Sting of Passion
07-Sep-2009
In August, staff and students of the School of Jewellery attended a Jewellery symposium curated by Jo Bloxham, former MA graduate of the School.
‘Sting of Passion’ was opened by MA Course Director Professor Jivan Astfalck, as Chair and Key Note speaker. Held at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, the accompanying exhibition at Manchester Art Gallery, displayed the physical responses of jewellers, to selected paintings of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. The exhibition encouraged a different perception of jewellery, alongside a deeper appreciation of the Pre-Raphaelite paintings.
The audience were privileged to gain an insight to the reasoning behind the objects, which embodied the thinking processes of twelve internationally recognised jewellers, inspired by their allocated image/painting and the symbolism thereof. Bettina Speckner explained how objects were combined because they made a sense of their own, although it was not necessarily understood why they were placed together. Oceanographer Arek Wolski stated that “Jewellery must be beautiful, if not intelligent at least”.
The intimate symposium was concluded with an interesting debate concerning the role of the curator in preparing the audience:
How do we engage an external audience with these complexities? Can the audience read the metaphor? If an object cannot exist without an explanation, has it failed? Can we prepare an audience creating a state of receptivity and therefore an ability to focus?
Inspired by the painting ‘Autumn Leaves’, the 2009 MA graduates of the School of Jewellery created an interactive emergent exhibition of leaf forms, which supported the symposium.
For further information, visit www.jobloxham.com/sting-of-passion-exhibition