Rings for Two

Just finished! Two lovely faceted 18 karat yellow gold wedding rings... just in time for our wedding. Mine has an indented facet on the top to fit around my engagement ring. Both have a matte finish on the outside, to match the engagement ring, and a polished comfort-fit interior. Not long now until the Big Day!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and a happy holiday break to everyone!


Thanks for reading, looking, and commenting with me this year. I'll have a few more upcoming posts over the holidays, since I will be taking a big break later in January...

Have a wonderful holiday season!

Danner Rotunde

 

A display including works by Hermann Junger, Georg Dobler, Sally Marsland, Karl Fritsch, Ruudt Peters, Mari Funaki and others

During my trip to Munich in March of this year, I had the chance to visit the magnificent Danner Rotunde jewellery collection in the Pinakothek der Moderne (Museum of Modern Art). What a treat! It's an encyclopedia of contemporary jewellery, tucked safely away in the sub-basement of the museum. The fascinating International Design Museum Munich is housed in the basement on the way to the Danner Rotunde, and because of Schmuck week an interesting jewellery and design exhibition entitled Treasure Hunt was also on display.

When you finally reach the sub-basement, a glittering world of jewellery awaits in cabinets and behind floor-to-ceiling windows set into the walls. Curated by Karl Fritsch, the collection showcases the work of over 100 prominent contemporary jewellers from around the globe. I was excited to see in person the work of many jewellers I've only seen in books and catalogues before.

 

Map of the exhibition room

The exhibition display is central to the experience: with the guidance of a hand-drawn "map" of each display case showing numbered sketches of each work, you can navigate your way to information about the artist and their work.

 Rings in wood by Manuel Vilhela

Chains by Paolo Maurizio, Laura Deakin, Lisa Walker, Therese Hilbert and others

Neckpieces by Daniel Kruger

 Painted polycarbonate bracelets by Svenja John

A characteristically large neckpiece by Dorothea Pruhl

 

Sugar-fired enameled iron rings by Bettina Dittlman

The Danner Rotunde website currently displays a notice that the Danner Rotunde is closed at present due to "construction work that has become necessary at short notice". Hopefully it will reopen in time for Schmuck 2012.

Love Lace at the Powerhouse Museum

While I was in Sydney recently I had the chance to visit the Powerhouse Museum's Love Lace exhibition, an excellent show featuring 130 works incorporating or inspired by lace by 134 artists from 20 countries.

There are two rooms of contemporary jewellery pieces including intricate wirework by Michaela Bruton, a colourful Elizabethan-inspired wire and silicon brooch by Stephen Gallagher, porcelain-dipped crocheted lace-fungi by Katherine Wheeler, and many more.

The diversity of the works is surprising and refreshing, propelling a traditional craft technique into a contemporary context of critical inquiry. Works span across disciplines, ranging from sculpture, jewellery and craft to fashion and textiles, through to video, installation and public art.

A number of prizes were awarded in conjunction with the exhibition. The overall winner was a crocheted steel and copper wire automotive engine entitled Detroit's Shadow, by Anne Mondro. Her crocheting technique has resulted in a ghostly transparency with a flaccidity reminiscent of Claes Oldenberg's soft sculptures.

The Powerhouse Museum has been collecting lace for over a century and over 300 pieces belonging to the permanent collection are accessible through its Lace Study Centre.

Love Lace runs until April 2012, so if you're planning to be in Sydney over the holidays or early next year, have a look! If you can't make it, the works, interviews and documentary videos can be viewed on the Powerhouse website.