Neo Plastic Jewellery Artefacts

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BACKGROUND The influence of traditional and contemporary Japanese iconography stems from Bastin's 2005 Australia Council residency in Tokyo, while his materiality choices are an ongoing study of combining traditional and modern components and manufacture seamlessly. This collection of Neo Plastic Jewellery Artefacts furthers an exploration of the relationship between the macro- and micro-world in creating objects that can be equally personal decoration or precious ornament as artefact. CONTRIBUTION These works use contemporary jewellery making to create new narratives that suggest science fiction influences through the temporal ambiguity of the fictional origin of the work. This project was also about combining aspects of jewellery with miniature objects, belonging to both contemporary and historical Japanese culture, to create a personal type of object mode in response to the current wave of influence of Japanese popular culture on western taste. SIGNIFICANCE By Example was part of a biannual series of international jewellery exhibitions hosted by the Museum of Arts & Crafts, Itami. Curators Karin Findeis and Bridie Lander invited Nicholas Bastin, Roseanne Bartly, Susan Cohn, Mari Funaki, Catherine Harrington, Marian Hosking, Sue Lorraine, Leslie Matthews, Sally Marsland, Carlier Makigawa, Gilbert Riedelbauch and Margaret West to each contribute two key works and in turn select two makers with whom they have worked, mentored or formally taught in the past. Thus By Example presents a view of Australian contemporary jewellery through the lens of the processes of learning, drawing attention initially to the transference of knowledge not as a didactic method but through the relationship of mentor and learner. Simultaneously it provides a 'cultural snapshot' of Australian jewellery for an international audience through the work of 42 talented artists and their collection of more than 200 original pieces.