- Project aims to use contemporary jewellery to engage people with social and environmental themes
- A special launch webinar will include contributions from the GSA, leading journalist, broadcaster and curator,Corinne Julius; acclaimed photographer, Robert Taylor; academic, Maria Hanson and designer of the 2014 Commonwealth Games medals, Jonathan Boyd
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| Image: Untying This Mess, Jonathan Boyd |
The Sliversmithing and Jewellery department at the GSA, in partnership leading curator and commentator Corinne Julius, will launch Bus Stop Jewellery Conversations with a special webinar today, Monday 19 April 2021. The project is based on the idea that jewellery, particularly unusual pieces, can open up conversations with people with whom we might not normally speak whether in the street, in shops or indeed at the bus stop.
Self-confessed “jewelleryaholic” Corinne Julius, has regularly experienced how the striking pieces of contemporary jewellery which she wears can lead to engaging conversations with strangers.
“We increasingly live in our own silos and echo chambers not engaging with people outside our own circles,” says Corinne “The wonderful thing about contemporary jewellery is how it can be the catalyst for conversations with so many different people.
Standing at a bus stop I have had many fascinating. personal and moving conversations which only came about because of a particular piece of jewellery that I was wearing. t is through conversations like these that we can break down barriers, both perceived and real, and find points of contact in an increasingly fragmented world.”
“Through the Bus Stop Jewellery Conversations project we want to explore contemporary jewellery as a stimulus for social interaction,” adds Anna Gordon, Head of Silversmithing and Jewellery at the GSA. “Working with contemporary jewellers and students we will look at new ways to engage people with a wide range of important social and environmental themes.”
“We are delighted to launch the project today with this webinar which brings together some leading thinkers and makers including acclaimed photographer Robert Taylor, our S&J Artist in Residence Shawn Zhang, our former GSA colleague Jonathan Boyd, who famously designed the 2014 Commonwealth Games medals, Jeweller and Academic, Maria Hanson and of course Corinne Julius who has been absolutely central to the development of the Bus Stop Jewellery Conversations idea.”
Corinne Julius, Anna Gordon and Maria Hanson also have a joint passion for taking contemporary jewellery into the community, and this is the driving force behind another strand of the Bus Stop Conversations initiative which was initially trialed in Sheffield. Art School students work in partnership with community groups to create paper-based piece of jewellery. During the project the students learn more about the jewellery traditions of different groups and individuals, whilst all participants are able to create a personalised piece of jewellery to wear which can itself become the catalyst for further conversations. Today’s webinar include an introduction to a project that will bring together GSA S&J students with members of the diverse Garnethill communities.
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For further information contact
Lesley Booth
07799414474
Notes for Editors
Bus Stop Jewellery Conversations is sponsored by Rolls-Royce & Partners Finance, with support from Arts & Business Scotland’s Culture and Business Fund.
Corinne Julius
Corinne is a curator as well as a freelance journalist, critic and broadcaster with a special interest in contemporary craft and design. Corinne is a jewelleryaholic. Corinne writes regularly for a number of publications including the Evening Standard’s Homes & Property, and Crafts and is a reviewer for Country Life and BBC Radio 4’s Front Row. She studied Interior Design at the Royal College of Art and Sociology and Psychology at the University of Sheffield, before lecturing in Environmental Social Psychology.
Robert Taylor
Robert is a portrait photographer with work held in permanent collections including the National Portrait Gallery, the V&A Museum, and several Oxbridge colleges. For the last 15 years he has specialised in portraits of women of outstanding achievement in STEM and academe. He’s a great enthusiast for jewellery wearing for men, and disappointed that there are not more men prepared to wear pieces beyond discreet ‘safe’ items that don’t question their masculinity. He’s also intrigued by the question of whether there’s a distinctly male set of jewellery aesthetics centred on materials, textures and scale.
Jonathan Boyd
Jonathan Boyd is an artist, jeweller and academic working in a variety of materials, specialising in conceptual and narrative-led artworks. His research focuses on exploring the relationships of language and object. His practice-led, critically reflective research employs an interdisciplinary approach, utilising digital and analogue working methods placing jewellery at the centre of the dynamic relationship between person and thing. His artworks have received multiple awards and many can be found in public and private collections internationally including the Victoria and Albert Museum (U.K), Goldsmith’s Company Collection (U.K) and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts (USA). He is represented by Gallery SO in London and Gallery Marzee in The Netherlands.
Maria Hanson Maria is a Principal Lecturer and Reader in Jewellery and Metalwork at Sheffield Hallam University. She is the Programme Leader for the MA and MFA Design courses and supervises post-graduate and PhD students in Jewellery and Metalwork alongside undertaking research and practice. Maria is a Designer, Maker, Academic, Writer and Curator. She studied at the RCA in London graduating in 1991 with a Master of Arts in Goldsmithing, Silversmithing, Metalwork and Jewellery. She established her design studio at the South Bank Craft Centre in London and in 1995 relocated to Sheffield where she currently lives and work. She has exhibited and sold her work nationally and internationally and was in the 2000 shortlist for the Jerwood Applied Arts prize for Jewellery.