Red Dot Revolution

In 2011, as part of Matter and Meaning, the predecessor to On Location,  I wrote a blog post titled A Rare Breed. I had been pleasantly surprised by the European Man Brooch Phenomenon and thought it important enough to document.You can read the post at: http://matterandmeaning.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/rare-breed.html

The last line reads: 'So Dad, if you're reading this, watch out. It's brooch time.'

Ladies and gentlemen, in the aftermath of Schmuck, the unthinkable has happened. A revolution is upon us! My dad wore a brooch to work. It was my souvenir for him from Munich - the least expensive piece of jewellery made by the most famous of contemporary jewellers - Otto Kunzli's Red Dot. 

This brooch has become a fixture on my dad's suit jacket. His complaints? He objects to the word brooch, 'it is a pin...NOT a brooch', but more importantly no one has commented on it!

There is still hope - if a deeply conservative 67 year old CEO who even finds coloured shirts a shocking phenomenon but is now wearing a brooch, then the world of jewellery for men can change too.

Our Last Jewellery Moment

Airport Jewellery 

 A collaboration between Brigit and Victoria

Materials: Receipt for tea and coffee, boredom/anxiety, diamond studs 

Books

There is so much to see at Schmuck and its satellite events. So much that it becomes completely overwhelming unless you have some means of anchoring the experience. Some people record their thoughts in journal or blog entries, others take photographs or sketch. I buy books - the laziest (that is, until you have to carry them home) and most expensive option.

Schmuck transforms into a book pilgrimage. I get book envy. In 2011, I injured myself by carrying Karl Fritsch's Metrosideros Robusta around Amsterdam. I buy books predominately in German because I get caught up in the moment and convince myself that the pictures are worth it. I had to buy an extra suitcase. In 16 days, I collected 16.5 kilograms of books - almost a third of my body weight. It is a personal record.

These books reference my experience. Metaphorically, they are my photographs, my journal entries and my sketches. Each one reminds me of a specific person, place or exhibition.

These books find their home in my homemade jewellery library where, just like a giant printed jewellery box, I keep as many of these precious pieces in my possession as possible.

Amateur Collecting

Part 1: How To Spot a Collector

Collectors and wealthy patrons at Schmuck as easy to spot.  They make exhibition rounds dripping in fur and contemporary jewels, wearing quirky aluminium framed glasses with an edgier than thou haircut. They are also predominately in my parents age range and up.

You may spot one as a lone wolf, hunting for new talent, or in a large, confronting and extremely intimidating pack. They can touch jewellery with gay abandon; take photos without asking and their mere presence whisks away any attendant or artist you were pleasantly conversing with. These men and women take contemporary jewellery extremely seriously.

Here is a photo of Helen Williams Drutt English (whom I briefly spotted at the Returning to the jewel is a return from exile Nr.6 exhibition). She is a famous contemporary jewellery collector, supporter and promoter. 

Photo by Cathryn Tremain from The Age Article: To Brooch the Topic

And here’s a photo of me.

Photo courtesy of Kate Hutchinson

As an amateur collector (on behalf of my mother) how am I to be taken seriously?

Money. If you don’t look like money, make sure they know you have it (even if it isn't technically yours).

Die Party

It means The Party, not a death/dying party - an awkward mistake I made.

Die Party is this year's reincarnation of the infamous Schmuck Party organised by class members of the Munich Academy - a highlight on the Schmuck calendar, particularly if you want to watch awkward jewellers dance or dance with awkward jewellers. 

Check out the dance moves below by jeweller Dee Fontans. Next time, I will be prepared. 

V. 

Current Obsession

New contemporary jewellery magazine Current Obsession believes ‘Jewellery is what you make it’ and used Schmuck as its launching pad. I had high hopes for the magazine, if only because they’d thought of creating a Schmuck map. The map was disappointing but the magazine, a pleasant surprise – with profiles on Estonian jewellers, a myriad of artist interviews, an article by Liesbeth den Besten, and the offer of a limited edition Current Obsession Noon Passama bracelet.

Current Obsession is a hybrid; part art magazine, part fashion magazine. The first of its kind, it uses strong imagery that jumps right off the page, using a theme, in this case ‘the archetype’ to organise its content. This includes short, easy to read articles by well-known jewellers and collectors and carefully staged photo shoots.

Unlike Metalsmith and Arts and Craft, which target a craft-centric audience, Current Obsession has a very cool, contemporary presentation. It places contemporary jewellery in a different context. The text itself assumes the reader has little knowledge of the contemporary jewellery world, and the weirdly wonderful cover draws in anyone interested in art. 

I think this is a really great publication and I hope it will have a long and successful life. I’ll be ordering the next issue in October. Check it out at http://www.current-obsession.com/

Patina of Snow

The highlight of the train journey from the airport into the heart of Munich was the fresh blanket of snow that covered large stretches of land and train tracks. As we edged closer to the city the snow became sparser. In the sunshine it looked like crushed quartz, scattered liberally over wet cement - little, cold, shiny crystals.

A patina is defined as any fine layer, film or incrustation on a surface. Munich was spotted with patinas of frost. 

Blind Drawings

Disastrous Blind Drawing Attempt 1: A hybrid of a blind drawing exercise and Mr Squiggle
Titled Whale and Shark Collide and Make Beautiful New Breed of Mammal 

Perhaps the most interesting part of visiting an artist’s studio is seeing the environment in which they work. I take note of how a studio is organised, what is given precedent and what is displayed. Ruudt Peter’s studio is large and narrow. My attention was drawn to large black pen portraits with wild lines. Although partially obscured by stacks of black storage boxes against a wall, it was obvious the drawings were of Ruudt, by Ruudt.

He referred to the portraits in his presentation – they were part of his practice of blind drawing. He explained that he uses this technique as a way to lose control, to separate his mind from his learnt behaviour and access his intuition. The process provides a break from the traditions and learnt behaviours of a goldsmith, practitioner and maker. He gains inspiration from this sense of freedom.

Intuition is an important process and something that often alludes me. I plan too much and as a result, my work can lack a sense of spontaneity. Inspired by Ruudt's blind drawing practice, I've started experimenting with this technique by engaging in games of blind contour drawing, Mr. Squiggle, timed drawings and exquisite corpse. As seen above, I'm still struggling to make anything as captivating as Ruudt's face but I intend to keep on trying.