Description
Each of the necklaces in this Series consists of a 99″ or 2.5metre long strand of hand-knotted AAA quality genuine Freshwater Pearls, strung with repurposed coral and genuine rice-shaped Freshwater pearls to spell in morse-code – in this case, the word “Connection”.
I love working with lots and lots of materials. When worn, this strand reaches to below the knee.
I created these necklaces for the exhibition “Automaton 20.21”. With their depth of investigation, they are more of an “art piece” than some of my other work.
I had been invited to participate in a Spanish-Canadian co-exhibition entitled Automaton. Initially planned for a glamorous Opening at the prestigious Joya tradeshow in Madrid, Spain, the event fell victim to pandemic restrictions and was held virtually, instead.
There is a short presentation about the piece ici – watch it, it’ll be helpful.
The show featured 10 artists – 5 Canadian and 5 Spanish. Each artist created a piece that represents the effects of new technologies on human behaviour, and its influences on fashion, the arts, the economy, consumption, and everyday life over the last 100 years. Automaton showcased these artist’s individual interpretations.
My interpretation relates to the plethora of data which surrounds us daily, the constant flow of communication. There is information overload, expressed by pearl overload – 5 strands of 2.5m strands of freshwater pearls for a total length of 12.5 metres.
The morse code messages refer to the hidden messages which lay beneath the almost automatic communications we send and receive daily, particularly via social media – beneath it is a longing for connection.
The piece relates to the 1920ies in its use of pearls. The feather of the fascinator acts as the antenna for the data to flow into the human body.
The pieces can be worn in many different ways, including almost garment-like, or like armour. This freedom of wearability brings the piece into the 21st century with it individualized aesthetic.
Please note: all 5 necklaces in this Series are worn by the model in these images. Go to image gallery to see them all next to each other.
I will not make these again – there were only 5, and only 4 of them are left at the time of this writing.