Ornament.
Body. Jewellery. Inextricable from each other, ancient, universal. What
is jewellery? Is it clothing? Is it gold and diamonds? Is it mouse droppings in
an acrylic tube? Is it gold leaf applied to a crack on the ground, decorating
the earth, the body that is Gaia? Or wearable art in the context of performance?
Jewellery is all of these and more. Jewellery is the oldest human evidence of
consciousness, 40,000 years old. Anthropologists now believe that jewellery, as
well as being evidence of consciousness, may have actually been a cause of consciousness
in humans. Raising consciousness is what this exhibition is about. You
can see Body Ornament West in person at the Alberta Craft Council
in Edmonton, 10186-106 St. tel: (780) 488-6611 or toll free in Alberta at 1-800
DO CRAFT, January 15 through April 2, 2005. Join us for an opening reception and
meet some of the artists on Saturday January 15, 2005 from 2 - 4 p.m. email: acc@albertacraft.ab.ca | 
Kimberly
Johansen,
Calgary, AB
Dragon
Flight
Pendant - sterling silver, brass, copper
3" x 2.25" | 
Karen
Cantine,
Edmonton, AB Pin
granite, pearl, sterling silver
40mm | 
Sarabeth
Carnat, Calgary, AB My
Grandmother's Legacies (brooch/necklace)
sterling silver, 14K and 18K gold
3"h
x 2 1/8"w x 1"d | 
Jan
Smith,
Salt Spring Island, BC Dual
Circles (neckpiece)
enamel, copper, sterling silver
2 5/8"d and
2 1/8"d | 
Kurt
Tunkl,
Calgary, AB Bracelet
Sterling
silver, anodized titanium
| 
Tara
Owen,
Calgary, AB Sewn
Brooch
brass
6cm x 4cm x 1cm
| 
Sarah
Alford,
Beaverlodge, AB Ring
barbed
wire, brass and beading wire, metallic thread
1 m diameter
| 
Monique
Mousseau,
Hope, BC Three
Masks
vitreous enamel, fine and sterling silver
all approximately 155
mm | 
Aliza
Amihude,
Winnipeg, MB Coyote
Eats Mouse and Mouse Becomes Coyote (neck piece)
sterling silver, coyote
fur, vinyl and mouse poo
130 x 37 x 37 mm | 
Aliza
Amihude,
Winnipeg, MB Magnifying
the World (neckpiece/ magnifying glass)
sterling
silver, glass, vinyl, broom and wiry fern mosses, gals pixie cup, green reindeer,
powdery beard lichens, earth, dwarf birch tree seed heads, and jackpine needles
93
x 37 x 7 mm | 
Shona
Rae,
Calgary, AB Bluebeard's
Castle (sculptural ring)
sterling silver, bronze, precious metal clay,
garnet, copper screen and bees wax
11 1/2" x 2" x 2"
| 
Shona
Rae,
Calgary, AB Bluebeard's
Castle (detail)
sterling silver, bronze, precious metal clay, garnet, copper
screen and bees wax
11 1/2" x 2" x 2"
| 
Dee
Fontans,
Calgary, AB
Tea
Set
(ring and bracelet)
silver, tea bags and magnets
| 
Dee
Fontans,
Calgary, AB
Macaroni
and Cheese
pasta and cheese
| 
Anna
Clark,
Calgary, AB Bee
Mine
(brooch)
fine silver, 18K gold, coloured pencil and gold leaf
70mm
x 70mm
| 
Caroline
Miller,
Victoria, BC Naughty
Amoeba #3
pendant #6 earrings
sterling silver, 18K gold, Plexiglas and
bolts
Pendant - 5cm
Earrings - 2cm | 
Reagan
Nielsen,
Grande Prairie, AB Personal
Hygiene
Q-Tips, cotton balls and fabric
life size
| 
Reagan
Nielsen,
Grande Prairie, AB Viking
Shoes
pipe cleaners
12" x 10" x 5" | 
Thelia
Foster,
Redwood, AB Silhouette
Series: Copper Crone Woman #1
(brooch)
sterling silver and polymer clay
2
1/2"
| 
Megan
Hazel,
Regina, SK Puzzle
Series Brooch
silver
| 
Bridget
Catchpole,
Vancouver, BC Tart
(brooch)
sterling
silver and model paint
1 1/4" h x 2" d | 
Natalie
Kurzuk,
Calgary, AB Pocket
Full of Posies
wearable mixed media, dried rose petals, fabric, tea bags
| 
Kari
Woo,
Calgary, AB Jewellery
Box Series "Alembic Sequence - The Unfolding Collapse of Beauty with Removable
Pendant
wood, found object, copper
10" x 6" x 2 1/2"
| 
Kari
Woo,
Calgary, AB Pendant
sterling
silver, found object, diamond
2" x 2" x 1/4"
| 
Sonja
Neven,
Cochrane, AB Seedpod
Container #4 (neckpiece)
sterling
silver, lace agate
7cm x 4.5cm x 2cm | 
Sonja
Neven,
Cochrane, AB Seedpod
Brooch
sterling silver, wood, garnet and silver leaf
7cm x 3cm x 2cm
| 
Jackie
Anderson
Calgary, AB Battlo
(eyewear)
sterling silver, acetate
14cm x 3.7cm x 13cm | 
Jackie
Anderson
Calgary, AB Kingscliffe
(eyewear)
sterling
silver and plastic
13.7cm x 4.7cm x 13.4cm | 
Jackie
Anderson
Calgary, AB Stardust
(brooch
and stand)
sterling silver, onyx, amber, citrine, arborite, granite, acrylic
10.4cm
x 7.2cm x 7.5cm | 
Linda
Chow
Calgary, AB Tea
Tray in the Sky
(hat)
anodized aluminium, copper, leather, acrylic
10"
x 12"
| 
Linda
Chow
Calgary, AB Equilibrium
(hat)
anodized
aluminium
221" x 16"
| 
Janie
Zwack
Calgary, AB Coven
in the Moonlight
(removable pendant from frame)
silver, opium poppy
seeds, copper and wood
4" x 5.5" x 2" | 
Joan
Irvin
Calgary, AB The
Seven Deadly Sins
(necklace)
anodized aluminium, sterling silver, brass,
niobium, stainless steel | 
Joan
Irvin
Calgary, AB Party
Dresses
(necklace)
anodized aluminium, Sterling silver, brass | 
Andrea
Russell
Salt Spring Island, BC Summer
So Wild
(locket)
sterling and fine silver, emeralds, coloured epoxy
resins, enamel, antique roman horse armour and glass beads, tourmaline, quartz,
tea tin | 
Andrea
Russell
Salt Spring Island, BC Summer
So Wild
(open locket)
sterling and fine silver, emeralds, coloured epoxy
resins, enamel, antique roman horse armour and glass beads, tourmaline, quartz,
tea tin | 
Gregory
Lavoie
Red Deer, AB Wearable
Squid
(neckpiece)
copper and brass
20cm x 35cm x 30cm | 
John
Blair
Calgary, AB Earrings
and Stand
sterling silver, 14K gold with coral/pearl
4cm x 1.2cm | 
John
Blair
Calgary, AB Neckpiece
sterling
silver, 14K gold with tourmaline and amethyst | 
Audra
Schoblocher
Carseland, AB Goddess
of Wind
copper and steel
47" x 17" x 17" | 
Jasna
Sokolovic
Vancouver, BC Green
Block
sterling silver and ceramic
4cm x 3cm x 1.5cm | 
Ron
Maunder
St. Albert, AB Stem
Design Ring
weaved stem, cast in 14K gold with sapphire | 
Hans
Verwijs
Calgary, AB Vanishing
Icon
(bolo tie)
hand-rolled brass sheet, copper, leather
24mm x 48mm
x 10mm thick (main body) | 
Melanie
Smit
Calgary, AB Big
Red
(headphones)
anodized aluminium, faux fur, steel, speakers | 
Colleen
Baran
Surrey, BC Love/Lust
(bangle)
resin,
Mylar, pen ink
text consists of various connotations of the words love and
lust in 48 global languages
9.8cm x 8.3cm x .85cm | 
Lainna
Wolanski
Calgary, AB Leaf
Necklace Signature Linkage
| 
Jeffrey
Wilkins
Calgary, AB Great
Expectations
Copper with torch applied patina. Hand made paper
12.5"
X 10" | 
Derek
Olson
Regina, SK Mania
No. 2
(necklace)
Ladies 18K gold gem set amulet
diamonds, emeralds,
amethyst, bicuspids, mabe pearl, moonstones, acrylic and natural bugs | | | 
Andes
Cruz
Edmonton, AB Time
Keeper Tip Set
silver, brass watch gears
10cm x 8cm x 1 cm and
4cm
x 3.5cm x 1cm | | | Self-decoration,
self-adornment, is consciousness. Jewellery is all about meaning, about applied
symbolic value and content. Jewellers agree, when asked, that what they sell is
not gold, or precious gems, or fashion, but is in fact memories. Jewellery, like
a tattoo, is a key to a moment, a trigger for the mind, a tactile touchstone for
the wearer, and the viewer. Jewellery
provides a universal symbolic access to personal meaning and its expression. Its
semiotic functions, accessible to all, as well as to the artistic elite in the
form of art jewellery cross boundaries and elicit symbolic and metaphoric interpretations
that cross cultural, class and educational positions. Body
Ornament West is a wide-ranging overview of the contemporary Western Canadian
jewellery and wearable art scene. With over 40 artists and 140 pieces from Alberta,
British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba it addresses a broad spectrum of
practice, from international award winning fine jewellers' precious gem work to
radical and experimental body wear. This is the first such survey of designer
jewellery and art jewellery in Alberta in over 20 years. The works turn a searchlight
onto the vigorous community of world-class jewellers and jewellery artists in
Western Canada, a reflection of the world of international art jewellery. So,
what is the notion of the wearable? Is jewellery or clothing wearable art? Craft?
Both? The works in this exhibition are intended to incite discourse concerning
body ornament and ideas/perceptions about what is or is not wearable, and issues
of function and non-function. The spectrum of work presented pints to the roles
and meanings of jewellery and the wearable object in our culture. A range of types
of work fosters contrast and comparison for the viewer, and facilitates debate.
This exhibition is an exploration of ornament: from the vernacular to conceptual
art jewellery and wearable. The work encourages discussion of position. -
Charles Lewton-Brain
Guest Curator Body
Ornament West will will also be featured at the Triangle Gallery in
Calgary, 104, 800 Macleod Trail S.E from September 16 through October 30, 2004.
For more information call 1-403-262-1737 www.trianglegallery.com Triangle
Gallery is hosting an Art Talk Series to run in conjuction with this exhibiton: Saturday,
Septmeber 18, 2004 at 2:00 p.m.
Jewellery
Design: Concept/Creation - Talk by Llyn Strelau, president of Jewels By Design
Ltd and one of the leading and award-winning jewellery designes in Canada. Sunday,
September 19, 2004 at 2:00 p.m.
Jewellery Appraisal - Talk by Kevin
Dickson, GG, President of Dickson's Gemological Services and a Canadian expert
in gemology and jewellery appraisal. Saturday,
September 25, 2004 at 2:00 p.m.
Body Ornament West - Curator's Talk/Gallery
Tour by Charles Lewton-Brain, Head, Faculty of Jewellery and Metal Design,
Alberta College of Art and Design.
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