Entry Submission for the New Traditional Jewellery Competition 2010, Amsterdam
The New Traditional Jewellery Competition is a bi-anual exhibition that invites jewellers to create work influenced and inspired by a traditional piece of jewellery. The 2010 theme is True Colours.
MY CHOSEN ‘TRADITIONAL’ PIECE
The traditional work that I took inspiration from was an African neckpiece from the Turkana tribe in the Rift Valley province of Kenya. It is bold, elaborate and heavily beaded and displays a depth in use of colour. I wanted to steer clear of ‘traditional’ jewellery in terms of work that displays gold silver and precious gem stones. The neckpieces worn by the Turkana women are absolutely incredible see here for more.
The work that I produced for the competition as a result of this follows.
TURKANA REAPPRAISAL, 2010
MATERIALS USED - Fine silver (999), sterling silver (925), photo picture book of Africa (Simon and Schuster, New York, 1969), brass, red, blue and white powder coating, magnet. DIMENSIONS – 260x260x70mm
CONCEPT
The Turkana Reappraisal neckpiece is made up of layers of pages from a photographic picture book of Africa to reference the original neckpiece which is made up of thick layers of leather and strands of thousands of coloured beads. The images in the layers of the new piece directly reference the people, the land and the colour that the traditional piece is from. In the new work, oversized coloured beads descend down the wearer’s back and illustrate the thousands of small beads in the original piece.
Traditional African jewellery and garments use bold colours to dictate social structures with in a tribal group or clan. Generally the Chief of a group be elaborately adorned in specifically coloured jewellery and garments so that they are clearly defined for the people and newcomers.
Colour in African costume and jewellery can also represent certain natural elements; greens depict the planes; reds mimic the earth, blue illustrates the sky, yellows represent Africa’s precious minerals and black symbolizes its dominating people. I have chosen red, blue and white for the colours of the beads in the new piece to represent the modern environment that I live in which is so far detached from the African planes. The white represents myself and the people in my family’s generation, the red is a reference to the Australian centre that is spiritual and sacred to the original indigenous inhabitants of my country before white discovery of the Australian continent, honors the fact that the original people of my country have had to struggle for independence since white discovery, an issue that is relevant to the African people who have had to live with a similar struggle when white people came to Africa. Finally, the blue beads reference the fact that we all universally share the same sky, no matter our situation and condition. The Turkana Reappraisal neckpiece directly references the traditional piece by its size and circular shape. Traditional African jewellery and garments use bold colours to dictate social structures with in a tribal group or clan. Generally the Chief of a group be elaborately adorned in specifically coloured jewellery and garments so that they are clearly defined for the people and newcomers.
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
The main body of the neckpiece is constructed using the pages of a photographic picture book of Africa. Each page is hand cut slightly smaller than the one preceding adding a three-dimensional layered quality to the piece. The pages are all held together by a fine silver clasp at the back that has been soldered and then capped onto the pages of the book to hold them into place and secure the neckpiece, this allows the viewer and wearer to open the pages and see the beautiful colored and black & white images of Africa. The clasp has been riveted onto the pages using sterling silver tube. There is a strong magnet inside the clasp that secures the two ends together. Wires of oversized, coloured beads cascade down the back from the clasp, these are made from dome formed brass that have been soldered and drilled. The surface of the beads have been finished using the technique of powder coating allowing the use of specific colours that will be lasting and durable. These are riveted into place. The underside of the clasp had been patinated black so that the bold colours of the beads stand out.
