NOW
& THEN
A
remarkable exhibition of contemporary and antique jewellery exploring
the timeless themes of power and politics, life and death, laughter
and love.
Power
& Politics
Pearls are probably the earliest natural object to
have been prized as gems: the Ancient Egyptians were buried with
theirs; to the Romans they were the ultimate symbol of wealth and
status; brave Knights wore pearls to protect them in battle; and
during the Renaissance laws decreed that only the nobility were
allowed to wear them! Now & Then celebrates both the beauty
and the power of pearls with examples of gorgeous antique brooches
and necklaces, alongside Australian designer Laura Deakin’s
‘Dishonest Pearls’ - half circles made from wood filler
into which a pearl is pushed, then removed, leaving the lustre lining
the ‘shell shaped’ beads - a contemporary re-working
of the familiar.In ancient times, cameos - literally, a stone carved
in relief - were used to display faith or loyalty to a monarch;
the Romans wore them as amulets or charms and ‘Renaissance
men’ wore them as hat badges to emphasise their power and
wealth. Given as gifts by Elizabeth I, collected by Catherine the
Great and a favourite of the Empress Josephine, cameos were especially
popular amongst the Victorians. In contrast to examples of fine
Victorian pearls and cameos, both traditional symbols of materialism
and status, Now & Then presents contemporary pieces such as
the large, carved ‘Lingam’ pendant by well-known Dutch
jeweller Ruudt Peters; an entwined collection of five ‘stylised
penises’, this work reflects the spiritual beliefs of Eastern
cultures in which the ‘Lingam’ is worshipped in order
to bring good life – rather than having the Western associations
with sex, power and pornography. Traditional medals awarded for
‘services to King and country’ are shown alongside Danish
designer Inger Larsen’s ‘Medals for Everyday Heroes
and Heroines’ - she takes the classical cross, crown or star
shapes and creates outsize humorous versions in white acrylic and
coloured ribbons - medals which can be pinned to your chest, bestowed
upon your own hero, or hung on your wall! Exhibits by Susan Matsche
(‘War Kills’) and Emily Bullock (‘Peace Piece’)
are on loan from the powerful ‘Anti-War Medals’ international
touring exhibition curated in 2005 by one of the USA’s most
prestigious jewellery galleries, San Francisco’s Velvet da
Vinci. Some 200 works by artists from 16 countries represented their
protest against the War in Iraq. The British Museum and the Imperial
War Museum have both purchased pieces from the exhibition.The use
of jewellery as a sign of protest is explored with ‘Suffragette
Jewellery’, set with jewels such as amethysts, peridots, tourmalines,
emeralds and pearls, reflecting the Sufragette movements symbolic
colours of green, white and violet (said by some to stand for Give
Women the Vote). A modern-day campaigner, Silke Spitzer, shows her
collection of bold brooches made using fair traded ‘ethical’
gold, linoleum and wood, focusing on issues of sustainability.
Now
& Then runs from 17th July to 28th September 2008.
Salts Mill is open weekdays from 10am – 5.30pm and weekends
10am – 6pm. For further information call 01274 599790.
