vinci

There's a cute jewelry show this summer at Velvet da Vinci in San Francisco that explores the artistry of badges. What do you think of when you see the word 'badge'? Are they a symbol of authority or something else? I selected some 'no authority' badges to make this a fun post.

Vest and Man's Man Badges are by Marissa Saneholtz (below). She's inspired by comic book characters.

The adorable dog badges by Jane Wells Harrison (below) are my favorite pieces from the show. 

I like that Harrison's newspaper print is such a natural element of the design. Harrison explains: "Materials that invite me include paper ephemera, paint, vintage tin, liquid enamels, wax, and encaustic. I am attracted to the small format and the meditative process of making." These pieces are like miniature collages.

Megan McGaffigan's Medal of Tamerlan Badge is a standout because it's pretty, with its pearls and handsome horse drawing. It's one of the more feminine badges on display, making it a nice change from the more officious looking badges in the show.

How do you like the funny faces in the "Life Vest" by Michael Brennand-Wood of the UK (below)? He describes himself as an artist with a keen interest in textiles, lace, embroidery and patterning. Since the early 1990s Brennand-Wood has held numerous exhibitions and worked as a lecturer, curator and arts consultant.

The curators at VdV did a great job gathering an eclectic mix of materials and styles here. Don't miss this fun show at Velvet da Vinci running through August 26, 2012.

 

Albion 2080 by Margot Bowman

Margot Bowman is an artist, DJ, and designer just out of school and is already making her mark. Not only is she the Creative Director of The Estethica Review, a magazine focusing on sustainable fashion, but she's also created a collection of hand-painted up-cycled, vintage pieces, some of which are shown here.

Bowman's collection, Albion 2080, is about clothes for British women of the future, when the world will be a very different place and society returns to a quasi-tribal existence, with limited material and resources. In Bowman's view, new-age women (and men) in 2080 will express their individuality through marking their clothing.

Bowman hand paints each of these pieces herself. The red, white and blue themes are playful, upbeat and brash, allowing plenty of room for the future modern women's self-expression.

Bowman says, "Living in London my whole life has taught me everything I know about sub-cultures, the power of fashion as language to differentiate and communicate a sense of individuality and community." You can see this effect in the style of her painting - very informal and lively and just plain fun. 

From an interview on Not Just a Label, Bowman talks about the influence her mother has had on her work: "My Mum Is called Dr. Jolly and she taught me everything about a respect of craft. She’s not interested in fancy labels, just good quality - the human touch in an increasingly faceless world." You can see clearly here how Bowman has internalized and applied this artistic vision.

I think this work is highly unusual - a collection based on hand-painted clothing, with a real "wow effect" in every piece. They're really outstanding that way.

Intrigued? You can see more at Not Just a Label and Margot Bowman.