Sharon Subliminally Infiltrates the Jewellers Guild of Greater Sandringham show MakeSHIFT at Snowwhite - 01OCT12

The MakeSHIFT exhibition at Snowwhite is the culmination of the Artist in Residency programme at Unitec by Jewellers Guild of Greater Sandringham members Raewyn Walsh and Kristin D'Agostino, infiltrated at their request by other JGGS member Sharon Fitness.

Kristin & Raewyn's residency started with three objects that undeniably screamed neckpiece: a piece of string, a piece of MDF wood with a hole in it and an inner tube from a small bicycle. From these humble but brilliant beginnings spurted a plethora of wonderfulness made from anything and everything around them including a particularly nice headless dinosaur.

 Brilliantly hung with fencing staples!

I am not sure who this young girl is, but I was particularly impressed with her giant pencil pendant.

 Cath wearing a Kristin Fungus and floppy poppy ring, Kristin wearing UHU glue pin, Craig wearing very nice shoes (not in view)

 Joey wearing the Box Project Caterpillar

Nadene wearing Flying Lady pendant

Lynsay Raine Rocks the Auckland Jewellery Geek Gang Patch in Belfast - 03AUG12

Auckland Jewellery Geek Lynsay Raine, who now resides in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Subliminally Infiltrates a few pubs and gallery openings and happens to bump into some very important craft people because of the gang patch. One of whom knew an artist represented by Masterworks where Lynsay used to work in Auckland

"Last night was late night art night in Belfast, a good time to do and infiltration and show off my new gang patch I thought.

Before embarking on the pilgrimage of galleries Mike and I decided to quench our thirst in our favourite pub. I had just pinned my patch on and felt a tap on the shoulder at the bar. I turned round to a big lad with a southern accent asking my about my patch. He told me he was the head of department of ceramics at University of Ulster, we introduced ourselves and turns out he was Michael Moore, the gentlemen Paul Maseyk told me to look up in Belfast.  They both did a residency together in Montana a few years back, I could tell Paul and Michael had some good times there, it wasn't long before stories were being unravelled about buying erotic paraphernalia and all sorts! We had a chat about the New Zealand crew, it was cool that he knew Moyra Elliott and John Parker after meeting them at the Santa Fe conference....

We started our art night at the Naughton gallery at Queens University... it was an unusually sunny day and as we hadn't anticipated this we were quite sweaty and stinky by the time we got there, it also turned out we were early for the opening so decided to go cool down with another beer and watch a bit of the cycling with a friend. Time was ticking on though and there were lots of other galleries to see. Mike learnt what nettles were at the Platform studios, we saw a good ceramics show at SpaceCraft then whizzed down to 'Work in Progress' at Craft NI, it was very packed and a good place to begin infiltration photos, not sure if many people noticed the patch though! We headed off to golden thread gallery, a very cool space but as we missed the live performance, the artist could only describe what we had missed...something to do with fired eggs and talking gnomes....

The final stop was at the Black Box Green room cafe to check out some stuff on the walls.My friend RIckie helped model some geek jewellery. No art night is complete without at stop at the lovely Duke of York Pub where we bumped into Michael Moore again, this time he was with the director of the Irish Crafts Council. We decided we would pose for a few photos he mentioned something about an 'Iron Bar' that him and paul had in Montana and this was the reason we had to do angry poses....can Paul shed any light on this???

We ended up having a bit of a boogie in the John Hewitt bar but unfortunately the crafts council man had to leave hastily. I think Michael could have happily stayed all night otherwise!"

The Geeks Subliminally Infiltrate 3 Geeks at Masterworks - 25JUL12

Tonight marks our 40th Subliminal Infiltration.  It is also nearly two years since we began our Infiltrating adventures.  Golly it has been fun.  This time we chose to test drive our new 'Auckland Jewellery Geeks' gang patch before we get some really flash versions embroidered for the Handshake Crowd-funding rewards scheme. The feedback was very positive and we definitely stood out from the crowd.  

Nadene and Cath proving that you can wear a gang patch and still look llike a lady.

The odd thing about this infiltration is that the photos had to be mostly of peoples backs rather than focussing on the jewellery collection.

Here Gillian was trying to be all gangster doing a W because we havent figured out how to do a G yet.  She was subliminally wearing her patch under her shirt and wearing her lovely new Rachel Bell vessel pendant.  Sinead was doing a W but then started giggling too much.  She is wearing her Raewyn Walsh handle pendant.

Gillian's new work in the Jewellery Box cabinet was rocking.  Love those shoe lace strings!

Out the front of the gallery, super geek Raewyn Walsh was exhibiting some spoons and hand raised vessels with a Raewyn twist. I noticed that she had collected quite a few red stickers by the end of the night.

At one point I noticed that there was another Subliminal Infiltration happening with Christine, Selina, Pauline and Sinead all wearing Raewyn Walsh around the bar.

Spoon!

Renee and Ross chose to wear their patches incognito handkercheif style: Ren in her back pocket and Ross in his front pocket.  He was telling everyone that he was an associate member and hadnt gone through his initiation yet.

Ross said that he saw a few of us lined up from outside when he was crossing the road and had 80's flashbacks of bikey gangs en masse.

His work in the THINKspace was absolutely awesome. He is such a cool dude.  

Shelley wore her patch Martin Creed style.

Sharon was test driving one of her latest inventions from the Handshake project.  A wind-up, solar powered radio/torch/cellphone charger pendant that you can grab in an earthquake or a tsunami so that you still have some contemporary jewellery to wear and also have some handy tools for survival.  Most people thought this was a good idea once she had explained it.  They looked a bit confused at first though.

She realised half way though the evening that it made more sense if the torch was on all the time.  Eloise got a bit of a fright at one stage wondering if one of the spotlights had come loose and was swaying light on the floor.
Sharon needed to recharge the batteries a couple of times.  Not an easy thing to do with a glass of wine in your hand.

The other show in the front gallery was a green, orange and purple Rick Rudd teapot show, marking another anniversary.  Our very first organised Subliminal Infiltration happened the yellow Rick Rudd show and we infiltrated the red Rick Rudd show last year.  He had initially planned seven colours over seven years. He must be trying to hurry it up a bit so he doesn't have to be Subliminally Infiltrated forever.

We must have looked funny in the crowded Ponsonby Food Hall later on.  Especially me, Cath and Nadene lining up for Noodle Salad C.

A very Subliminal Infiltration of the Masterclass Sessions by Kristin D'Agostino - 13FEB12

Sharon and Raewyn did a very subliminal infiltration of the JEMposium Masterclass sessions by wearing Kristin D'Agostino fungi.  Only one comment from another jeweller: 'Are you both wearing the same brooch by coincidence?' 'No, we are not', said Raewyn.  Way too busy and to take incessant photos like someone else in the room, so we only have this one taken at the very end of the day. 

De-breif at The Establishment with Tara and Jhana.

Lynsay Raine wearing her fabulous 'Fuck This, Fuck That' Zoe Brand necklace.  It is such a cool necklace.  Cool and Awesome..  and a whole lot of other words that basically are summed up with cool and awesome.  

Sharon Fitness Subliminally Infiltrates Day Three of JEMposium - 12FEB12

The day of the floppy and wobbly invasion.. 

Six floppies in a row.

Nadene in 2 flat blobs, Kristin in Colin, Debbie in Jumping Jack Flash.

Twin Floppy Poppies.

Sarah Read in Renee Bevan piece of sky and Kristin with Colin (the waterfall).

Floppiness invading the streets of Wellington.

The opening Bartley and Company opening of Pepeha:  Lisa Walker, Areta Wilkinson and Sofia Tekela-Smith.

Sharon was surprised to see something she had written about Lisa a year ago in the booklet of things about Lisa.

Way too hot inside so we all hung out in the courtyard.

Four floppy geeks.

Nadene Carr Infiltrates Day Two of JEMposium and the Pin Swap Soiree - 10FEB12

Day Two of Jemposium included four intense sessions followed by the Pin Swap Soiree at Havana Bar and the opening of Wanna Swap Your Ring - Atelier Ted Noten at Photospace.

Sinead Jury and Lynsay Raine wearing Nadene Carr.

Marcel Van Kamp who was standing in for Ted Noten did a lolly scramble after his talk.  It was no longer a case of 'Ooh you have a piggy ring!' (that was so yesterday).  Now a select and very special few became owners of a Yellow Van Ons Ted Noten ring and it soon became the item to covet.

 

Eloise Wearing Sharon Fitness and one of my favourite Lisa Walker brooches.

Lucy Pierpont wearing Nadene and Lucy, Lynsay wearing Nadene, Sharon and Sinead, Kerre wearing Jacqui Chan

Kristin eating chips and wearing the most admired Nadene of the Day - she's on to a winner there.

We got a bit silly while we were waiting for the pin swap to start.  Here Renee is dipping her David Bielander Shrimp in the shrimp dish.

And then taking a bite which fueled a quick round of 'Do something silly with your jewellery':

Sharon brushing her hair with her Nadene and pretending to be Dr Evil.

Nadene listening to her Nadene pendant.

Lucy looking for her third Nadene eye.

Raewyn placing her vintage Nadene in an appropriate spot.

And Fran taking advantage of a whole in her Ross Malcolm.

Finally!  The Pin Swap box arrived.

This fueled a frenzy of 'Who did you get?' which was a brilliant way to get to meet some new people and go on a hunt to find the maker of our pins.  Ann Culy got mine.

Sharon wearing her Michelle Wilkinson brooch.

Jacqui Chan wearing her Kristin D'Agostino.

Vivien Atkinson wearing her Fabrizio Tridenti (lucky lucky!), Kathryn Yeats wearing Nadene and Nadine Smith wearing a brooch who's maker I cant remember, but also wearing her rather clever leg mowing pendant.

Thanks to Tuatara brewery, we had a great time at the Ted Noten opening.  All the piggy rings have gone now, much to the disappointment of all those who lack a miss piggy ring.