Aussie jewelers mix fashion and tradition

By Rina Rao

JAKARTA (JP): As with any other art form, jewelry reflects life.

An ongoing exhibition of contemporary Australian jewelry is therefore worth noting for what it reflects of the country, its people and nature.

The exhibition, called Art of Adornment, is being held at the National Museum as part of the Australia Today festival.

The exhibition reflects a union of natural resources and creative ability. Over 20 jewelers from diverse backgrounds combine innovative designs with high technical skills to produce works that are imaginative, creative and full of vitality.

They have employed various materials, ranging from gold, silver, diamonds and opals to fossilized wood and emu egg shells.

All the artists represented seem to adhere to the concept of jewelry as an object with its own integrity, identity and individuality. Often the Australian environment and its natural landscape influence the works.

Gemstones and wood are used in unexpected combinations and forms, in experiments with surface texture and shapes. Vivid use of color creates energy and resonance.

Some of the brooches in stainless steel achieve lightness contrary to their size and form. These works act as a metaphor for the frailty and vulnerability of the human condition. The use of elements such as gold, silver and diamonds represents a perspective which is symbolic rather than representational.

The pendants often reflect the feminine qualities of the landscape. Caves, creek beds, rock crevices, suggesting a source of life from within the earth, are often used as inspiration. Intuitive evolution underlies such objects.

Symbolism drawn from nature is a key factor in some of the items. The spiral as a form without a beginning and an end is recurrent. This is combined with the symbolism of color, which in turn emphasizes that jewelry must accentuate the body.

Some artists favor working with hollowware forms, and approach metals as one would textiles using pleats, folds and tucks. Simplicity of form incorporates movement, twisting and changing aspects within the work.

Fluid lines and iridescent surfaces are part of the visual language of the glass jewelry. Symbolism is drawn from natural forms in earth and water, creating pieces with rich surface textures and intense color.

Diamonds

Apart from graphic symbolism, contrasting materials such as rubber and diamonds are used, as is semi-fossilized timber highlighted with gold, creating an interesting tension between precious and non-precious materials and challenging accepted methods and techniques of working. A balance of form combined with a sense of irregularity is also an attempt to break away from accepted parameters.

A series of neck pieces and fibulae reflect an interest in ancient civilizations and landscapes. Astronomical forms such as stars and planets also form the basis of some pieces. A play on opposites such as light and dark, softness and hardness, simplicity and complexity, reflects contradictory sides of human nature, often with historical or futuristic references.

Aesthetic and tactile qualities are combined. Elements of adornment are combined as a minimal approach to achieve shining results. Graphic imagery is incorporated into jewelry as subtle patterning. Simple lines and forms help achieve a linear contrast, which is used as a foil to the color contrast.

Ancient traditions like origami and chokin influence some of the pieces. Compositional elements of surfaces and spaces interact to create forms that draw attention to the space around the wearer. The result is sculpturesque.

Some of the jewelry treads a fine line between fashion and tradition, at the same time retaining the original energy of age- old symbols like the cross, stars or fish. Attractive, well- designed and highly wearable, these pieces also posses an enduring quality.

A continuous development and exploration of form and content is visible in these works. Layers of experience and a search for meaning influence most of them. Simple contemplative designs relying on the delicate balance of form, line and surface with a depth of colors and luminescence characterize the better examples in this exhibition.

The uniqueness of this show lies in the fact that the artists with a diversity of approaches search for a resolution of their ideas through a conscious exploration of personal narrative.