rings

Hey there Indie readers, Laura here!

Just thought I would check in with you all in the lead up to Christmas - in the midst of working hard I have suddenly realised that it's that time of year again!

Christmas is fast approaching - there is shopping to be done! Indie has some fantastic ideas for Chrissie gifts for those creative people in your life. Object has some FANTASTIC ideas too!!

In my last post I introduced you to our retail store Collect. If you have not visited us before, then now's the time.

We have so many ideas for Christmas gifts - it's a one stop shop!

Collect at Object, 2008

Let's start with some stocking filler ideas shall we? Bison offers ceramic vases, bowls and pourers in beautiful colours and sizes. (At the moment I own 3 pieces, but hoping to have more after the 25th!) Also, we have a range of Tjanpi baskets - funky woven pieces by Tjanpi desert weavers, Indigenous woman with an eye for detail. (Don't tell my Mum, but she's getting one of these!) We also have gorgeous items by Honor Freeman - her Warp and Weft series of ceramics are so popular, and there are more or her items coming in for Christmas!

left: Husque Bowls, Marc Harrison, Macadamia nut shell; right: Kenji Uranishi, beakers, porcelain with inlay

In jewellery, we have so many pieces to choose from. We have Dick + Dora jewellery, which includes the cute ABC brooches made from Tasmanian wood. We also have the iconic 'Bowling Arm' bracelet - these are bracelets made from actual cricket balls, and are rolling out the door fast!

For those special people, we also stock exquisite jewellery from Australia's leading jewellers. There are rings, necklaces, brooches and earrings that would tantalise any tastebuds - I am definitely hoping to add to my ever growing jewellery collection!

Brooke Johnston, Doily series, sterling silver, 2008

Alice Potter, Bye Bye Birdie series, sterling silver and laminate, 2008

As you know, in our gallery right now we are showing the Liz Williamson Living Treasures exhibition. For those people who would love to own their own Liz Williamson original, we have a selected range of Liz's "Woven in Asia" series, which are just sumptuous.

You don't have to go far for stationery either - we have a range of Christmas cards and tags by Poppies for Grace that you will fall in love with.

Collect is happy to gift wrap your purchases, with our original and funky gift wrap and ribbon. Waking up to a Collect package under the tree would be all your wishes come true (or mine at least!)

Have a delicious, decadent and delightful Christmas - I will see you again in the New Year!!

Your Objector, Laura

Come and Visit! 2008

(don't forget where we are! 417 Bourke Sreet, Surry Hills, 2010)

Welcome to the Object page on the fantastic Indie website!

I am Laura, a devoted Indie fan and staff member at Object: Australian Centre for Craft and Design. Many of you will have heard of Object, but some may not... So, to give you a quick background about us, Object is an organisation situated in the design and arts hub of Sydney, Surry Hills. We are a gallery, a magazine and a retail store, Collect.

Our approach to design is unique – we believe that creative innovation occurs most successfully through exploring the unexplored and pursuing the hybrid.

What does this really mean...? Well, we show exhibitions in our gallery space which challenge you to think and to imagine – we love to inspire our audience! Our magazine explores new ideas and brings you insight into the design world of today.

Object Gallery at night, Joy Lai, 2007

Over the next while, my aim is to get you acquainted with Object, who we are and what we do... I will update you on our current happenings - events and exhibitions, and let you know what beautiful items we have in our store.

Object and Collect are a must visit – we are at 415 Bourke Street, Surry Hills. Admission is FREE and we are open Tuesday – Sunday 11.00 – 6.00pm. Being a not-for-profit organisation we aim to give back to the Australian artists that are represented in our store– over the past 3 years we have given over $1 million back to Australian artists through retail sales.

Every time I go into Collect I find a new thing I HAVE to have, a beautiful new necklace or pair of earrings, a new vase for my home, or a scarf that is just yummy!

At the moment, I am loving the silver pieces by Anna Davern – I am wearing one of her rings right now! I adore Brooke Johnston's creations and Mel Young's funky acrylic rings. I have a great Fink brooch on hold at the moment, which I can't wait to wear!

Our pieces are affordable and one of a kind. There are so many Christmas ideas, too many to name.... We stock Edols Elliot's glass creations and cool new pieces from South Australia's Jam Factory. We also have Marc Pascal vases, Husque macadamia nut bowls and Insync Design brooches – powder coated stainless steel pieces that would be a statement addition to any fabulous outfit!

In our exhibition space right now we are showing a beautiful textile exhibition by Liz Williamson, the fourth in our series of Living Treasures exhibitions. We also have a breathtaking collection of nests, collected by Gay Bilson. It is almost unbelievable that such gorgeous pieces were created by birds – you must come and see them!

Liz Williamson, new work, 2008

Liz Williamson exhibition at Object Gallery, Joy Lai, 2008

Nest, Gay Bilson exhibition, Joy Lai 2008

Our website is object.com.au – please visit online and in person. I welcome comments through this blog – please let me know what you think, and if you have been inspired!

Your Objector, Laura

The Danks Street Festival is being held in Waterloo (Sydney) this Sunday (26.10.2008) and over 80 designers' stalls will inhabit the warehouse of the pyd building. With over 30 000 visitors expected, it will certainly offer great exposure for both emerging and established Australian labels, including those whose products are pictured here: Eliza Mok, Millicent and Frank, Forbidden Linen, Klei and Zaishu. The Danks Street / Young Street area has fast become one of Sydney's well known & dynamic creative precincts and pyd is a unique destination presenting the best in interior design. The building actually takes its name from the bordering streets: Phillip, Young and Danks.

The delicate creations pictured above are part of the 'Shan Shan' collection brooches (left, US $35) and bowls (right, US $55) hand cast silicone rubber by Eliza Mok. 'Shan' represents coral in Chinese, and she uses the different stages of the coral life cycle as a metaphor to represent her past experiences through jewellery and object design.

The timber "Alphabet" by Millicent and Frank is pictured above. This Australian label creates a variety wall hangings, objects and centerpieces. Many feature clean crisp lines and geometric shapes, and of course, the gorgeous curves of serif typefaces.

Forbidden Linen is an unusual collection of "textile titillation". Sydney designer Louise Murphy has joined forces with London based artist 'UnCut', to create a seductive selection of erotically inspired textiles. The image above features a twin handkerchief set (US, $50) - women's kerchiefs are finished with lace while men's are sewn with metallic coloured cotton.

We first posted about Klei back in March 2007, and they keep producing more & more original ceramic creations. With a gorgeous muted palette and organic shapes & textures, each piece is one of a kind... Pictured here are the Pebble Necklace and "two faced" Rivet Rings. View many more designs at Klei's blog.

Well known and admired by many is Zaishu, "a hip combination of style and substance". Using certified sustainable materials, innovative ideas and a collaborative design approach the Zaishu is a versatile slot-together seat and/or table that serves equally as art. I really love the hand-printed artwork in the Australian Bushland design pictured above (AUD $350).

Last week, Bilingual launched their new jewellery range, "Cirque" with an exhibition at Gaffa Gallery (Sydney). Once again, the handcrafted designs were inventive and just stunning. Displayed hanging by a red silk thread and framed by a wooden hoop was Act Un, Act Deux and Act Trois. This new collection of unisex pieces draws on the mystery and intrigue of Cirque Nouveau, and each design can be worn as either a pendant or a ring. As rings, the three Acts represent familiar circus elements: Juggling, Contortion and Acrobatics, while as pendants, the rings they represent the surreal spectacle of aerial silk.

I think my favourite from the new collection is Act Deux - a geometric design representing the body bending art of contortion, demonstrating the human body's unique ability to form various shapes. It really gives the sense of constant movement as small changes in your perspective create strikingly different shapes within the piece - especially when worn as a pendant. Looking forward to seeing the new designs on the Bilingual web site soon! Bilingual will also be appearing at the PYD Designer markets at Danks St Waterloo this Sunday 26th October 2008, 10 am - 4pm.

Announcing the WINNER of our Bilingual Giveaway:
Thank you to all our lovely readers who entered this competition! The Instinct Rings are so beautiful, I wish we had set for each of you... However, there can be only one winner and the name drawn from our Chinese clay pot full of entries was Melinda (from Australia) - CONGRATULATIONS! Melinda was one of the 67% of voters who said they'd share the ring set with someone special.

Instinct interlocking sterling silver ring set - Indie giveaway prize by Sydney jewellery designer Bilingual

Continuing on from our last post on Bilingual, the "Instinct Ring" giveaway poll is heating up... At the moment, 65% of indies would share the ring set with someone special, while 35% would wear the rings interlocked as a single piece. Vote now (top left of this page) & let us know how you'd wear them, and enter the draw to win this beautiful prize worth AUD $350!

Via Ljubljana sterling silver pendant/brooch by Sydney jewellery designer Bilingual

Bilingual's current collection is titled "Stopover" and comprises unique reversible brooch/necklace hybrids that can attach to the wearer's clothing and "stop over" at a position of the individual's choosing. The four designs, "Via Barcelona", "Via Berlin", "Via Messina" and "Via Ljubljana", are inspired by the means of travel in these cities.

Via Barcelona sterling silver pendant/brooch by Sydney jewellery designer Bilingual

It was a 3 month sojourn in Europe that inspired Marta Niegowska to design the "Stopover" collection. On the road for those months, travelling from country to country, from town to town, the designer decided to create pieces that not only reflected her travels but also the notion of travelling itself. Barcelona just happens to be one of the top destinations on my travel wish list... I'm not sure if this is influencing my opinion, but I think "Via Barcelona" (pictured above) might be my favourite.

Via Messina sterling silver pendant/brooch by Sydney jewellery designer Bilingual

The sterling silver pieces can be worn on varying lengths of chain, draped over the body or sitting high on the collar bone. Bilingual is a label based on concepts that challenge wearers to think outside of the normal jewellery realm, and "Stopover" succeeds both in concept and function. Designer Marta Niegowska gives each pieces a clean matt finish, and the overall effect is subtle & refined.

Via Berlin sterling silver pendant/brooch by Sydney jewellery designer Bilingual

Check back soon for the next instalment of the Bilingual story. The "Instinct Ring" giveaway winner will be announced in early October, and we'll also reveal designs from the next Bilingual collection - this time in the form of ring/pendant hybrids!

An exhibition on the 16th of October at Gaffa Gallery (Sydney) will celebrate the launch of the new range. While currently stocked in selected boutiques nationally and online, Bilingual is set to expand into New Zealand, with a view to international markets such as Japan, NY & Europe.

I am so excited to announce that we have a very special set of Bilingual "Instinct" interlocking rings to giveaway to one VERY lucky reader! I fell in love with the Bilingual label when I first discovered their unique interlocking rings a little over a year ago. Both the designs and the underlying ideas seemed to speak to me on a very personal level, and I'm sure many couples prefer this intimate & understated concept to traditional wedding rings.

This is such a special prize, and the set of rings is valued at $350 (AUD). The sterling silver "Instinct" rings can be linked to form one wearable piece or unified object and worn as a single piece for one, or separated and worn by each individual. If you plan to share - what could make a better gift for your loved one? To enter the draw, simply tell us whether you'd WEAR Bilingual's "Instinct" rings individually, or SHARE them with someone special! Make sure you're registered (quick + free) & logged in, and vote in the box at the top left of this page. Entries close 30.9.2008, and the winner will be drawn on 1.10.2008. Indies from all countries are eligible!

We will tell the tale of Bilingual in a number of instalments throughout September, starting, not surprisingly, at the beginning. The Bilingual collections are designed by Sydney-based Marta Niegowska. By day, she works as an interior designer (who finds herself obsessed with ceilings), and by night she uses the age old form of moulding wax into the sleek, contemporary forms of her unique unisex jewellery.

Born in Warsaw and moving to Australia with her parents when she was 4 years old, Marta always had a desire to create. After graduating from Sydney's COFA, she entred the interior design field, but soon became restless. She explains, "I was producing designs but physically I was just typing at a keyboard. I wanted to make something!"

A set of interlocking rings made for her partner saw the birth of Bilingual. The unusual designs drew attention and Marta found herself taking orders. She soon launched Bilingual at the Powerhouse Museum Youngblood Design Markets during Sydney Design Week in 2005. Since then, the brand has gained quite a following, and Marta has regularly exhibited her work at selected galleries and stores around Sydney.

Marta Niegowska, designer for Bilingual.

Marta works strictly in sterling silver due to its functionality and wearability. Much of her work is created using the 'Lost Wax' process, each design hand carved from wax and then cast in metal. More than just a beautiful adornment, wearers of Marta's designs are drawn to her concepts as much as her craftsmanship.

Integral to each piece is the concept of design for both men and women. Marta sees the unisex form as a way to completely explore an idea. The challenge is to ensure a piece does not become too feminine or masculine, and the designer will wear a design prototype for some months to gauge its functionality and success as a piece for the collection. Due to this extended process, Bilingual releases one concise collection per year. They are certainly worth the wait!

ENTER NOW! To enter the draw for a set of Bilingual's "Instinct" rings, tell us whether you'd WEAR the interlocking rings individually as a unified object, or SHARE them with someone special! Make sure you're registered & logged in, and vote in the box at the top left of this page.

"The Sea Rests, She Waits" is the current collection of swimmingly beautiful necklaces, pendants & earrings by Psychoglam. These jewellery designs are a peaceful reflection on the beauty and unpredictability of the sea. I think my favourite is the "All Alone Necklace" pictured above (Long AUD $130, Short AUD $110). I love the way in which the three skeleton shells hang together, amongst pearls, crystals & bone pieces - as if they've been swept together by the sea itself... perhaps entangled in a chain of silver seaweed.

Designer Emma Hyatt describes her inspirations as "a mixture of the lush bushland surrounding her, and the high fashion she adores". The contrast of natural elements and more traditionally glamourous crystals & pearls set the tone for her unique range. For the "Sweet Escape" pieces - Earrings (above, AUD $70) and Pendant (below, AUD $70) - Emma has added delicate cream cotton crocheted flower resting on a metal ring as the focus.

Emma creates each piece by hand in her studio in Invermay (which is just North of Ballarat in Victoria). She creates two collections per year, each with its own distinct theme. The Sea Rests, She Waits is delicate & romantic, with a hint of mystique. In "Hidden Pearl" (below left, AUD $110) the movement of the wearer reveals glimpses of the glowing creamy rough pearls amid the draped curtains of silver chain. "First Kiss Necklace" (below right, AUD $80) brings together many of elements in this collection with long sweeps of chain leading to a beautiful cluster of pearl and bone.

The "High Tide Pearl Earrings" (below, AUD $70) offer something more structured. A single pearl has been placed in the centre of the design, from which small lengths of chain cascade down. The "My Heart is Yours Necklace" (at bottom, AUD $90) is something special - a strictly limited edition piece featuring a vintage glass chandelier heart resting on a skeleton shell surrounded by pearls, swarovski crystals and tiny metal flowers.

This 2008 collection follows on from Emma's 2007 sell-out "Romance in the Moonlight" range. Her style also lends itself perfectly to bridal applications - if you are planning a wedding, Emma can create custom jewellery for you & your bridesmaids. Psychoglam is stocked in boutiques across Australia and each piece is also available to purchase online at www.psychoglam.com. Stockists include:

Online: www.letsshop.com.au, www.stylehunter.com.au, www.stylefile.com.au, www.ku-ture.com
VIC: Boutique 251 (Ashburton), Boxsta (Geelong), Brown Bag (Elsternwick), Cactus Jam (Port Melbourne), City Limitz (Mildura), Cocopink (Ballarat), Crimson Phoenix (South Melbourne), Lion in Love (Hawthorn), Mikaila (Brunswick), Oscar Calvo (Collingwood), Pen Haligons (Echuca), Qushi (Geelong), Rhubarb (Torquay), Tesori-Bellini (Brunswick), Wen & Where (Ballarat)
NSW: Blaise (Newcastle)
WA: Basement (Perth), Saints (Subiaco), Soul Sisters (Fremantle)
QLD: Boxsta Noosa (Noosa Heads)
NT: Epiphany (Darwin)

A week or so ago I retrieved from my post office box an intriguing parcel from Object Gallery. I was delighted to find inside brochures & an invitation to hear the artist Marian Hosking In Conversation with Kevin Murray. This artist's talk and exhibition is part of a series Craft Australia is presenting on "Living Treasures: Masters of Australian Craft".

So on Saturday 10.11.2007, I arrived at 11am (well, a little late if truth be told) equipped with my moleskine notebook, and hoping to discover some of the inspirations, motivations & processes involved in creating the incredibly beautiful jewellery pieces included in this exhibition.

Portrait of Marian Hosking
Image from Craft Australia

"With a career spanning almost 40 years, Hosking is one of Australia's foremost contemporary jewellers and silversmiths... Her work is concerned with rich surface patterns and textures. This reflects her particular concerns for the natural environment, allowing her to echo the forms and motifs found in nature." -Object Gallery

Throughout her career, Marian has always worked with silver. She loves the whiteness & lustre as well as the colours & blacks that occur during the making. Rather than the shiny surface most of us associate with silver, her works have a soft, tactile surface - a quality which seems to give the delicate layers & shapes their own voice. She feels that through working with the one material over period of time, she has developed her own language around silver - a metal which she feels is her own.

Marian Hosking, Round Leaf Gum Brooch, 2006. 925 silver
Dimensions: 10.5 x 8cm
Photographer: Julian Hutchens
Image from Craft Australia

Early in her career, Marian worked in both Scandinavia and Germany. The Scandinavian aesthetic was primarily concerned with form & function. However, in Germany, jewellery was considered a more conceptual practice (more fine art than design). Her time spent in Germany was an enormous influence on her career.

Marian's return to Australia in the early 1970s reconfirmed her love of nature. She appreciates the structure & architecture in nature and likens the layering & description of motif to drawing. I was interested to learn that Marian relates her approach to the two-dimensional fields of photography & drawing. She doesn't construct forms, but "uses existing forms and works in a much more graphic & two-dimensional way". -Marian Hosking   Once created of course, jewellery has the additional aspect of movement on the body itself.

Marian Hosking, Two India vessels, 2007. 925 silver
Dimensions: Left: Round vessel, 2007 - 15 x 9cm;
Right: Oval vessel - 130 x 10.5 x 6.5cm
Photographer: Julian Hutchens
Image from Craft Australia

"As a practitioner and educator, Hosking's influence has been far-reaching." -Object Gallery   She co-founded Workshop 3000 in 1981 with the intention of creating a shared studio space to maintain the comraderie of the university outside of the university walls. At this time, she was making jewellery that challenged the idea of precious and many audience members were surpised to learn that she had made protest badges from silver. Since then, Marian has exhibited her work in many group and solo exhibitions, both in Australia and internationally. She has taught at both RMIT and Monash Univeristy, where she is currently the Head of Metal & Jewellery. Marian considers teaching a very important part of what she does & finds education a little addictive. She is currently undertaking a PhD.

Marian Hosking, Gum Twig Chain, 2007. 925 silver
Dimensions: 68 x 3.5 x 2.5cm (d) approximate
Photographer: Julian Hutchens
Image from Craft Australia

Marian is represented in Australia by Gallery Funaki, which was established by internationally recognised maker, Mari Funaki in 1995. Marian considers that "Gallery Funaki has transformed contemporary jewellery in Australia". It is a venue with an international audience, exhibiting works by international artists. It has shifted the way in which jewellery is seen in this country and people are now much more discerning.

The focus piece of this particular exhibition is the "Tall Tree Project", an epic & sculptural work designed with the unique Object Gallery space in mind. The work commemorates a giant tree recently discovered in the Gippsland area.
In an interesting inversion of the jewellery making process, the tree is not being used as a motif. Instead, the jewellery has been made to fit the tree, in a scale we don't normally associate with this art form. While this work draws our attention to what we've already lost in our natural environment, it demonstrates a sensibility to nature rather than a grand statement - an approach displayed throughout the work on exhibition.

Marian has recently been working with Trinh Vu at Monash University. Trinh's current multimedia projects focus on the use of 3D computer graphic technology to experiment with different methods of generating synthetic images. Marian has begun to experiment with using computer based techniques to create her designs. However, one significant obstacle at this point is that silver can't be laser cut. When asked why she doesn't use aluminium, Marion expresses her environmental concerns regarding the extraction of bauxite. She has been tempted by pure tin & would pursue this idea if she could source it in sheet form. However, tin is such a soft metal that it tends to disappear into the rollers if rolled too thin. It will certainly be interesting to see the work Marian produces next, and if the influence of new media is evident in the final jewellery & object pieces.

If you live in Sydney, make sure you visit this wonderful exhibition! The work is intricate and beautiful & admission is free. I thoroughly enjoyed the artist's talk and was so inspired by the work on display. "Marian Hosking: Jewellery" is on at Object Gallery from 10.11.2007 to 13.1.2008. (St Margarets 417 Bourke Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010. T. 02 9361 4511) The accompanying 120 page monograph is available from the gallery for AUD $49.95. If you won't be able to make it, but would like one of the flyers for your sketchbook/journal, email me your address & I'll send you one by mail. If you do see the exhibition, leave me a comment with your thoughts! I'd love to hear your responses. You can find Marian Hosking's web site at www.marianhosking.com.au

Hope Street Markets was certainly a popular desination on Saturday 6th!
I braved the hayfeverish winds sweeping Sydney that afternoon, and made my way to 182 Campbell St - a frosty white building which was positively glowing on the inside with a dizzying mix of colours, stalls & design enthusiasts.
A wonderful mix of indie products were on offer. Downstairs were labels such as People Like Us (who gave me a plastic wind-up walking owl), Kara Smith with her delicious handmade handbags, Made by White with their chirpy perspex jewellery friends, Ellenade with her assortment of handmade hats, 0049 Design, Dark Cloud Silver and many others...

0049 Design (whose stall is pictured above) uses 100% wool-felt to produce
a multitude of "living accessories" featuring screen printed graphics and/or German typography. The crisp designs look really striking against the soft textured felt. The diary & book covers were perhaps my favourites - all designed to be reusable, so when you fill your latest sketchbook with doodles & ramblings you can transfer the cover straight onto a new one. Among their other products are bookmarks, sunglass cases, felt storage boxes and keyrings - one of which features the outline of a very cute sausage dog! These gorgeous felt goodies would make lovely original gifts.

The Dark Cloud Silver stall looked very luxurious with their shiny silver pendants & rings displayed against a slinky black background. The microphone, headphones, spraycan & turntable designs pictured are beautifully crafted and offer something completely different from the usual fare. They've combined the "urban" with the "precious" to create an intriguing range of jewellery pieces which are truly unique.

Here is the Imok artwork I wrote about in last week's post! The Imok girls had an upstairs stall where their characters came to life under the natural afternoon sunlight. The stall was busy with colour, and the canvasses were surrounded by t-shirts, hats & accessories - all sharing the Imok philosophy "I’m ok…if you are?".

The indie flavours continued upstairs with labels such as Fine Cloth, Little Angry Fang and Meet Tyrone (whose stall is pictured above). Designer Bill Chen has recently released his Spring Summer 07|08 collection titled "Animals in 3D". Featuring four different prints, 'Diamond Horse', 'Anubis', 'Reindeer' and 'Swallows 'n' Feathers' - each design is an experiment with popular geometric art, lines, shapes and patterns.

The Diamond Horse design from Meet Tyrone was my favourite, and is pictured in detail above (printed in silver on a white tee). Bill also creates some amazing artworks - just look at the surface texture pattern on the piece below! He's having an exhibition starting later this week - so stay tuned for my next post for details...

Hope Street Markets has commenced! The first Winter markets are being held over this long weekend at 182 Campbell St, Surry Hills (Sydney). It's all indoors too, so there's no need to brave the nasty weather that has set upon Sydney over the last couple of days. The Hope Street Markets is a collaboration of young designers exhibiting clothing, accessories, jewellery, object design and artworks. Many talented labels are taking part - among them are: Brooke Johnston, who made the lovely orange-patterned fabric-covered earrings which I bought recently from Beehive Gallery, Matt Huynh (Stikman Comics), whose self-published comic books range from intimate mini-comics to full-bodied graphic novels, and Bilingual who specialises in unique, unisex rings.

Pictured above are images from Stikman Comics "Happy Birthday Anyway" (left) and "Little Sally" (right), and below are rings by Bilingual, "Harmony" (top) an interlocking ring that can be worn as one ring or two, and "Open", a limited edition design inspired by the form of a Sydney Rock Oyster shell.

In addition to giving young designers the opportunity to show off their creations in a unique market environment, Hope Street is also a non-profit organisation. They will be donating money from the markets to help support Hope Street - Urban Compassion projects which bring hope to the Sydney's homeless.