Some Handshakers Subliminally Infiltrate the Handshake Show at Masterworks, Ponsonby - 30NOV11

The Opening of the Handshake show at Masterworks was Subliminally Infiltrated by the 'This Too Shall Pass' ribbons by Handshaker Sarah Read and Handshaker Kristin D'Agostino's Egalitarian Project Fungi Badges and quite a bit of bright afternoon sunshine.

Read more about The Handshake Project here

Sarah Read's brilliant installation consisted of 60 postcards of earthquake ruined Christchurch scenes, all containing a 'This Too Shall Pass' ribbon with coloured safety pin. Here the lovely Caryline Boreham is turning over the card underneath the one she decided to purchase, revealing a golden side.  As more and more ribbons get purchased, the  future gets brighter for Christchurch.  All proceeds from Sarah's project will be given to The National in Christchurch - how very nice!

 Shelley Norton and Renee Bevan wearing ribbons

 Kristin D'Agostino with Jackson and Craig who is wearing a Fungi Badge on his back

Joey trying to decide which ribbon to buy - she ended up buying both and will give one to her boss

Lynsay wearing her ribbon underneath her see-through black top and also sporting a necklace she calls 'Here's one I fucked up earlier' which is similar to the work she has entered into next year's Talente exhibition in Munich

 Renee couldnt help herself and had to see how this Jessica Winchcombe thing worked

 Christine selecting her ribbon. She wears a delicious Raewyn Walsh necklace

 Renee and Shelley trying on Nadene Carr's fantastic new pieces. Nadene wears an Ann Baynham bird cage

 Shelley with Ribbon, Raewyn with Fungi, Kristin with Baby

 Two Handshake Mentors (Octavia Cook and Warwick Freeman) up the side gallery with Karl, Renee and Christine, apparently discussing the latest issue of Overview

 Becky Bliss's Fabrizio inspired pieces looked fantastic in the setting sun

 Sharon was delighted to discover her mentor Lisa Walker's new necklace in the cabinet. "No I wont buy it for you for Christmas" said Joey.

 Joey wearing her new Whitireia Auction 'Who Cares' brooch by Yozinzy Nachappa next to Sharon's sellotaped on vinyl installation

 Sharon trying on 'The Piece of Broken Chair That I Imagined Lisa Was Going To Send To Me But Didnt'

 Sarah Walker Holt who (shock horror!) turned up to the opening un-adorned, wearing her Sarah Read ribbon while eating Noodle Salad C

Cath Dearsley Subliminally Infiltrates Host a Brooch at Masterworks - 05 October 11

The geeks were very excited to Subliminally Infiltrate the artist talk for the very special Host a Brooch project by Jacqui Chan in conjunction with Caroline Billiing aka 'The National' which has just completed a six weekend cycle, operating out of a converted shipping container in Hagley Park (because the physical gallery space formerly occupied by The National is lost in the red zone).  

You can see and read all about this project here:

hostabrooch.blogspot.com

This evenings feature geek was Cath Dearsley, and we each wore something from our own collection.  Here Lynsay's Bunny Poo necklace is helping to set up the data projector.

The artist talk was incredibly inspirational and informative.  Such a massive project to undertake with so many good results.  Host a Brooch not only introduced hundreds of people, young and old, to the world of contemporary jewellery, it also helped them to renegotiate their emotional journey through the earthquake damaged city.  

 Jacqui constructed sixteen brooches out of materials she found walking around the ruins; construction materials, safety fencing and warning beacons.  Each participant was invited to host a brooch for two hours, taking photos of their journey, noticing how the brooch guided them to notice certain things.
Looking at the resulting photos, on the blog and in the THINKspace installation, I cant help noticing the role of photography and how fantastic the range of images are, especially considering that most of these would have been taken by non photographers.  Host a Brooch not only introduced contemporary jewellery to these participants, but also the art of seeing and recording through still image.

 A palestinian man had visited the gallery a few weeks ago and saw Jacqui's first THINKspace installation which was about the series of brooches she made while living in Palestine for six months.  He was so moved by her installation that he brought in the orange flower in the bottom of this photo.  Here the orange flower is communicating with one of the brooches hanging on the wall made of orange plastic fencing material.

Nadene's vintage (pre graduation) Cath Dearsley flower also talked to the Palestinian man's flower

 Sharon's Deer pendant sniffs our Kristins Kryptonite necklace and Jhana Millers Credit Card Brooch.

Then sniffs out the remnant of drop sheet used during the installation of the Lisa Walker show last year.

 

Then tries on Cath's Bunny Poo necklace

The Bunny Poo necklace then tries on Lisa Walkers green glittery bone necklace

Ah, there is Cath's Kryptonite series a couple of drawers down

Lynsay's Bunny Poo necklace noticed that Renee was wearing spotty shoes

Renee then noticed that she could see us in the mirror up above

Out the back door, the orange plastic mesh was looking kind of like something from the Host a Brooch project

 

Sharon, Ross Malcolm, Renee Bevan and Shelley Norton all proudly sporting their Host a Brooch badges - you could say that Host a Brooch has Subliminally Infiltrated the Subliminal Infiltration.

Cath in Kryptonite earrings tries on a Palestinian Brooch

 Eloise received many comments on her Sinead Jury necklace which looked absolutely stunning on black. I want one!

 After dinner at the foodhall, I couldnt help but notice how the Host a Brooch badge had attracted itself to the carrot and orange juice glass

Subliminally Infiltrating with Unnatural Tendencies at Fingers - 03 October 2011

The Auckland Jewellery Geeks decided to Subliminally Infiltrate Fingers, the home of the New Zealand Bone Stone Shell movement, wearing the plastic fantastic work of our lovely Australian Jewellery Geek friends Melinda Young and Lauren Simeoni at their exhibition 'Unnatural Tendencies'.

Melinda and Lauren subliminally infiltrated the Fingers balcony with plastic poppies to replicate the fake plastic blooms over the road at the newly revamped Auckland Art Gallery.

 It was a very rainy afternoon. Lynsay arrived looking like a drowned rat with a very wet red puff ball brooch.

Melinda and Laurens show 'Unnatural Tendencies' was huge and took up the whole back wall and the drawers underneath.  Such an impressive collection, over eighty pieces on show!

Melinda Young looking on as Eloise tries on Renee Bevan's fantastic silver plated balloon necklace.

 Nadene and Lauren Simeoni reminiscing about the black rubbery piece that Nadene made at last year's Unnatural Naturally workshop which was the launching piece to a whole new body of work.  

There was a bit of a frenzy to try things on when the price lists finally arrived. 

 Sharon wearing Melinda ring, Lauren puff ball and Melinda pipi. Just cant get enough it seems...

 Joey wearing Zoe Brand and trying on the collaboration Melinda and Lauren brooch that we bought.

I was also quite tempted to buy this lovely yellow string which launched a conversation about everyone thinking I was a brooch wearer not a necklace wearer - so I will have to start wearing my necklace collection and put up pictures of them on my other blog.

 

Cath could not decide which necklace to buy. Wearing three at once wasnt helping her decision much.

She ended up buying this one which was my favorite. New Fingers shopgirl Georgina was wearing a very large red puff ball.

Kristin and Jacqui Chan discussing the very cool Host a Brooch project that she has just completed in conjunction with The National in Christchurch.

Four geeks in a row started a spat of silly photo takings:

(Lauren, Melinda, Lauren, Melinda)

 Five Laurens and a Melinda

 Green Puff, Orange Puff, Red Puff, Puffs on display.

 Lynsay's red puff ball which was still very wet got a little hungry and started attacking the popcorn and nibbles.

 

We all went out for dinner after the opening and had a thoroughly good evening.  We love the Australian Jewellery Geeks!

Sharon Subliminally Infiltrates the 20th Annual Wallace Art Awards 05 September 2011

Sharon and Joey were heading off to the 20th Annual Wallace Art Awards at the Pah Homestead, so decided to wear their Floppy Poppy and John brooches to this very fine art VIP event. On the whole, not many jewelleries being worn by anyone - contemporary or ordinary. Luckily there were a few past and present Broach of the Month Club wearers to brighten things up. 

On the way down Patiki Road, we were horrified to hear Chris de Burg's "Lady in Red" on 95bfm (a first for them we believe).  Little did we know then that we would find Bronwynne doing a Lady in Red impersonation above an air vent during the speeches.

Joey and John went over to have a go too.

Such a lovely venue, but not purpose built for listening to endless speeches.  Ex Mayor John Banks and his wife escaped the room early - must have got too hot in there for him. 

Shortly after the air vent jollities, we were delighted to hear Bronwynne Cornish's name called out! She won the developement award and a 2 month residency in Vermont, which by chance is the one she was hoping for if she was going to win something.  Super.  Here we are, standing next to the paramount award winning piece by Akiko Diegel.

Christine wearing Victoria McIntosh and Fran Allison, Eloise wearing Lynsay Raine.

Shortly before meeting these two we were passed by Auckland Mayor Len Brown who stuck out his hand for a little finger wobbling action with Floppy Poppies, saying 'OOH, this is nice'. Never to let a chance like this go by, Joey asked Mayor Len to put the train service back on to Helensville. He loves trains.

Here is Richard Orjis admiring First Runner Up Emil McAvoy's lovely picture of our dear ex prime minister Helen when she was a spring chicken. It was one of my favorites of the show. Richard's fiance Harry was very taken by Floppy Poppies and got a nice surprise when he saw Joey wearing John in the conversation circle next door.  I must say, I was disappointed to find 2010 Broach of the Month wearer Philip not wearing a brooch. I suppose not everyone will catch the adornment bug.

Such a lovely old building.  Thanks Auckland Council and James Wallace for spending all that money to create such a fantastic venue!