222 Grips for a Stone (22-26) Handles

Further musings on the found object which is continued from last week where I was pondering on the readymade which resulted in the assemblages below .....

#25 of 222 Grips for a Stone detail

#25 of 222 Grips for a Stone

The clay object in the image above bares marks of its function and use and traces of the lives who have handled it. Finger prints of unknown people have left their trace, embedded and imprinted on the earthenware clay. The latch too, shows traces of wear. Green discolouration on the brass suggests the age of the object because it has acquired a patina of time. The rusty water marks show that it has been exposed to the damp with other iron objects, and it possibly was immersed in water for a prolonged period for the rust marks to be transferred onto the brass. 

The objects have become endowed with interiority and a memory, things become stories of people, work and lives (Frow 273). 

These traces allude to the presence of absence. The finger prints point to an absence of the people who made, handled and shaped the clay. The patina on the latch suggests the once presence of water and dampness. Both contain a sense of geological and human time.  

#23 of 222 Grips for a Stone

#24 of 222 Grips for a Stone

#26 of 222 Grips for a Stone

Whilst the works in these images are not finished (the clay needs to be fired, the handles attached, and ideally I would like to suspend them from the ceiling)  it gives you the idea of what I am working on at the moment.

View from my studio

We have been experiencing some delightful autumn weather, and I captured the quintessential Haligonian view from my studio:  cruise ship, tug, and a transport carrier of some description.

Frow, J. A Pebble, a Camera, A Man Who Turns into a Telegraph Pole, Critical Inquiry Vol. 28, No. 1. Chicago: University of Chicago Journals, Autumn 2001)  

Pioneer Landscape Ring

Our second major assignment for Advanced Techniques in jewellery was to create a sculptural ring that incorporated tube settings.

Continuing to explore my interest in pioneering Australia I chose to design a ring that referenced the landscape. I was also looking to incorporate other materials and so I wanted to work with plexiglass and also parts of an antique saw blade I had acquired.

Pioneer Landscape Sculptural Ring detail

Working with my fascination of light and transparency I used the plexiglass to create mountain landscapes, with sections of the saw blade to refer to the manual labour required to eek out an existence in the Australian bush. The silver casing was textured to also refer to the terrain.

I carved rough hewn nails in wax that were then cast in silver. These became the place to slide your fingers through and are in essence the 'ring' part of the sculpture.

Originally I was planning to set gems in the rivet holes that hold the plexiglass and saw blades within the sterling silver casing, however as the design progressed this was not possible. So I added the chain which connects to a cast silver nail at one end, and the end of the saw blade at the other. The chain can be wrapped around the wrist with the saw and nail dangling like charms from a charm bracelet. 

It was onto this piece of steel that I fused 24k gold spots, soldered the silver tubes and set Andalusite gems within them. Andalusite is a beautiful stone that looks green in some lights, and a light pink in others.  

It was incredibly exciting to be working with found objects, rusty steel and gold and it has led to many ideas that I wish to explore! 

End of Semester Summary

My first semester in the MFA program for studio was with Professor Gary Markle. Gary is the Head of the Fashion studio at NSCAD and he has extensive experience working in New York in fashion, film and sculpture. He was the ideal professor to work with given my interdisciplinary nature and desire to explore ideas across a range of materials.

Lichen was the launching point for a series of investigations and I represented shapes found within the lichen using paper, the lids of tins and enamel (a whole blog post was written about the enamel necklace here). The pieces also continue to reference my interest in pioneers and the isolation they experienced.

Continuing to explore my interest in women's domestic objects I made some thimbles and experimented combining porcelain with crochet and gold lustre.

Continuing to play with domestic kitchenware I was interested to see what happened when you filled the void with rocks, thinking about sense of place and your ties or attachments to a geographic location. 

Living in Canada enables me to objectively look at my Australian history and heritage. I am interested in how our ties to the past inform our present and I am exploring this through the imagery of cameos, chain and branches.

This final piece is still in the middle of being created. Originally a porcelain tea cup, it has been broken and pieced back together. All attached by a silver chain. Here I am interested in the notions of sentimentality and how we place such importance on fragile objects. 

All these ideas seem quite disparate at the moment although I am hoping to distill their essence in my next semester next year. Its going to be quite the journey! 

Enamelling: Collaborative Assignment Stage 4

We are up to the final stage where my original piece gets returned.....

I was so excited to get it back to see what changes had been made to it.

One side, the front with a green background and white pull through spots had remained untouched the entire time.

Sam has removed all the enamel on the reverse side and she had covered with a transparent lime green enamel. There were also bits of wire and copper attached using the original holes of the piece. Unfortunately I was too focused on making the final changes that I totally forgot to take a photo. Sam's additions reminded me a little of bark, and I contemplated incorporating some wood to the final piece. But I wasn't too sure that the transparent lime green worked with the deeper blue green of the other side.

So I undertook some more enamel experiments, looking to replicate lichen on the other side. I removed all the transparent line green and used stump grey as the base coat, and a light coat of oriental red over the top. The result was an amazing pull through that also highlighted the textured metal underneath.

Reverse side detail

I wasn't too sure how to finish the piece. Originally I was going to turn it into a brooch, but I felt that it restricted the viewer as to which side they observed (I really liked both sides in equal measures)

Reverse side

So I crocheted a form using the holes in the metal as a starting point. I really liked the void, so I left it a little open, and then crocheted some chain.

Front side detail of crochet

I made a point of making the chain long enough so that it was ambiguous as to how it could be worn.

Front side 

For example, it could be a necklace, wrapped around the wrist, or even inverted and worn on the head.... 

It was an exciting breakthrough for me and I am going to continue to explore this method of working.

Completed Basket Rings displayed within Ceramics

Basket Rings. Photography: Christina Arsenault

A couple of months ago I shared with you the beginnings of a new series of work: baskets that are woven in metal and attached to rings, and more information on the concept behind these pieces can be found here. 

Pioneer Landscapes. Photography: Christina Arsenault

Initially they were designed to be displayed within the context of larger blocks of clay. (Further information on this concept can be found here). 

Salt of the Earth 1. Photography: Christina Arsenault

Salt of the Earth 2. Photography: Christina Arsenault

Although I also like them displayed without the ceramic pieces and just in the engraved pebbles that support them, as seen in the top image.

The Travellers - Antique Kitchen Strainers

The Travellers
Photography by Christina Arsenault 

At the beginning of the year I found some delightful antique kitchen strainers and I immediately fell in love with their shape and form. I wanted to incorporate them into my artwork and create something beautiful with them.

Incorporating metal wire (copper, brass and silver plated that has been patina'ed) each antique strainer contains or carries a machine embroidered heart, that is incased in a resin house shape.

They certainly have character and have developed a life of their own. They became the inspiration for some stop motion animation, ending up in my 3 and a half minute animation, The Drive.

Finally I have finished a family of three 'Travellers'. Here they are

The Travellers
Photography by Christina Arsenault 

The Travellers
Photography by Christina Arsenault 

The Travellers
Photography by Christina Arsenault 

Animated kitchen utensils

Over the past couple of weeks I have been learning the basics of stop animation.

You may remember my post from last week about the vintage kitchen utensils, well, my sketches for them have become the basis for my very basic stop motion animation.

The fun thing is they have all developed personalities of their own. Cheeky things!

This one above / and below, is based on an egg cup I designed in metal. Im in the process of making it! When flipped on its side it turns into a squid. Neat huh!

Anish Kapoor at the MCA

If you get a chance, go and experience the Anish Kapoor exhibition at the MCA in Sydney. It has been described as 'a ground-breaking exhibition that challenges, intrigues and excites’ by art almanac.

It is one of those exhibitions where the images simply dont do the work justice. 

Large scale works play with light and illusion.

And because touching is forbidden many of the sculptures are puzzling and intriguing - they play tricks with the mind.

I just love the large corton steel sculpture called Memory, above. You can view it from the outside, and in another room you can look into it - from what first appears to be a large black square painted onto the wall - it is actually a void into the Memory sculpture. Amazing!

Many of the works are reflective and encourage the viewer to interact with them.

The exhibition is on until 1 April 2013.

Flashes of my past in the future exhibition

My work for the Flashes of my past in the future exhibition at M16 is a continuation of exploring images sketched of my cottage.

The sketches of domestic scenes have been translated into delicate embroidered objects. Sometimes the thread is almost invisible until illuminated by strong light – like a memory which almost forgotten, flashing back in a moment of clarity.

Cake Plate
Photography by Art Atelier

Milk Jug (bathroom)
Photography by Art Atelier

Nest 1 (kitchen)
Photography by Art Atelier

Sugar Bowl (inherited treasures)
Photography by Art Atelier

Tea Pot (conservatory)
Photography by Art Atelier

Daily Rituals (loungeroom)
Photography by Art Atelier

Jocelyn Rosen's photographic work is taken from her life over the last six months. It features portraits of friends and family as well as moments from travel to Japan, and the Gold Coast. The images are dark, complex and explore fleeting moments and observations of the unusual. Jocelyn likes pairing images and playing with contrasts in sets and

sequences. The portraits in this exhibition are paired with textures or landscapes or details. They speak to each other on an emotive level, providing context and mood.

Orange by Jocelyn Rosen

Rain by Jocelyn Rosen

Sisters by Jocelyn Rosen

White Waves by Jocelyn Rosen

We have planned a joint exhibition together over years. With notebooks at hand and over cups of tea or wine, ideas have been shared, discussed and forgotten, laughed away, or simply put on the back-burner. It is exciting for us to finally share some of their ideas at this point and exhibit our work in a gallery together.

Although using different mediums, the work is similar due to its personal nature, its fascination with form and texture, its considered nature and the fact that it features scenes from the interior life and domestic landscapes. We hope this is the first of many future collaborations as artists and friends.

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