Brooch...The Subject II
A Review
An exhibition of wearable mini-art
Fitzroy Library Exhibitions Cases
30 August – 25 October 2008
Raindrops Brooch by Joy Lea
Daisy Pearl Brooch by Joy Lea
To create a functional piece of human bodily adornment as well as a work of art was the directive that participating artists were given for this innovative and exciting annual exhibition. Some artists chose to use the card provided for their task and Cressida Fox decided to focus on creatures of the water, quirky little creatures, such as the weather loach, the starfish and the seahorse. Bright and fresh, these little creatures reflect the artist’s concern for effects of environmental degradation upon these fragile sea creatures. Creatures, possessing all knowing and all seeing eyes look out pleadingly towards the viewer, asking for gentle treatment.
Lacy - brooch by Gail Stiffe
Head of a Man - brooch by Neda Starac
Shelley Vincent offered works on paper, each being mounted on cardboard and then hand embroidered around the organically shaped perimeter, using seed beads and thread. Shapes reminiscent of rocks, shapely puddles of rain or earthy outback landscapes. The subtle soft edged designs were redolent of summer days as was the shimmering haze reflected in the earthy tones of the acrylic paint.
Using the card format as a base, Debbie Harris Walter painted organic shapes reminiscent of amoebic and cellular shapes that could be gestating, germinating or about to shed spores out into the environment. A slight edge of fear or unrest could be detected in the unknown outcome for these shapes. Magenta and turquoise contributed to these attractive pieces of wearable art, great conversation starters for those awkward social situations.
Kathe Bibi Ostermark also utilized the card format to create wearable work that was reminiscent of her larger works on canvas. Each of these brooches possessed both a fresh and buoyant appearance as well as offered a comment on gender issues with titles such as ‘Winners and Losers’. These brooches were imbued with a controversial tone which was opposed by their attractiveness and attractive and functionality.
Winners & Loosers - wearable art by Kathe Bibi Ostermark
Life Goes On - brooch by Shelley Vincent
An innovative use of plaster casting, incorporating sand and acrylic contributed to the feeling of ancient worlds that Neda Starac captured in each of her pieces. Works such as ‘Little Monster’ and ‘All Knowing, All Seeing’ could have easily been remnants of archeological dig sites, thus contributing to both their appeal and their ghostly quality. Joy Elizabeth Lea used found pieces of china which were glued onto felt, then hand embellished with seed beads, freshwater pearls, crystals and thread. Each work is pleasing to the eye and yet has been created from discarded remnants found around from discarded rubbish dumps around Warburton and Broken Hill in NSW.
Specimen 3 - wearable art by Debbie Harris Walter
Symbiotic - wearable art by Robert Lee
Seahorse - wearable art by Cressida Fox
Gail Stiffe, a papermaker used paper and acrylic to create both square and rectangular pieces that possessed an organic and earthy feel. Mystery surrounded the ambiguous titles, mystery, reinforced by the all Seeing Eye and windows of wire beckoning the viewer to come closer and observe the inner contents of the creator’s imagination.
Review by Joy Lea