Jackie
is a long-standing member of the Alberta Craft Council and is
a well-established craftsperson who excels in her area of fine
craft - jewellery and objects. I was introduced to Jackie Anderson's
work in 1980 soon after I moved to Calgary to join the Faculty
of the Alberta College of Art + Design. I noticed that many
of my colleagues in the art community were wearing very distinctive
jewellery pieces, when I inquired about this work I was informed
that it was the work of Jackie Anderson. It was clear that Jackie
was already a well-respected and influential participant in
the Calgary art community. Jackie's work is beautifully crafted,
innovative in the use of materials and layered with meaning.
A jewellery object produced by Jackie Anderson was and continues
to be a highly desirable possession.
Jackie
graduated from the ACAD's Jewellery + Metal Arts program in
1976 and has maintained an active studio practice for more than
three decades. She has traveled extensively to extend her knowledge
of contemporary jewellery practice and pursue research in the
fields of decorative art and architecture. She is a prolific
maker and has exhibited her work in galleries and museums around
the world. Her work is included in numerous public collections
including, the Canadian Museum of Civilization; the MacDonald
Stewart Collection, University of Guelph; the Metal Art Guild
of Canada and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. Her work
has also been illustrated in national and international publications
most recently in 'NEW RINGS: 500+ Designs from Around the World'
edited by Nicolas Estrada and recently presented in Barcelona.
She has received many awards including ACAD's Alumni Award of
Excellence and recently she was awarded Best in Design Innovation
in the 'Zilberschmuck Art-Jewellery 2011 national juried exhibition.
She was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 2002.
Anderson
has a deep understanding of jewellery as a body adornment; her
works draw us into an intimate experience of visual delight
and visceral engagement. Jackie Anderson is a skillful maker;
she is ingenious and cunning with her choice and handling of
materials. Technical skill is often so well integrated into
the overall concept and design of the work that her pieces can
seem deceptively effortless. She uses technique to pull together
form, colour and concept into a multi layered visual experience.
Throughout
her career Jackie has been willing to push her practice into
new territory. In the early 1990's she extended the visual presence
of her pins, earrings and neckpieces by incorporating the wearable
work into a sculptural stand or box. The stand or box functioned
like a miniature stage set displaying the main character, the
wearable jewellery. Together stand and jewellery created an
independent object, allowing her work to be both functional
jewellery and miniature sculpture. Jackie freely embraces concepts
grounded in art, craft and design practice. In her current eye
wear series she focuses attention on a familiar product. Creating
stylish, humorous and provocative eyewear she is reclaiming
a mass-produced and branded object back into the realm of fine
craft and unique wearable art.
Her
long and productive career has inspired makers in many areas
of craft production. She continues to influence the development
of fine art jewellery and objects in Alberta through both her
own world-class studio production and her generous mentoring
and support of emerging artists. Jackie's influence reaches
past the Alberta border. She is recognized as a senior maker
and a catalyst for design innovation in the Canadian Art Jewellery
field. Her extensive knowledge of contemporary jewellery practice
was recently recognized when she was called by the Metal Arts
Guild of Canada to jury applications for the guilds highest
level of professional membership - Platinum. Jackie is one of
only eight individuals currently in this elite category of membership.
It
takes enduring conviction and vision to be a full time craftsperson
in Canada; Jackie Anderson's career exemplifies these qualities.
She is a pre-eminent practitioner of her craft, an innovative
artist and a generous supporter of emerging artists in her field.
By
Jane Kidd
