Mel Miller

Local Colour - Change of dates

2012-03-03T20:59:00.000+11:00

UPDATE: The dates of my upcoming exhibition, Local Colour, have changed slightly. The new exhibition dates will be 3-14 July 2012, to be held at Studio 20/17 in Waterloo, Sydney. There will be an opening reception Saturday 7 July from 4-6pm, with an artist talk before the opening from 3:30pm.

There's a new post on the Frosting Magazine website about the exhibition. One of my Urban Landscape neckpieces was featured in Frosting Magazine last year, on the page above.

Refined VII: Inspiration in Texas

2012-02-02T03:19:00.000+11:00

The seventh biennial Refined exhibition will be held at the Cole Art Center @ the Old Opera House in Nacogdoches, Texas from 4 February - 24 March 2012. This year's theme is Inspiration. Juried by Jennifer Crupi, the exhibition showcases the current trends in the international jewellery world.

One of my new landscape brooches about the apartment blocks cropping up on a local street in the northern suburbs of Melbourne will be featured in Refined: Inspiration. It's funny how just after the drought broke, the apartment buildings began to grow...

The Cole Art Center is located at 329 Main Street, Nacogdoches, Texas. An opening reception will be held Saturday 4 February from 6-8pm with an artist talk at 5pm.

I won't be there for the exhibition, so if you're in eastern Texas and you can drop in, let me know your thoughts about the show!

July 2012 at Studio 2017

2012-01-10T23:10:00.000+11:00

Mark your diary:

I'll be showing a new solo exhibition entitled Local Colour, at Studio 20/17 in the 2 Danks Street art complex in Waterloo, Sydney, from 3 - 21 July 2012.

More details as the date approaches...

In the meantime I'll be away on my honeymoon for the next few months. Please excuse the lack of posts until April!

Gray Street Workshop and the Jam Factory, Adelaide

2012-01-06T08:58:00.000+11:00

I was recently in Adelaide and had the chance to visit both the Jam Factory and Gray Street Workshop. I've read a lot about these two successful models for group studios, and it was great to see them in person.

Catherine Truman was kind enough to show me around the Gray Street Workshop, a contemporary jewellery studio which has been running for 26 years, first at Gray Street and now for 17 years in its present location at 10 Sydney Place, Adelaide. Over 90 jewellers have been in residence at the Gray Street Workshop over the past quarter century, including Julie Blyfield, Lisa Walker, Assistant Professor of Jewellery and Metalsmithing at Indiana University (USA) Nicole Jacquard, and Kath Inglis, whose new work is on display currently at the Jam Factory. The workshop was founded by Catherine Truman, Anne Brennan, who left the partnership to begin a lecturing position at Canberra National University, and Sue Lorraine, now the creative director of the Metal Design Studio at the Jam Factory.

Three partners, including newest addition lampworking artist Jess Dare, and six other tenants make up the Gray Street Workshop, located behind the new gallery.

Grey Street Workshop's gallery space is celebrating its first year of operation. Hoopla, their Christmas exhibition themed around rings, was on display when I visited, featuring rings by all the Gray Street partners and tenants, and some interesting textile neckpieces by Lisa Funro. The exhibition runs until 31 January.

I also had the opportunity to visit the Jam Factory centre for contemporary craft and design while in Adelaide. For almost forty years the Jam Factory has been promoting craft and design through its studios, galleries and shops. Housed in a spacious, contemporary building in Morphett Street, Adelaide, the purpose-built studios for metal design, ceramics, glass and furniture provide work spaces and training for Associates through a two-year program combining collaboration on manufacture of production work with development of individual directions and ideas.The Jam Factory also runs workshops, accepts commissions, develops lines of production work in collaboration with prominent craft artists, and has just opened an online store.

When I visited, the main gallery was showing Generate 11, the annual exhibition of work by final-year Jam Factory Associates. The show features glass "monsters" by Andrea Fiebig, a hovering cloud-like glass installation by Kristel Britcher, and elegant ceramic homewares by James Edwards, as well as jewellery and furniture work. Showcasing both production work and one-off exhibition pieces, Generate 11 gives a good overview of what is involved in a Jam Factory Associate's training.

The Collector Space Gallery is currently showing Bend, Stitch, Carve, an exhibition of jewellery by Kath Inglis, Tassia Joannides and Erin Keys. Kath Inglis' hand-dyed PVC "jewels" are enchanting, creating near-perfect replicas of themselves in shadows that appear like reflections.

Generate 11 runs until 12 February; Bend, Stitch, Carve runs until 14 January.

Rings for Two

2011-12-27T16:15:00.000+11:00

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!

2011-12-24T09:45:00.000+11:00

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

2011-12-07T08:05:00.000+11:00

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

2011-12-01T08:40:00.000+11:00

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.

Keep it Local this Christmas with Arbor Jewels and Sparta Place

2011-11-29T08:19:00.000+11:00

Arbor Jewels is hosting a Keep it Local Christmas event in collaboration with the other shops in Sparta Place, Brunswick on Friday 2 December from 5-8pm.

Enjoy a complimentary glass of sparkling and support local makers and small business this Christmas season. Hosting shops will be offering 10% off purchases on the night, including Arbor Jewels, OK OK, Melody Nelson, Ruby Patootie, Corrin's Hair Lounge, Love & Lust and Jet Nail Bar.

Sparta Place is located just off Sydney Road between Victoria & Blyth Streets, Brunswick.

Happy Holidays!

Fresh! 2011

2011-11-28T08:25:00.000+11:00

Fresh!, Craft Victoria's annual exhibition of outstanding work by graduating students, opens this Thursday 1 December from 6-8pm at Craft Victoria. This year twelve makers have been selected from the graduate exhibitions of over 35 Victorian university and TAFE craft programs including gold and silversmithing, ceramics, glass, fashion, textiles, industrial and furniture design, and visual arts.

Fresh! exhibitors include Allona Goren and Wendy Korol, graduating from the RMIT gold and silversmithing program. Congratulations to this year's Fresh! artists!

The exhibtion will run until 23 December.

RMIT MFA Graduate Exhibition

2011-11-27T11:15:00.000+11:00

The RMIT Master of Fine Arts Graduate Exhibition opens this Wednesday 30 November from 5:30-7:30pm at Gossard Project Space, RMIT Building 49, 67 Franklin Street Melbourne.

Graduating gold and silversmithing MFA students are Claire O'Halloran, Mary Hackett and Leah Teschendorff. Congratulations to all the graduates!

The exhibition runs until 8 December.

Christmas Showcase at Studio 20/17

2011-11-23T08:20:00.000+11:00

Studio 20/17's Christmas Showcase begins next Tuesday 29 November in the newly expanded gallery space at the 2 Danks Street arts complex in Waterloo, Sydney. The exhibition features work from 28 Australian contemporary jewellers just in time for the giving season. An opening celebration will be held Saturday 3 December from 4-6pm.

New Bounce! earrings, neckpieces, rings and brooches will be featured in the show.

The exhibition runs until 24 December, but sold work will be sent home with the buyer in time for Christmas, so get in quick to see the full show! More information about the show and images are on the Studio 20/17 website.

Top image from exhibition invitation: Michelle Taylor ring series

It was like a fever

2011-11-21T18:11:00.000+11:00

The RMIT graduate exhibition, It was like a fever, opens this Wednesday at No Vacancy Gallery at QV, 34-40 Jane Bell Lane, Melbourne from 6-9pm. Congratulations to the graduates! The exhibition runs until 4 December.

New Work at Studio 20/17

2011-11-18T08:49:00.000+11:00

New work for the silly season at Studio 20/17 in the 2 Danks Street art complex in Sydney's Waterloo. Studio 20/17 is gearing up for its annual Christmas Showcase, which will open 29 November and run until Christmas Eve.

Auteur

2011-11-16T08:32:00.000+11:00

Auteur, NMIT's graduate exhibition, opens tomorrow night at the Northcote Town Hall, 189 High Street, Northcote from 6-8pm. Congratulations to the graduating students on two years of hard work! The exhibition runs until 27 November.

Work Hardened

2011-11-15T08:23:00.000+11:00

It's student and graduate exhibition time!

Work Hardened, the exhibition of RMIT first and second year gold and silversmithing student work, opens tonight from 6-8pm at Spill Art Space at Boscia Galleries, Level 4, 175 Flinders Lane. The exhibition runs until 26 November.

The Carrot Box

2011-11-07T09:45:00.000+11:00

My Bounce! rings have been featured on The Carrot Box's blog about plastic and other non-metal rings.

Lots of other interesting rings in many colourful materials on her blog!

New Work at Arbor Jewels

2011-11-05T12:39:00.000+11:00

New work for the Christmas season now at Arbor Jewels, in Sydney Road, Brunswick. Handmade sterling silver chains with bouncy ball beads and gemstones, and colourful new Bounce! earrings and rings. And as always, there are lots of other lovely jewels at Arbor!

David Bielander and Vicki Mason

2011-11-04T13:45:00.000+11:00

I finally made it to see the David Bielander exhibition at Gallery Funaki yesterday, and it is, as advertised, a Ripsnorter! There is a two and a half meter long python neckpiece, a pearl necklace with ears that can be reassembled into a three-dimensional pig's head, and a necklace of sausages carved from the wood of a carefully selected chair - all of which are made with a (purportedly unintentional) humour and a (certainly intentional) technical mastery. I had to get a copy of the catalogue, which is in essence a printed version of the artist's talk at RMIT on 28 October.

Tomorrow is the exhibition's last day - see it before it goes!

I also attended the opening of e.g. etal's last exhibition for the year last night. The gallery is awash with colour emanating from Vicki Mason's Botanical Fictions, a collection of powder-coated brass and sterling silver floral brooches, neckpieces and rings featuring the tightly coiled PVC and fiber centres that have defined the artist's previous work. The colour combinations and stylisation of these bouquets and sprays ensure the botanical forms do read like fictions, becoming stranger and more exciting than the real thing. The exhibition runs until 15 November.

Saving Craft Australia... A Letter

2011-11-03T09:18:00.000+11:00

As I mentioned previously, Craft Australia has been defunded by the Australia Council and will no longer operate beyond the end of 2011, unless their appeal for interim funding is granted. I have written a letter expressing my support for Craft Australia and sent it to the Australia Council's Visual Arts Board, Minister for the Arts and Shadow Minister for the Arts , as suggested by the Save Craft Australia initiative. Each of these contact details are given on their blog.

The content of my letter is below; please feel free to borrow liberally from it if you would like to support Craft Australia by sending your own letter.

To Whom it May Concern:

I am writing to express my support for Craft Australia, recently defunded by the Australia Council for the Arts, and its request for interim funding to continue organisational operations. As an Australian craft artist and tertiary craft educator, I believe strongly that Craft Australia is an invaluable resource to the craft and design sector.

Through its website, e-newsletters and blog Craft Australia provides craft artists, students, educators and stakeholders with:

a portal for the dissemination of craft and design research excellence, including the online journal craft + design enquiry
an international forum for discussion about current issues in contemporary craft and design, including a recent focus on issues of sustainability
national advocacy for Australian craft and design, ensuring that the craft and design sector has a voice on national decision making organisations such the Australian Design Alliance (AdA), ArtsPeak, the National Visual Arts Craft Network (NVACN) and the Council for Humanities Arts and Social Sciences, (CHASS)
a vital resource for up-to-date, industry-specific news and information about the craft and design sector
an ongoing historical and contemporary record of Australian craft through the digital Image Bank
a central hub uniting diverse areas of craft and design nationwide

Craft Australia is a unique and essential organisation supporting and promoting the vibrant Australian craft sector. There is no other national body advocating for craft and design in Australia.

I strongly encourage you to support Craft Australia’s request for interim funding as well as long-term funding solutions to ensure the ongoing viability of Craft Australia.

Kind Regards,

Mel Miller

Craft Artist and Educator

Melbourne Cup

2011-11-02T08:41:00.000+11:00

Happy Melbourne Cup Day!

I have always loved looking at the outrageous, incredible hats worn by regular people on this one special day in Melbourne. This year I was invited to a Melbourne-Cup-birthday gathering and couldn't pass up the opportunity to wear something amazing and unusual on my head, so I constructed this last-minute fascinator out of some half-started projects in my studio, a hair comb and a bit of tulle. Hooray! I really think we should have more funny hat days each year.

Peaches and Keen

2011-11-01T10:04:00.000+11:00

Lucy Hearn and Lily Daley of Peaches and Keen are holding another exhibition of lovely colourful things! This time it will be held in the window of Dagmar Rousset, 157 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy. Opening night is 11.11.11 from 6-8pm, and the exhibition will run for a couple of weeks.

Save Craft Australia

2011-10-29T11:39:00.000+11:00

Craft Australia, the national peak body for craft and design, has been defunded by the Australia Council and after 40 years of representing craft and design in Australia, will no longer be able to operate beyond December of this year. The Craft Australia media release states:

Craft Australia believes the decision by the VAB [Visual Arts Board of the Australia Council] is unjustified and was made without proper consultation either with Craft Australia or the craft and design sector. The decision has not followed due process or due governance and is in breach of its own documented guidelines. Craft Australia is challenging this decision and is also seeking immediate interim funding from the Australia Council.

Robert Reason the President of Craft Australia said:
“The interim funding would allow Craft Australia to restructure in a responsible manner and manage its significant heritage assets and active programs appropriately. It would also send a clear message to the craft and design sector that the Australia Council and through it the Australian Government remains committed to the preservation of our cultural heritage”.

Craft Australia's website is filled with valuable resources for the craft and design sectors, and the Craft Australia blog is a vital source of news, research and discussion of issues in contemporary craft. This year Craft Australia has been holding an intriguing online forum on sustainability in craft and design.

Show your support and sign the Save Craft Australia petition here. For more information on what you can do to help, visit the Craft Australia blog.

The Giving Ring

2011-10-25T17:55:00.000+11:00

I've been given one of Chris Massey's Giving Rings! Now my task is to give the ring to someone else... This is the hard part!

Chris has made 40 sterling silver rings with porcelain "pearls" to give away. The only catch is that if you receive one from Chris, you must agree to give the ring to someone else. A blank card comes with the ring, where you write who you're giving your ring to and why you've chosen that person. The cards are sent back to Chris and posted on Facebook, where you can read about the travels of the other rings in the collection, along with photos of them and their wearers.

It will be interesting to see what journeys these rings embark on. Each ring has a slightly different handmade "pearl". Katie Jayne has posted some nice images of the rings being made on her blog.

Now, to decide who I'm giving mine to...

David Bielander Lecture

2011-10-24T08:31:00.001+11:00

"How to Make a Rip-Snorter:Classic Old-World Skills Meet New Ideas", a public lecture by Swiss contemporary jeweller David Bielander, will be held at RMIT on Thursday 27 October from 5:30pm. The free lecture will take place at RMIT Building 10, Level 8, Lecture Theatre 3.

David Bielander is also holding a five-day Master Class of the same name at RMIT starting Friday 28 October. For more information, visit RMIT Short Courses.

To see the artist's rip-snorter of a piece, visit Gallery Funaki before 5 November.

14 Rings for 500 Rings

2011-10-23T14:59:00.000+11:00

Mnemochronology No. 4 has just been selected for inclusion in Showcase 500 Rings, a new publication by Lark Books scheduled to come out in May 2012. The selection process was juried by Bruce Metcalf, one of my favourite American contemporary jewellers, known for his narrative jewellery and essays about the field.

Mnemochronology No. 4 is an object with 14 wearable, removable rings in enameled fine silver, felted wool and textiles. The series is based on the concept of dendrochronology, the construction of historical information gathered from the study of the rings of trees. Mnemochronology explores the possibility of the construction of personal histories taken from the study of rings for the finger. The rings can be removed from the object and worn, collecting the stories of the wearer.

Spring!

2011-10-14T15:36:00.000+11:00

Today is a beautiful spring day, and I've been busy experimenting with new shades of bouncy balls.

Maker's Mark

2011-10-11T16:42:00.000+11:00

My new maker's mark has arrived! I decided I needed a bent shank stamp (for marking the inside of rings) to go along with my original straight shank maker's mark. The design is the same as the original, but without the border (with thanks to Inari for the suggestion!). Both stamps came from Lonnies, Inc, a small jewellery supply business in Phoenix, Arizona (and my old employer, in my student days).

Nicole Polentas & Christopher Earl Milbourne

2011-10-10T08:48:00.000+11:00

Nicole Polentas and Christopher Earl Milbourne's exhibition Psychomanteum opens this Thursday 13 October at the Counihan Gallery in Brunswick. Nicole's work has long been interpreting the cultural locations of her Greek heritage in text- and image-based contemporary jewellery, while Chris creates architectural vessels and objects through the fusion of precious metals.

The exhibition runs until 6 November with an artist floor talk on Saturday 15 October at 2:30pm.

Wondernamel

2011-10-01T20:57:00.000+10:00

I finally made it to see the RMIT student enameling exhibition Wondernamel today, on its last day at First Site Gallery. This year's edition of the annual exhibition, curated by RMIT enameling lecturer Kirsten Haydon, was filled with especially exciting student work.

A painterly approach was taken on vessels by Inari Kiuru and Wendy Korol, contrasting with the subtle patterns on white enamel of Katie Brichford's salt vessel series. RMIT Artist in Residence Naoko Inuzuka's brooches depicted rainclouds seen from different perspectives, including from an airplane window.

Lucinda Knight's series "Girt by Sea" transformed common kitchen implements such as drains and scrubbing brushes with a combination of sifted and painted enamels, and Robyn Hosking's political ceramic and enameled copper object "HMAS Obfuscation" depicted prominent Australian political figures riding kangaroos on a carousel named "House of Parliament".

Lots of interesting enameling work this year!

Tim McCreight Public Lecture

2011-09-30T10:24:00.003+10:00

Renowned American metalsmith and author of the The Complete Metalsmith (essential to the library of any jewellery or metalsmithing student, even absolute beginners whose library consists of only one book!) Tim McCreight is coming to Australia, and giving a public lecture at RMIT University on Friday 7 October from 6-7pm. The lecture, entitled "What My Hands Taught Me", is an overview of McCreight's 40-year career in jewellery and metalsmithing. It will be held at the Casey Plaza Lecture Theatre, Building 10, Level 4, Room 27 at RMIT, at a cost of $5 (pre-booked or at the door).

Tim McCreight's visit is presented by the PMC Guild of Australia and New Zealand and bookings can be made at www.pmcguild.com.au/visiting-artists .

Robert Baines at Pieces of Eight

2011-09-29T14:52:00.000+10:00

In conjunction with the 35+ year retrospective on now at the Glen Eira City Council Gallery, Robert Baines is holding an exhibition of new works at Pieces of Eight opening next Tuesday 4 October. Frisches Fleisch: Fresh Meat opens Tuesday from 6-8pm.

Since I couldn't make the opening of A Visible Likeness at the Glen Eira City Council Gallery, I went to Robert's artist floor talk on Saturday. The retrospective includes works going back all the way to his student days at RMIT University, many of which I had never seen. More recent major works include Robert's first major wirework pieces of the mid-'90s, mind-boggling in their complexity, commissioned works on loan from collectors spanning much of his career, and a number of intricate teasets. Drawings and sketches line the gallery walls, and a very engaging video produced by Object Gallery shows Robert speaking about his work.

A Visible Likeness is an excellent exhibition, running until 16 October, and next up is Frisches Fleisch! On at Pieces of Eight until 12 November.

Scaffolding and Tall Walls

2011-09-28T10:32:00.000+10:00

A new work...

There's a place on my way to the city where there was a little field and a church. I thought it was a park but it was just an empty lot. Now an apartment building has gone up in the field, and this little pastoral scene in the midst of city life is no more. It's all scaffolding and tall walls. That place became a brooch in my work about the urban landscape, and now it's changed so much I've made a new one, supported by scaffolding and hemmed in by apartment-style walls. The sunset is still there though, if you catch it from the right angle.

A Visible Likeness

2011-09-22T10:28:00.000+10:00

Robert Baines' exhibition A Visible Likeness opens tonight at the Glen Eira City Council Gallery in Caulfield. This is a survey exhibition of more than 35 years of gold and silversmtihing practice by the coordinator of postgraduate gold and silversmithing at RMIT University. Not to be missed! And unfortunately, I'm going to have to miss the opening. But the exhibition runs until 16 October, with an artist floor talk this Saturday 24 September at 2:30pm.

The Loved Object

2011-09-20T13:59:00.000+10:00

Locutions (The Loved Object) is an exhibition of hollowware boxes and watercolours by Katherine Bowman, on now at Craft Victoria. Subtle textures and details on the blackened hollowware pieces contrast with brightly coloured birds flying out of one of the boxes, while watercolours reflecting the same themes of box-like structures combined brightly patterned birds and horses add another perspective to the subject.

The exhibition runs until 15 October.