Abstract

Abstract:

This research report is an investigation on the use of organic contemporary jewellery as metaphoric interpretations of my personal experiences. The purpose of this report is to show how I use nature as a reference or as an inspiration to create contemporary jewellery pieces that are metaphoric to the aspects of my life.

The research behind this report is based on the means of self-conducted action research. This form of research involves planning, action, observation and reflection. The planning behind this research report is discussed in chapters one and two. The final jewellery pieces, their observations and reflections are discussed in chapter three.

Chapter one consists of paragraphs describing: the functions of jewellery, the positions of jewellery, contemporary jewellery, organic jewellery, movement jewellery, symbolism and metaphor. All of these topics are useful in defining the research topic.

Chapter two consists of paragraphs that discuss jewellers who have made contemporary jewellery pieces relating to metaphor and/or organic jewellery. These jewellers include: Beth Legg, Kelly Jean Conroy, Helen Shirk, Victoria Walker and Sharon Church.

Chapter three discussed the jewellery pieces that I have made, that were inspired by plants and flowers. Here I discuss the processes behind their construction, their materials as well as their meanings in terms of metaphor.

Final Realizations

Realizations

I have thoroughly enjoyed creating organic contemporary jewellery pieces throughout my research. Upon starting my research, I felt overwhelmed by directing my own research, but over the course of the journey, I learned new skills that helped me to produce my body of work. After completing this research report, I came to the realization that the skills that I have learned throughout my research have come to me through the processes of exploring, planning, creating prototypes, observation and reflection. These skills were useful in the creation of organic contemporary jewellery pieces and in future I will continue to apply these skills in the creation of wearable and sellable pieces. Although this is the end of my research journey, I feel that there is more left to explore in the field of organic jewellery as well as contemporary jewellery. This journey has only awakened my interest in using plants and flowers as inspiration of my pieces and I wish to continue using these elements in the creation of my jewellery.

Conclusion Chapter 3

Concluding Chapter 3

I thoroughly enjoyed creating the jewellery pieces shown above. During construction, each of them had their own challenges, however, in conquering these challenges; I was able to learn new techniques that I can use in future jewellery pieces and in the creation of wearable pieces designed for customers. Completing this chapter and the body of work within has allowed me to come up with many new ideas for future pieces, contemporary and wearable studio pieces. In future, I would like to let the new skills that I have learned during my research roll-over into my personal work in the development of my handmade jewellery business and brand.

In addition, freewriting about my jewellery has allowed me to channel my inner thoughts and emotions so that I am able to put them into words on paper. By creating descriptive poems; through the extraction of key words from these free writings; has helped me to understand the meanings behind my metaphoric jewellery pieces.

Conclusion Chapter 2

Concluding Chapter 2

Throughout this chapter, I have learned about several jewellery artists that create organic contemporary jewellery. Most of the artists that I have looked at use their jewellery as a form of metaphor or self-representation and they have looked at the natural world for inspiration. Although these artists exhibit different characteristics that I would like to reflect on my own work, each of them have unique methods, techniques and styles in which their jewellery is created. I have looked at their unique characteristics to aid me in developing my own style of jewellery.

Conclusion Chapter 1

Concluding Chapter 1

During this chapter, I have learned that ‘contemporary jewellery’ is a vast field of jewellery design. I have attempted to describe the definitions of contemporary jewellery that will form the understanding behind the body of work I am producing in relation with my working title: “Using Organic Contemporary Jewellery as Metaphoric Interpretations of Personal Experiences”. I have discussed that contemporary jewellery; relating to my area of interest; echoes nature, functions as forms of spiritual mediation and takes on the position to express a message or metaphor.

Introduction

Introduction

The aim of this research report was to investigate how to use organic contemporary jewellery as metaphoric interpretations of my personal experiences.  The research was undertaken by means of action research, examining various papers, books and articles written by accomplished jewellery artists in the field of contemporary jewellery. These papers, books and articles have provided the terminology and definitions necessary to understand the chosen research topic, making up chapter one. Throughout this chapter, I have spoken about the functions of jewellery, positions of jewellery, organic jewellery, movement jewellery and metaphor in jewellery.

Chapter two consists of a literature review of the writings and images of jewellery pieces by other jewellers who I have used as references. Their jewellery pieces share similar characteristics to my jewellery pieces. I have spoken about how these jewellers use nature as inspiration for the pieces that they create as well as their use of metaphor.

Chapter three speaks about the jewellery pieces and prototypes that I have created for this research report. This chapter includes the techniques, methods, poetry and meanings behind my jewellery pieces. This chapter uses the terminology and definitions learned in the first two chapters to explain the body of work that I have created.

van der Linden, A., (2019) Gooseberry Brooch Sketch

Chapter 1 Introduction

Chapter 1

In this first chapter, the focus is placed on the explanations and definitions of the words of the title ‘Using Nature as a Metaphor to Create Contemporary Jewellery’. We will be exploring the definition of ‘contemporary jewellery’ as well as the functions of jewellery, organic jewellery, movement jewellery and the use of nature as a metaphor after examining various papers written by well-known academics in the field of contemporary and art jewellery including: Bruce Metcalf, Liesbeth den Besten, Jivan Astfalck, Kenneth Quickenden and Celia Rabinovitch.

Chapter 3 - Phases of a Flower Reflection

Reflection:

van der Linden, A., (2019) Phases of a Flower,
Installation in Copper and Sterling Silver

After reading the Phases of a Flower poem, I see that there is a clear element of personification present where the flower is personified as a human female. I can see this through the use of the words “she”, “her” and “dancing”. I can also see that there is a progression present where the flower starts off as “young” and “weak” describing a bud and further down in the poem, words such as “tall” and “strength” are used to describe the mature flower.

I feel that the poem may describe a personal metaphor, where I see myself or an aspect of myself as the flower where the progression of the flower is a metaphor of the progression of an aspect of my life. I think that this installation may be a metaphor of my 5 year study period at the Durban University of Technology and the thoughts and emotions I experienced regarding this period of my life. Now that I am nearing the end of my B-tech, I realize that I have grown as a person and as an artist and that I have developed many new skills and knowledge allowing me to be confident enough to start a business on my own. I have also realized that there are many new opportunities awaiting me and that it is a start of a new phase in my life.

Chapter 3 - Phases of a Flower Poem

Phases of a Flower Poem:

van der Linden, A., (2019). Phases of a Flower Installation,
Copper and Sterling Silver

Phases of a Flower

Her eyes shut closed tight
Delicate, young and naïve
she conceals her face

Tiny leaves still weak,
stiff and stocky, out of place,
she has much to learn

She starts to open,
blooming and growing stronger
a growing flower

embracing changes
waiting in anticipation
for her to unfold

She has shown her face
blooming in strength and courage
growing confidence

Petals are dancing
in choreographed movement
nearing her summer

Standing in full bloom
she is tall and confident
her head is up high

Courageous and bold
she’s a tactile temptation,
her beauty to hold

She’s falling apart
scattering petals around
swept up by the wind

And sowing her seeds
she deposits her knowledge
of new beginnings

Phases of a Flower

Phases of a Flower

Figure 21 - van der Linden, A., (2019) Phases of a Flower, sculptural installation design sketch

 Figure 21 shows the design sketch of Phases of a Flower

‘Phases of a Flower’ are a set of five individual pieces each with their own symbolic meaning. Together, these individual pieces from one installation piece that becomes the metaphor of my study period at DUT. The installation consists of a set of five sculptural pieces in oxidized copper and sterling silver that realistically resemble flowers in different phases of a life cycle from a bud to a wilting flower. I have made these pieces to mimic nature in form and movement by creating the petals to move in the last three flowers. Movement has allowed this installation to become very tactile and sensory-stimulating to the senses of sight and sound. View the different flowers, Bud, Transitioning, Fresh, Mature and Wilting)

I was inspired by the ‘Magrietjie’ flower. The ‘Magrietjie’ is the Afrikaans name for the Marguerite Daisy, a common daisy-like flowering plant that comes in many different colours. It is also a plant that has a personal significance to me as it made up a part of my childhood. My mum had a 'Magrietjie' bush growing in the garden. Growing up, I remember playing with these flowers and the feeling of rubbing the petals across my fingers.

I have included the element of movement in the last three pieces so that there is a strong tactile element present when the flowers are picked up and touched by a viewer. The gentle feeling of the metal flower between my fingers allows me to think back to when I was a young girl and I used to pick flowers from the garden and play with their petals, bringing about a nostalgic feeling. I hope that the viewers of my piece will have a similar nostalgic experience when they engage with my pieces.

Chapter 3 - Wilting

Wilting:

Figure 26 - van der Linden, A., (2019)
Wilting Flower in copper and
sterling silver

This piece makes up the last flower in my Installation, Phases of a flower. I have created the metal flower in this phase to resemble a flower that is wilting. Its petals are not attached and with one touch they drop to the ground. This will bring about an element of surprise and it will add to the sensual experience of the viewer. See figure 26 above.

Chapter 3 - Mature

Mature:

Figure 25 - van der Linden, A., (2019)
Mature in copper and
sterling silver

This is the fourth piece that makes up my installation, Phases of a Flower. This piece resembles a mature flower that has reached its peak growth point. The mature flower’s petals have fully extended to their maximum potential to fully reveal the inside face. See figure 25 above.

Chapter 3 - Mature

Mature:

Figure 25 - van der Linden, A., (2019)
Mature in copper and
sterling silver

This is the fourth piece that makes up my installation, Phases of a Flower. This piece resembles a mature flower that has reached its peak growth point. The mature flower’s petals have fully extended to their maximum potential to fully reveal the inside face. See figure 25 above.

Chapter 3 - Fresh

Fresh:

Figure 24 - van der Linden, A., (2019)
Fresh in copper and
sterling silver

This piece makes up the third and middlemost piece of my installation, Phases of a Flower. In this phase of a daisy flower, the petals have separated from the centre to slightly reveal its centermost point which is the stamen. The flower is crisp and fresh, not yet open to its maximum. The petals are significantly larger than those of previous piece and they are up in the air. I have allowed the petals in this piece to move around. See figure 24 above

Chapter 3 - Transitioning

Transitioning:

Figure 23 - van der Linden, A., (2019)
Transitioning in copper and
sterling silver

This is the second flower of my Phases of a Flower installation. In this phase, the bud is visibly larger than the previous picture and it is opening-up slightly and revealing more of its internal petal layers. In this piece, the petals are larger than those of the previous piece, although some of the petals are opening up, the centre of the flower remains concealed underneath the petals. See figure 23 above.

Chapter 3 Bud

Bud:

Figure 22 - van der Linden, A., (2019)
Bud in copper and sterling silver

This is the first piece in my Phases of a flower installation. I created the Bud piece to resemble a tight bud with closed petals that do not move. The petals are made in sterling silver and the structure resembling a flower’s sepals (the casing that the silver petals are set inside), leaves and stem are made from copper. See figure 22 above

Chapter 3 - He Loves Me

He Loves Me

Figure 19 - van der Linden, A., (2019)
He Loves Me, Earrings in sterling silver
with pearls and cubic zirconia beads

This piece was created from sterling silver with pearls and Cubic Zirconia Beads.  This piece was also made to move using the petal slot method.  See figure 19:

He Loves Me…

Damaged flowers, torn
Petals plucked out, imperfect
they seek completion

When placed together,
they fill the empty spaces
and two become one

Insignificant
are their pasts, love now shines through
 they are whole again

He Loves Me was inspired by the game known as 'he loves me he, loves me not' a game played by picking the petals off of a flower and saying: “he loves me”, “he loves me not” with each petal that is pulled off in hopes of determining whether a crush's feelings are mutual.  

The below poem was constructed using phrases and words from a page of free writing

Chapter 3 - Silhouettes

Silhouettes

Figure 18 - van der Linden, A., (2019)
Silhouettes, Neckpiece in
sterling silver

Silhouettes  is a neckpiece that I created to resemble the leaves and stem of the gooseberry plant in sterling silver. 

Silhouettes

Reflections dancing
in a ring, bound together
a golden embrace

Twigs casting Shadows
silhouettes in light and dark
changing your angle

Illumination

Shines light on new perspectives

shifting paradigms

The Idea of using the silhouette of the plant came from the image taken of the drying gooseberry plant, the shadow cast by the actual plant. I created the piece by using the silhouette created by the gooseberry plants when viewed at different angles. I sketched the gooseberry plant from different angles and I used these sketches as templates which I pierced out of sterling silver. See figure 18:

chapter 3 - Pods on a Branch

Pods on a Branch

Figure 17 - van der Linden, A., (2019)
Pods on a Branch, Sculptural Piece,
Sterling Silver and copper

Pods on a Branch is a sculptural piece that I constructed using the copper gooseberry pod elements that I created beforehand. This piece consists of five copper gooseberries on a sterling silver branch. The branch was created by fusing and soldering together silver wires. The texture was produced by reticulating and by scribing lines into the surface using the sharp edge of a setting bur. Pictured in figure 17

Pods on a Branch
Vessels on a twig
are tremoring in tandem
dancing in rhythm

Each one containing
something of significance
some large, others small

Balanced together
some may fall, new ones will grow
in empty spaces

Chapter 3 - Produce

Produce

Figure 16 - van der Linden, A., (2019)
Produce, Brooch, copper, sterling
silver and pearl

This piece is inspired by a quick drawing that I made See figure 15 below. Produce is the final Brooch that I created by assembling the copper gooseberry pods. I created this piece by arranging three oxidized pods next to each other, two larger ones and one small one. One of the larger ones contains a bright white pearl. I mounted them on a domed surface attached to a brooch pin. See figure 16 to view the final piece.

Produce

a hard, husky shell
work-hardened, tediously
producing a pearl

In a somber pod
lies a bright, brilliant fruit
of determination

Figure 15 - van der Linden, A., (2019)
Produce brooch design sketch