Anna’s eclectic work reflects a variety of influences and obsessions, exploring the sentimental nature of jewellery and the miniature object. Anna moved to Melbourne from Sydney in 1994. She has taken part in masterclasses with Karl Fritsch, Davide Bigazzi and Bettina Speckner and has taught at NMIT and Box Hill Institute of TAFE. She has also taught at the Estonian Academy of Arts during her time there as Artist in Residence in 2007. Anna has been represented by e.g.etal from its very first days and has also had two solo exhibitions at Craft Victoria.
Anna often investigates the idea of ‘Australian-ness’ with a fittingly cheeky sense of humour and resourcefulness. Brooches salvaging imagery from biscuit tins of the mid 20th century play with and subvert cultural stereotypes to investigate notions of national identity. Anna also works with gold, silver and precious and semi-precious stones, creating contemporary jewellery that carries traces of this character.
Ultra Coil ring
Kylie brooch
Kangaroo brooch
Hyacinth brooch
Coil ring
Coil ring
Ultra Coil ring
Divided Leaf earrings
Reef with Leaf earrings
Reef earrings
Reef with Leaf pendant
Precious Coil ring
Precious Persia ring
Precious Persia ring
Precious Coil ring
…I am more intrigued by the idea of “the life of the object”. Kevin Murray describes jewellery as “attaching itself to people and disengaging itself from people”. The jewellery object has a trajectory and a journey to travel in its life. In this way, jewellers can be seen as tutors of objects. We prepare the jewellery objects for the journeys they must travel.
“The impenetrability and heaviness of stone is thus at striking odds with the imagery West conjures out of their surface and substance. There is an essential play here between solidity and lightness, surface and depth, which ultimately poses an unanswerable question: how can stones float, or flowers become as lasting as geological time?” (Julie Ewington on Margaret West)
NC4 is a new Melbourne-based initiative driven by the remarkable individual practices of its founders as well as a mandate to share their collective knowledge, skills and techniques through a program of mentorships, seminars, access studios and workshops, for those with and without previous training (so there is hope for us all)…
In Anna Davern’s second Journal entry she examines the influence that British jeweller Caroline Broadhead has had on her work since studying at Sydney College of the Arts. Says Anna, “I was blown away by the way these works complemented and extended the body. And I realised that jewellery can be about the whole body and not just the finger, the ear, or (heaven forbid) the lapel!”
This is the first of four Journal entries from Anna Davern. In this entry Anna introduces a book that fundamentally changed the way she thought of jewellery; the materials used, the thoughts and feelings evoked, the way jewellery relates to the body and its potential for theatricality…
Exhibition dates: 18th March - 31st March, 2010
Opening night: Thursday 18 March, 5pm - 8pm at e.g.etal, 167 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
“…it became clear that the preciousness of this collection of work ultimately lay in the rigorous and reflective process that preceded their finished form.”
“I love to make things that people want to touch, hold and wear and my work reflects a variety of influences and obsessions. I have an interest in the sentimental nature of jewellery and the miniature object…I am also interested in investigating an idea of ‘Australian-ness’ and I enjoy playing with cultural stereotypes to investigate notions of national identity…”
As an artist there is no long-service leave, golden handshakes, gold watches and even public recognition can be hard to come by. In light of this, e.g.etal organised Christmas drinks for all our artists and the presentation of our Decade of Dedication Award to the four artists who have been with us for 10 years: Anna Davern, Camilla Gough, Nicky Hepburn and Amy Renshaw.
