UNDERFOOT. OVERHEAD. Studies in Nature.

I currently have work in the newly opened exhibition 'UNDERFOOT. OVERHEAD. Studies in Nature.' at Object Gallery, Sydney, curated by Kate Ford.

Exploring the environments beneath us and above us, and all that lies between. Underfoot. Overhead. includes a number of makers who take inspiration from the natural world and create artefacts that then challenge our idea of what is 'natural'.

Featuring work by Juz Kitzon, Ken + Julia Yonetani, Emily Valentine Bullock, Natalia Milosz-Piekarska and Michelle Kelly.

My work came under the title 'Immortal Morsels' and is an idea i think i might like to explore further down the track...

'Immortal Morsels' sees Natalia explore the mysterious world of food and it's endless uses as mediums for worship, healing and protection. Throughout time and across cultures, certain foods and an endless repository of enigmatic edibles have been administered with the belief that they house magical and medicinal properties. They have been used to heal, protect and alter our physical and mental states. Some foods and ingredients take on such divine eminence, the question could be asked, are they the food of the gods, or are they gods in themselves?

Natalia plays with these ideas through the construction of her own fictitious talismanic morsels . Using a veritable apothecary of materials to conjure up her creations, she cooks up a collection of weird and wonderful bite size charms to be taken strictly as prescribed.

Above are some of the pieces i included.

Quickie update...

Busy times as usual in the studio with simultaneous projects on the go. At the moment i'm focusing on getting my work completed for the annual Winter Brooches show at Stdio 20/17 in Sydney, i had a lovely pendant commission utilising a very sentimental if not rather large crystal. i've been building up my new colection for the new city Pieces of Eight, Melbourne, and have place my thinking cap on firm and fast for the body of work i'll be producing for my upcoming joint show in September with studio buddy Karla Way at Craft Victoria. Oh and i had a bit of a chat recently with e.g.etal about starting to consider a few 'precious' elements to add to the collection there. So, late last week i dropped off a special little ring to be cast in 18ct yellow gold... boy and i excited! stay tuned!

The list of images from top to bottom are as follows:

• A bit of press (utilising my image!) in the Tuesday Age for March 23rd, for the now wrapped up FIGMENT show at e.g.etal. I'm not quite sure about the other artist works, but mine have stayed with the gallery and are available for sale.

• A lovely commissioned pendant project using a very sentimental and large crystal.

• 'When Salt Clogs the Shaker'. The latest and i think final addition to my Weather Lore collection for the Winter Brooches show.

• A few pieces ready for my Pieces of Eight collection.

Winter Brooches.

New work evolving for the annual Winter Brooches exhibition at Sydney's Studio 20/17.

The series of pins i'm working on is called 'Weather Lore' and is based around folkloric proverbial predictions of weather patterns based on age old observations in nature and it's surroundings. The pieces i have created are talismanic pins of sort, to be worn as an aid in evoking desired weather conditions. I think i've got a few more to come before the work is due, but here are my first three.

The predictions they're based on are:

If wood-lice seem in armies for to go, soon after look for rain.

Timber, oxidised sterling silver, paint.

Mackeral skies and mares tails make ships carry lowered sails.

Timber, oxidised sterling silver, pony hair, paint.

If corn husks are thick and tight, a cold winter lays ahead.

Timber, oxidised sterling silver, paint.

Magic Garden. (1 of 2)

Magic Garden 1. Brooch. Timber, fine silver, enamel, sterling silver.

TicTacToe

TicTacToe. Brooch. Timber, found materials. (back): stainless steel, sterling silver.

Companion.

Companion. Brooch. Timber, oxidised copper, silicon, found object.