gold...

I can't believe that I haven't seen this before.

Its 48.52mins of GOLD (well of thinking gold).

This, I think will be my next project

(when I finish the last one - ha.)

An Australian/New Zealand response.

Grab a beer, a pen (or pencil if you prefer), some paper (or notebook) and watch it.

let me know what you think.

schmuck 2010

actual schmuck images and words about schmuck coming soon.......

Homework

homework - new jewellery by mark vaarwerk made from everyday materials

curated by zoe brand

In the MailBox was a soap coupon.

gaffa atrium

Vernon Bowden

Melinda Young

Zoe Brand

my Office

gaffa-a-go-go

Its almost upon us, the inaugural launch of the new gaffa precinct.

Who would have thought you could get paid to do what you love? I'm still in shock.

Hope you can make it.

I'll post some images when its all a-go-go.

Cheers.

104-113/365

My camera died. RIP. So you will just have to deal with crappy PhotoBooth images. sorry.

113 - "cake? i've only ever heard of bread" - Bought material (a fake bread mobile phone decoration bought with the encouragement of MY and MV at the amazing japanese store that is right next door the the new gaffa) and bought finding.

112 - "squirrel in a tree"- Reclaimed Material (plastic squirrel that was a decoration on my sisters christmas present from SHB, saved from big bad plastic rubbish bag) and Found Material (a branch that had fallen off a christmas wreath from my work)

111 - "pop pop pop" - Reclaimed material - (Champagne wires) and bought finding.

110 - "my spoon, is too small" - Gifted material - (plastic spoons that look to nice to be found on an airplane) and bought findings.

109 - "scotch while serving customers" - Reclaimed material (drink stirrer that was in a drink that was 'forced' upon me by the cafe next door to where I work as an early christmas eve celebration, painted orange) and bought finding.

108 - Gifted material from Kristin (These little green balls are getting around, they have found some great new homes as little christmas presents to so many people)

107 - "Golden Speech" - Found Item (a gold earring, but when I saw it lying on the pavement it looked just like this perfect little golden speech bubble)

106 - Reclaimed material (plastic doily table cloth) and bought finding

105 - "you rock, rock" - Found Material (found while out walking around the lake in canberra) and bought finding.

104 - "eye eye key" - Gifted Material (plastic cap rings from bottles of contactlense cleaner, blue and yellow key identifier)

two thousand and zen

Happy New Year and welcome to my new home.

As of the 1st of February, I will practically be living at gaffa. I'll be running the ground floor retail area as well as a galley space (Keeper Gallery) on Level 2.

But really can one complain? a roof top garden, cafe and 3 levels of awesome.

Here is my formal spiel:

Since its inception in 2006, Gaffa Gallery has provided a creative space for emerging and established artists and designers. As an integral part of its move to Sydney’s CBD in early 2010, Gaffa will open the doors on a dedicated Jewellery and Object retail store.

At present we are looking for Jewellers, Ceramists, Glass Artists and Object makers to be represented in the retail store. We aim to showcase remarkable and exciting work, with importance placed strongly on quality craftsmanship and innovative and interesting design.

If you are interested in having your wares showcased in our retail outlet, please feel free to tell us a little more about yourself and your practice. Please provide a brief bio (200 words), a ONE page CV and some images of your production line (max 5 images) along with a word document of captions details (title, materials and retail prices). NB. Please make sure the size of your attachments does not exceed a total of 1MB.

With the opening of its inaugural exhibition, "Fidelity", the Gaffa Gallery precinct will open to the public on the evening of Thursday the 11th February 2010 at 6pm.

If you are interested in retail representation or exhibiting in Keeper Gallery please feel free to e-mail me.

zoe@gaffa.com.au

ps. my camera died... so I promise you'll get some more 365 brooches soon. Just have to find a moment in the busy busy busy busyness to fix the camera.

feast.

feast is stuffed.

Holey Mackerel!

Only that I thought about checking through my junk mail last night, did I stumble upon an e-mail from one Stuart Bannocks of the UK. The subject line read "Broaching Brooch or Badge", that seemed pretty harmless, so I marked it as safe and proceed to click on the link that was presented to me.

This is what was waiting for me at the other end. (Link)

Stuart has been making a Badge a day since the 11 May 2009. About 20 days before I decided to start mine. Stuart is a designer and has no jewellery experience despite the fact he went to a school in the uk called Goldsmiths (apparently they don't even have jewellery as a subject - how cool is that).

Now for the moment, I feel like I'm in a bit of a non place. This guys stuff rocks. It smacks of character and awesome ideas. Truthfully I feel a little inadequate and gobsmacked by the whole thing.

Badge v brooch.

Stuart has been making badges, and I, have been making brooches. Is there much difference in it? Is something only something because you choose to call it that (Ruudt Peters anyone?)??

Much of what Stuart has been making are badges (round plastic covered button with prefabricated parts), but there are clearly times when he pushes the idea and medium and they no longer stay a badge but perhaps become a brooch or something else entirely.

Either way, he has started a dialogue, and who doesn't love one of those.

Check him out (link)!

103/365

103 - "cherryub" - Bought material (gold plastic christmas decorations) and Given Material (fake cherries given by the wonderful A Mi - thanks lady)

ps. I have some very scary looking little gold cherub heads sitting on my bench, what shall I do with them...

102/365

102 - "my other Brooch is a Ted Noten" - Outsourced materials/making (custom made badges bought through etsy)

Since I had no control over the making of these badges, just what was to be written on them, I was a little disappointed when I received them (all the way from the US of A) that they were not made very well. I wanted them to be so shiny and perfect, just like a Noten brooch, but alas they look a little rough around the edges (one is actually missing its plastic cover). On further consideration, i'm starting to embrace their faults, because they are nothing like a Noten brooch, and thats kind of the point.

Now these are in an Limited Edition off 11 and I'm willing to trade. What have you got worth one of these super collectable and desirable badges?

So, what do you say?

Just what I thought, you would love too.

For the Love of the Brooch

A few months ago I was approach by the lovely ladies from Studio 20/17 to curate a special satellite Christmas show for them. Feast, which is due to open in a little over 3 weeks (YIKES!) on the 20th Dec, has been a great experience and huge learning curve.

Invited participants include established and emerging jewellers from Australia and also a promising fresh crop of exciting and experimental works from New Zealander jewellers.

Two of these New Zealanders (Sharon Fitness & Lynsay Raine) have been keeping a close eye on my 365 project and in an inspired moment came up with a particularly nifty brooch idea.

"Here is a brooch that Sharon made today, after an exciting car, train, walk, bus, walk journey into work today. Inspired by the need to have your ticket ready for the transport people at every train stop. We thought you might like it."

Absolutely! Keep them coming!

I hope you are all enjoying this festive season, I've been cracking on with some pretty ugly christmas decorations as my material of choice, so look out soon for lots of gold and glittery brooches to come.

Cheers - Z

101/365

101 - Reclaimed Material (Styrofoam packing bits) and Given Material (green wooden balls) and Bought findings.

100/365

100 - "only 265 more to go - better eat my sausages and eggs" - Bought Material (plastic food, from the super chef's play set) and bought finding.

99/365

99 - Reclaimed Material (small felt pom poms) and bought cameo finding.

98/365

98 - "an eraser - for when you need to erase things" - Reclaimed Material (sold as a 'toy' that you can put in DIY christmas crackers - "wow what did you get in your bonbon? an eraser?! COOL") and a bought finding.

97/365

97 - Reclaimed Material (cut from the cardboard packaging of christmas decorations) and Bought finding.

96/365

96 - Reclaimed Material (plastic cocktail things that sit on the edge of your cup) and a bought finding.

95/365

95 - Reclaimed Material (the cardboard bits left over when you punch out a hole - these ones came from rolls of christmas ribbon) and bought finding.

94/365

94 - "U-G-L-Y" - Found Material (orange plastic string), Epoxy Resin and bought finding.

NB. This is really really ugly.

93/365

93 - Found Material (piece of really beat up plastic - found while on a road trip with Albert and Mark) and bought finding (couldn't resist the gold)

92/365

92 - "stay gold, ponyboy, stay white gold" - Bought Material (acrylic sign), Stainless Steel and Aluminum.

91/365

91 - "Homage to David Neale" - Bought Material (papermache reindeer (20cm)) and Stainless Steel

Sorry for all these weird homages - but sometimes one must tip ones hat in the direction of perfection.