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…
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)…
This week’s Journal entry sees Phoebe Porter concluding her tour of the Abbotsford Convent, one of Melbourne’s creative hubs, brimming with beautiful architecture, creative excellence and also home to Phoebe’s studio.
We recently commissioned seven artists to make a piece of jewellery. Their brief was simple: take an item once belonging to an e.g.etal staff member and recycle, recreate, re-imagine it. These items came with their own story, were given a new one by each artist and now they wait for their new owners. We’ll be handing these pieces onto new owners via our Facebook page.
Creativity is a strange creature. It’s the combination of every experience we have: art, memory, technology, family, design, history, love, loss, knowledge, nature, language, and so on…with this in mind, we introduce Journal; an insight into the gossamer threads that are woven together to give life to a rich creative vision.
The inaugural Journal entry sees Phoebe Porter taking us on a tour of the Abbotsford Convent, one of Melbourne’s creative hubs, brimming with beautiful architecture, creative pursuit and also home to Phoebe’s studio.
“I suppose as a result of studying and working within psychology I’m quite analytical about my creative process and the creative process in general. I often think about how it translates to understanding yourself in a wider context. For me the creative process is time to contemplate and time for personal expression…”
“I think in the past people used stories a lot more to understand their own human condition. It helps explain what we go through, and I think we’ve always done that…in our modern world we’re a little bit…well, we’ve somewhat lost touch with those things. I like to make jewellery that can resonate with someone and their own story—giving them space to think about where their story fits in with things…”
Looking back at the breadth and depth of work produced for our exhibition program this year is staggering. Over the course of nine months we have presented nine exhibitions by outstanding contemporary jewellers…
“I believe to entwine different cultures into jewellery is a way to carry those cultures and memories with you, no matter where you are on this planet. It is also a way to share those experiences with people around you.”
e.g.etal recently hosted an evening in which we presented a collection of over 100 precious gems from all over the world. The gallery became a studio in which Katherine Bowman, Julia deVille and Emma Goodsir explored ideas, designs and stories with clients who chose a stone (or stones) to form the basis for pieces of jewellery.
