Here we are then, December 2021.
What a time.
During the past two years I was challenged by my illustrious mentor Manon Van Kouswijk to stop working with the materials and medium I was most comfortable with; metal and jewellery, in order to expand my horizons and move beyond the parameters I was working within.
Identifying and focusing on my interest in the power of jewellery to communicate information about people, place, time and culture; I was encouraged to think about how I might translate specific personal data into three dimensional works.
Since June 17th 2020 I have documented my day’s activities in a circular diagram. Each evening I draw a circle with an outer frame divided into 24 hourly periods, scrawling descriptions of my actions or activities in the corresponding spaces. In the centre I do an intuitive pen drawing, expressing a more internal response to the day.
I now have 17 months of pictographs to draw information from. I’ve classified these activities into 15 genres and am currently charting each month onto a colour coded spreadsheet. This also allows me to use digital data visualisation tools to create various representations of how my time is spent and potentially to inform future works.
I’m translating this data into three dimensional works, initially functioning both as object and adornment, moving progressively towards more wearable adornment. My predominant materials are bamboo foraged from the areas I frequent, pigment and fibre.
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My goal is to document one year with 12 works, each representing one month. Each work is exploring how time may be represented in space, using elements of weaving to join hard and soft materials in a flexible form which fits the body and operates as object when off the body.
Each work is part of the series but can exist independently, developing with changing colour palette and form to illustrate the month it embodies.
Through this project I’m exploring the fourth dimension of Space Time, metaphorically and literally weaving the two to embody a ‘single warped stretchy fabric‘ I’m interested in how we experience and record time; how we might move within past, present and future; and the potential of jewellery to act as catalyst, conduit and communicator in this realm.
This is an ambitious project of parts that come together as a whole, including 365 daily pictographs, 12 monthly time charts and 12 three dimensional works. Video works contextualise the physical work and animate the pictographs. I expect this project will continue beyond the timeframe of HS6 and the information I am collecting will continue to inform my work, as will the working process; drawing, categorising, making.
This is a new beginning for me, drawing together many existing interests and threads that run through my practice. I have got more specific about what I’m doing, gaining fresh perspective which allows me to let some old habits and ‘catchphrases’ in my work go. My process has intensified in rigour supported by Manon’s insightful critiques and support. I’ve learned to respect the ‘niggles’ and attend to them, sometimes to remake things or source a more appropriate material in order to resolve issues and make better work. The project continues to be under construction and will keep evolving and informing my work in an ongoing manner.
Much respect and gratitude to Manon for being an excellent mentor, detailed, direct, challenging, supportive and encouraging. This level of critique and feedback is what I was looking for and needing. I have enjoyed our chats and sharing experiences over this unsettling time.
The HandShake6 team have worked together to support, challenge and uplift each other through two years of upheaval, uncertainty and creative trials and tribulations. Alongside our respective mentors we’ve come together both in person and online, led by inspiring and engaging educators Iris Eichenberg, Estela Saez and Renee Bevan, all facilitated by the amazing Peter and Hilda Deckers. Thanks also to Creative NZ and various other cherished and valued supporters throughout the project, we couldn’t do it without you!
We have formed tight friendships, a supportive network and look forward to presenting our final exhibitions at Whirinaki Whare Taonga in May 2022 and Northart in September 2022. Thanks to you our viewers//readers and wearers for being a part of Handshake6, without you our work would be incomplete and homeless.