Stephanie's Dreizehn in München

Just a rhetorical question for today as we visit our last show: Suspended in Pink.

How important is the artist’s interpretation of their own work vs the audience/wearer?

Stephanie's day Zwölf in München

A Successful Show

Again, I know I’m out of whack with time, but I can’t keep it from running away from me, all that’s left is to grab what’s around me and follow, probably drop a few things like my memories of yesterday because I’ve tried to throw my scarf over a shoulder. Metaphors aside, I’m definitely sure this blog belongs on another day, but who am I to enforce order and reason upon an experience that has clearly become a mad whirlwind of moments? I’m sure it’s better this way. Especially because I couldn’t go on without mentioning my favourite show, “The Mato por que te Amo / I Kill you Because I Love you” by Jorge Manilla and Shari Pierce. I found it a perfect juxtaposition of emotion and reason, both artists having their own room side-by-side to present their own explorations of the darker emotions. 

First we visited Jorge Manilla's pendants. Jenny said they look like Dementor phlegm. 

I agreed somewhat, but found myself drawn over and over again to their elegant drips, the demanding nature of their presence, how (and Manilla does this) a single piece can take up an entire room. In reference to yesterday's post, above all this was one of the best shows because of the artists' presence. Mr Manilla was more than happy to tell us all about the work and it's inspiration. He said they're the manifestation of the savagery of human nature in modern times - of violence in passion and in ignorance. I think the pieces disagree with themselves; as manifestations of evil but they apear sad and alone even in their gallery space. There's a beauty in their form and contrast in their appearance to their weight which is minimal.

Stephanie's day Elf in München

The Importance of a well-structured space

I can’t speak for others, and looking back even now, I’m not altogether sure that I’m speaking for myself totally, but I like the idea of having the artist present at shows. I feel that the works I was best able to react to and interact with, were those that were supported by the presence of the artist. There wasn’t a single artist that did not seem to find a great pleasure to answer all our questions – even those we hadn’t asked or didn’t think to. Some might argue to the point that having the artist’s interpretation of their work can keep the audience from projecting their own interpretation, or else taint it. But I enjoy the duality of meanings and the juxtaposition of them. I think having more than one interpretation can only enhance a work, adding depth and context. 

The way jewellery is presented, in the “white box” devoid of body and context that I feel misses the point of jewellery – as a holder of stories or an emblem of social conventions. When piece is presented abstract, everything that jewellery can be feels lost. Instead of being some kind of pure aesthetic vessel for the wearer to being imbuing with stories, it is only heartless material, alone in a glass box, neither art nor accessory. Without the artist, the gallery must act at facilitator, to bring the audience into the world and make them want to own a part of it. Therefore the gallery must include everything the artist can’t say, to set the mood, inspire connections. One example that at least speaks to what I’m explaining was the exhibition held at the Staatliche Antikensammlungen (State Collections of Antiques for all you non-Germans playing at home) which held works of modern goldsmiths inspired by the ancient jewellery collection at the museum.

 Having the inspiration present meant I felt I was able to follow the though processes of the artists. The particular work that definitely ended up my favorite was “Befingert und Beschriftet” 2012 armreif (“Fingered and Labeled” bracelet) by Gerd Rothmann. I might have figured it out on my own, but I felt much more involved in recognizing the reference to men and women as sun and moon, through Rothmann beautiful recreations of nipples in silver and gold.

Stephanie's day Zehn in München

Reflection on earning a living.

I'm definitely a bit lost on days, I know I'm not the only one who is! So I THINK today is day 10, but the more I check the less sure I am. Whatever day it is, first thing we went to visit Laura Deakins’ boyfriend Davo Phillips, also a jewellery artist,  in his bike shop Guten Biken. 

This didn’t overly surprise me, as I had come to understand that only a few Jewellery Artists are able to make a living off only their jewellery – relying instead on part-time jobs, in Davo’s case another passion, to fund their living while still making. I was definitely sympathetic to Davo’d predicament – his jewellery was suffering because he had to make money to live – but luckily enough biking is equally as much his passion as jewellery. I, myself, have found myself in the same quandary. In order to fund my art making, I seamstress for money, but not many people look for one when there’s a seamstress available at their dry-cleaner. This means I get a lot more design work that, like Davo’s bike shop, I could easily turn into a proper business and take up full time. It’s a passion of mine the same as jewellery, so it becomes a question of balance. When asked, I will always say my passion is art, and although I thoroughly enjoy conceptualising and philosophy, I know I am first and foremost a maker, an artisan, as Ted Noten rightly says, I have fallen in love with my tools and materials, I love dripping paint I’ve mixed, sewing silk from my own pattern, finding a new pickle that turns the ring I’ve just made white. There’s a physicality to making that become emotional, something intrinsically satisfying about being able to ply your trade well – to be able to marry thought and reality seamlessly. It’s the fulfilling quality of reality that disagrees with Keats’s “pleasure never is at home,” because the “fancy” version: the concept that is all at once too ethereal, too spectacular and too unsatisfying to the senses. That being said, my first material love was and is fabric. Though, clothing has the functional and conventional context that means already so many people are competing (as much as I dislike the truth of it) for their chance to own their own moment of relevance.  This, as much as anything made me shy away from a future I had convinced myself I’d fail in. As much as I love jewellery –having been able to expand my thinking as well as the chance to discover something I’m truly coming to love, I sometimes wonder how I let myself be talked out of something I love to do. If money and earning a living was out of the question, what would we do with our time? More than anything this trip has forced me to ask myself all these questions, to a point where I’ve had to begin redefining myself. The silent moment of contemplation before another maker answers your question of “what do you think of yourself as?” comforts me. I’m sure they’re still working it out too.

Stephanie's day Neun in München!

The Hidden Aspect: Pavel Opočenský

We'll one hidden aspect I only just (in the last 5 minutes or so) discovered is that our dear Pavel has been a passionate character, convicted of many a crime, within his original Czech Republic as well as Germany. However upon meeting this more controversial character, I have to say that none of my instinctual radars picked up on any unsavoury vibes. We walked into the exhibition "5 Men" to the welcome of 4 of the 5, who were ready to tell us the 5th fellow was young, and apologising for his lateness explaining that young men will sleep in where old men can no longer. I thoroughly enjoyed his presence - strengthening the importance I personally place on a present artist at their show. There is an extent where I will agree the audience need to use their own experiences to judge a work, but if a work is not self-explanatory, which is often, it is much more interesting to hear the artist's rendition of meaning, even if it's minimal, to begin the thought process. So it was with an appreciative ear that I listened to Pavel eagerly pull our interest to his own work. I wasn't complaining!  I think the thing that makes this post all the more important is that I keep coming back to it when I think of this day. We visited the show and were immediately met by Mr Pavel Opočenský, a happy bear of a fellow, who insisted on showing us all his broaches - at first just interestingly carved (what he told us were) snow boards. With his enthusiastic encouragement we held them up backward in the window, adn we were met with the otherwise invisible glowing patterns on the back! One thing I have definitely learned from this trip which I shall never forget is THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BACK! So sorry, but it seems these works are much too new to have pictures of them on the internet, and all of us we in a state of awe and obviously unable to handle our user-friendly cameras. Hopefully the Snowboard Series (broach - plastic, wood €3000, but maybe this flattering post will lead to a gift? *crosses fingers*) will appear on the magical web-world soon! Until then I'll let you imagine Atlantis-esque patterns carved into layered wood, deep enough that the vibrant colour of the opposite side is visible, and touched with paint so that when held to the light, the paint (red in my memory) shines through the yellow of the opposite side, glowing and orange pattern. The stuff only made of the imagination. Pavel Opočenský should be heartily congratulated for this achievement. If you ever read this, I salute you sir, as a man of pure magic.

Stephanie's day Acht in München!

So as much as I want to write about the degradation of having what seemed to me as a characterless show of Jewellery held within the clinical boundaries of carpet walls and glass holdings, I have something my more amusing, and inspiring for the adult with a child inside.

Today started as most of these mad group excursions do, with our group chasing Karin to the studio of  another talented jeweller for us to fawn over and ask a million questions of. Today we met Laura Deakin and Mari Ishikawa, who share a studio. I don't know how one small studio can hold so much talent! I was definitely in a state of awe the entire time, as shown in this photo of me....

Anywhoo, the story begins as we leave this creative place, Karin bringing up the rear. This story shall forevermore be refereed to as:

Karin's Embarrassment 

Picture in your mind, the group of students standing outside, watching the slightly opaque glass for Karin. One by one, we all recognise the blur of colour pressed against the glass as Karin, who's making strange faces, but sadly, before we could take pictures, Chris notices a tiny old lady trying to fit between our laughing mass - and reaches the door, which she opens to Karin's face (pause to imagine) which turns quickly to horror. Karin's almost melting with embarrassment, obviously trying to disappear into a wall, saying "I'm so sorry" over and over. The old lady sniffs and mutter's "disgusting!" as she leads her goat into the apartment. 

Stephanie's day sieben in München!

So after a fantastic 'day off' where we traipsed around and acted the tourist, we woke to the cruel cold of 4am - or whatever the time was, I was asleep even if I looked convincingly otherwise - and got on a plane. Thank god (or Karin's planning) we had the rest of that day to continue the tourist thing - which we interpreted as snow-ball fight. Obviously.

SO! To continue on our critical thread, today being day 7, we met the lovely Helen Britton and her husband, David Bielander. (On a side note in reference to one of my previous blogs, the two share a studio with another artist.) One practice Helen employs that resonates with me is how she likes to employ one idea over an entire series. This is beautifully refreshing for me, whose work has been consistently referred to as 'convoluted'. The prospect of taking one idea, and having the freedom to able to explore it over an entire series sounds delicious! I'm ready to try it! For our project in relation to this trip I will definitely be doing a series! And I haven't said before, but I've found myself attracted specifically to the patterns of cobble stones and moss.

Stephanie's day Vier in Amsterdam!

Today we met Andrea Wagner, after enjoying a strange but fantastic mix of chips with (cold, blagh!) curry sauce and fresh, hot stroopwafel - not the best mid-chew mix, but delicious on their own. Now, filled with food and warm, we found ourselves in the elegant apartment and studio-space of the lovely Andrea. It got me a-thinking about the difference between the separate studio vs. the studio at home, Andrea  currently belonging to the second side. As Andrea aptly pointed out, a myriad of excuses present themselves when wanting to leave home, no reception, clothes to wash etc. On the contrary, the studio at home can remove the 'work environment' feeling, and make for a rather unproductive routine. Then again, each to their own, I prefer a studio at home. It makes for easy access to material when inspiration strikes. Then Karin took us to a surprise beer tour at Brouwerij't IJ next to a windmill.

Yum? 

If beer way my thing, yes.

Fun?

 Yes, when watching Karin use her teacher-magic to guilt-trip the fellow into following through with our tour, and again for free samples. Yay for Karin!