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!