Contemporary jewellery design is a beautiful but strange beast. It’s not quite fashion, not quite sculpture, not quite object design, but it often crosses over into all three; it is hard to define. While this is often its attraction, it also makes for a confusing and vague pathway for young designers hoping to forge a career in the industry. Unlike fashion, which maintains the runway event as a platform to showcase the work of designers, be they established or emerging, the opportunities for jewellery designers are not so readily apparent.
Few people know a lot about contemporary jewellery design, let alone the work of up-and-coming New Zealand jewellers. A new exhibition, which opens at Sydney’s Studio 20/17 gallery on Tuesday 9 August, aims to change all that.
The brainchild of contemporary artist and jeweller, Peter Deckers, 'Handshake: Prentice and Prodigy' has paired 12 New Zealand jewellery design graduates with their ‘hero’, providing the newcomers with the opportunity for the collaboration of a lifetime.
There are some serious jewellery heavyweights involved in this project – including a long-time personal favourite, the German-born Karl Fritsch, and Italy’s Fabrizio Tridenti, whose highly technical works resemble relics of an industrial wasteland. Handshake showcases the unique results of collaboration between these world-renowned masters and the most promising, fresh talents to emerge from New Zealand in the last few years.
I had a chat to curator Peter Deckers, mentor Andrea Wagner (Amsterdam), and protégé Neke Moa, about sewing the seeds of a new generation of jewellery designers, how other aspiring jewellers out there might make their mark, and what it was like working with the ‘other’ Karl.
Peter, what gave you the idea for the Handshake exhibition and what is it all about?
PD: This project follows on from another project, called HandStand (2009), which was an exhibition for emerging New Zealand artists, and my knowledge of a few talents around New Zealand, who I like to help by providing opportunities for them.
At the start of 2011, I invited selected graduate jewellers to name the artists that most inspire them. I then approached these distinguished and internationally established jewellery and art icons, offering them the opportunity to act as mentors in this collaborative two-year project. The response was an enthusiastic ‘yes’ from the 12 idols. The result? A lively website, touring exhibitions, a catalogue, and an exceptional learning experience for all involved.
How did you select the graduates participating in the exhibition?
PD: To give this mentoring program the best chance of success, careful consideration was given to the selection of mentees. The 12 mentees, who are all not longer than four years away from their last study, were selected according to the artist’s output, recent exhibitions, and their depth of ideas.
Andrea, what role has technology played in the mentoring process and how has it encouraged a greater sense of connection among the international jewellery community?
AW: Our life as we knew it a good 15 years ago has permanently been changed and rearranged by the Internet. It unleashes a daily flood of information and has united jewellers around the globe. The rapid technological advancements of the digital cloud, easily enables the teachers of today to accept positions across country borders and on other continents.
Obviously though, the power potential of "the cloud" still lies largely untapped. Which is why when I was invited to be mentor to one of the participating HandShake jewellers eleven time zones away, it seemed such an utterly logical undertaking that I couldn't but wonder why such a project had not been organised earlier. For an emerging jeweller to have the opportunity to consult closely with one of their favourite jewellers is an incredibly enriching experience on its own. For it to take place from a distance represented a compelling challenge for both parties, that I didn't want to miss.
What are the benefits of collaborative, as opposed to solitary, practice?
AW: When I follow the blog entries of the mentees I notice a development in which they move away from their initial working style, slowly embracing a different approach to working. Many have begun pursuing more open-minded experimentation, leading them away from the safety of the way they previously worked.
Personally, I am a huge fan of Karl Fritsch's work, and was excited to hear about his role in this exhibition. As such an internationally respected jeweller, what was it like having him involved in this project and how would you describe his approach to jewellery design?
PD: I’ve known Karl for some time and he has always been very approachable. His view is down to earth, unpretentious, full of humour, respectful and unique. Neke Moa (his protégé) attended the first workshop he gave at Whitireia, and they have kept in contact ever since.
NM: I would have to say it is a great privilege to have Karl as my mentor for the Handshake project. I have known him for about 7 years now and our friendship has grown through a lot of fun times. He brings great enthusiasm and humour and his work speaks for itself. There are no boundaries with Karl, only the self imposed ones! I believe this is also the way he creates his jewellery, it always amazes me where he gets his ideas – he is always looking, noticing, living and soaking up everything around him.
Finally, Peter, you have enjoyed a successful career as an artist and jeweller yourself. What advice would you give to aspiring jewellery designers out there?
PD: There are always three ingredients to success and that is based on a very strong bond: PVA, which means: Passion, Vision and Action. Those three need to be connected and the rest will follow.
My advice is not to look sideways, but to look ahead and see what can be changed, what ideas can be explored differently. I believe in taking risks and innovation, and to me that is what everybody should adopt, so that we do not get stale, fall into a routine or adopt a ‘house’ style.
Young jewellers should look into what is happening in all of the arts. It is like learning a new language; first you learn a couple of words, a few sentences, but after a while you are able to describe complex constructs without thinking of the words or grammar. ‘Contemporary jewellery’ is still in its infant years. Lately we have seen a surge of new talents from all around the world. We will see that contemporary jewellery is not so elitist anymore and it will find quick ways of growing new audiences. However, the danger I think is that our economic reality sometimes forces us to make hard choices…
Handshake, part of Sydney Design Week 2011, runs from 9-21 August 2011 at Studio 20/17 Gallery, 6B/2 Danks St, Waterloo, NSW. For more information on the project and to read individual artist blogs, visit the Handshake website.