Drawing ice: Investigating porcelain as a material to render ice landscapes in jewellery

<p dir="ltr">Background: Drawing in relation to concepts for contemporary jewellery allows for a wider expression and this research explores the medium of porcelain for drawing in jewellery. Ellen Maurer Zilioli’s writing on jewellery artists use of drawing was explored through the seminal publication Private Confessions Drawing & Jewellery. “when we investigate the drawing done by artists who work in jewellery, it, too, provides insights into discussions and contents that have hitherto been held secret or attracted little notice, indeed have quite often been underestimated by the authors themselves. Jewellers also extend the practice of drawing into jewellery objects including Jamie Bennet and Hermann Jünger's (1928-2005). </p><p dir="ltr">Contribution: Porcelain as a material traditionally associated with object design and the everyday is often mass produced through slip casting and moulding processes for industrial and domestic settings. Ice movement, Ice grain, Ice edge, Ice cliff, Ice gravity are a series of brooches that are created using paper as a unique mould for each brooch process to be ascribed an original and precious quality. The unique porcelain moulds are then carved and marked with the memories of ice through incising the surface. Referring to early scrimshaw objects that were made by sailors in early whaling industry. ‘Made of baleen (whalebone) from Arctic whaling in the 17th century, but it continued in an almost unbroken tradition through Antarctic whaling in the present century’ (Scrimshaw Collection, SPRI, Cambridge, 2020). The materiality of Southern Ice Porcelain, a translucent high firing white porcelain clay body is used in this work. The firing of the ceramic material could be compared to the changes in states of matter that occur in the environment through the change in temperature. As brooches delicate drawings remind us of what is at stake as Antarctic landscapes warm. </p><p dir="ltr">Significance: This series of work that connects with contemporary methods of drawing through historic jewellery references to scrimshaw and ivory miniatures was selected for the National Contemporary Jewellery Award in 2020 and was physically exhibited at the Griffith Regional Art Gallery. This biannual acquisitive prize recognises Australia's leading contemporary object artists and adds to the National Contemporary Jewellery Collection at the Gallery. The work was selected as a finalist by Dr. Zoë Veness and Dr. Rohan Nicol.</p>