In 2014, Benjamin Lignel visited Māori jewelry artist Areta Wilkinson in her home, a few weeks before she presented her doctoral research in front of her peers and her kin. This introduction to Areta’s work—and Ben’s growing interest in the customary Māori greenstone figure known as hei tiki—led to the purchase, a few months later,…
The following interview was conducted in the wake of Areta Wilkinson’s exhibition titled Whakapaipai: Jewellery as Pepeha, which was shown at the Canterbury Museum in association with The National, Objectspace, and is now at The Dowse Art Museum. The work she presented is the result of four years of doctoral research, for which she was…
Rian de Jong, Found at: Sao Paulo/Made in: Rio Grande, 2015, ring, copper, silver, tourmaline, quartz, 35 x 30 x 10 mm, photo: artist Rian de Jong’s show at Gallery Loupe consists of photographs of landscapes where the jewelry was made, as well as the jewelry itself. Rian is an interesting artist not only because…
Elvis Costello and Kelsey Grammar, 04-22-2003 episode of Frasier, image source: NBC Writing about art (or music) is like dancing (or sometimes singing, or occasionally knitting) about architecture, or maybe football, as once quipped either comedian/art collector Steve Martin, or comedian/artist Martin Mull, or maybe musician/comic actor Elvis Costello, or possibly even experimental satirist/Zappa-esque musician…
In May of 2015, AJF Executive Director Rebekah Frank went out to Minneapolis to attend the very exciting Superscript seminar organized by Mn Artists and hosted by the Walker Art Center (the rest of us attended the seminar through its live feed). The seminar was of interest to AJF for several reasons. Not only was…
“The real is produced from miniaturized units, from matrices, memory banks and command models—and with these it can be reproduced an indefinite number of times.” —Jean Baudrillard I assume most AJF readers are familiar with the film trilogy The Matrix, in which protagonist Neo (played by Keanu Reeves) leaves “reality” behind and leaps into the…
Reading is seasonal. Come June, we head down the nearest Amazon shop—well, you know what I mean—to buy what your downstairs neighbor calls a “summer read” while wrapping a bashful smile around the latest Le Carré, which happens to be poking out of his beach tote. Meanwhile AJF, being of the WTF persuasion, believes that…
Looking at great art jewelry can change how you look at the world. I was once again reminded of this on the recent stimulating daylong jewelry tour of Boston sponsored by Art Jewelry Forum. The day featured exhibition spaces and some special hideaways of jewelry practitioners and advocates. The tour was held during the…
The body provides a site where various approaches to, and forms of, embellishment intersect in numerous interesting ways. The 21st century has now seen the perfect fusion of disposable jewelry and temporary tattoo. Steampunk science teachers are utilizing the Tesla coil to brand the skin. The Mint Museum’s Body Embellishment show is the first museum…
Anew Negotiation: Thai Contemporary Wearable Art March 27–April 25, 2015 Bilk Gallery, Canberra, Australia Exhibition set-up, Anew Negotiation: Thai Contemporary Wearable Art, 2015, Helen Aitken-Kuhnen (gallery director) in discussion with Taweesak Molsawat and Bow Wasinondh, Bilk Gallery, Canberra, Australia, photo: Mio Kuhnen Curated by Bow Wasinondh, it is the first outing by Thai contemporary jewelers in Australia….
