VGCJ

Dress and Jewellery

"In the 1980s Ted Polhemus suggested traditional societies have always known what westerners were beginning to rediscover the clothing culture"

This paper focuses on dresses and contemporary jewellery and explains how the dress and jewellery link together. It also talks about things that associate with them. In jewellery, it talks about accessories and in the dress, it talks about how fabric and fashion work together. Dress and jewellery collaborate together because when a fashion designer, decided to design a dress she makes sure that, the outfit that she made it has some jewellery option.

The way we dress, it can identify our personality. Accessories can change the garment look more stunning. Looking into fashion, every culture has its own traditional style. Indians wear saris and a lot of gold jewellery. Zulu and Xhosa they wear their traditional attire and decorate their body with colourful beads. Muslim wear a long dress and headscarf to cover their head and hair.

 As was looking in dress and jewellery, I noticed that many artists like Arline Fisch were using fiber techniques to precious and non-precious material. In 1960, Arline Fisch was exploring knitting, weaving and crocheting by using metal wire.  As was looking at garments, I noticed that the fashion designer showcase their garment by using models. It some apply to the jewellery design, looking at Arline Fisch jewellery it bracelet and glove. She used textile techniques to allow lightness of structure, the jewellery is made from silver and coated copper which introduces an element of colour.

In figure 1, it a bracelet and glove it is my favourite jewellery because it looks like a glove with nails.

Arline Fisch, Bracelet and Glove
https://en.artsdot.com/@@/AQRTFM-Arline-Fisch-Bracelet-and-Glove

In picture 2 and 3 below, they look similar to Arline Fisch jewellery

Finger crotched rings
https://za.pinterest.com/pin/784611566317588017/

http://urple.blogspot.com/2009/07/importance-of-tip.html

Glove full stoned
https://za.pinterest.com/pin/784611566317609232/

Precious materials

Precious materials are natural and they very rare to find. They have a high market value. Gold, platinum, silver, and palladium are primary precious metals. It is very difficult to find these materials in the industrial and you need to have a licence or permission to use these precious materials. All these precious materials melt in deferent temperature.

Contemporary jewellers have been making jewellery from precious materials because it has been valued, basically as a status symbol and for investment. Gold and silver, are malleable they easily formed by hand. Gold has a wide range of colours; yellow, white and rose gold. Nowadays people don't buy expensive jewellery, they just buy what they can afford at that time; because jewellers can gold plate the jewellery only the hallmark can identify the material. Using two or more precious materials can make jewellery look more decorative; because of the colour. Platinum has now become a valued precious material and we use it for scientific purpose. The jewellery that is made with precious material is always protected.

Figure.1- Jacqueline Mina, brooch

http://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/sgall-assets/artist_pdf/Jacqueline_Mina_Touching_Gold_August_2011_catalogue.pdf

Jacqueline Mina is one of the artists, who make contemporary jewellery that is related to the one that I'm doing. She uses different effects from her materials which involves fusion. She was inspired by the patterns of Devore fabric. I want to explore colour, shape, texture and form. She is my reference artist. I will be looking at, nail art and nails shape to make my jewellery. I will make my jewellery look more different from Jacqueline because I will be using nails shape to make my jewellery piece. I'll be looking at art deco and henna design, as my original reference. As you can see on (fig.1) Jacqueline Mina made a brooch with beautiful colour and patterns. I like the way she arranges the shapes, the shape in the bottom looks like stiletto nail shape that is bellow on (fig.2).

Figure.2- stiletto nail with crystal

https://www.wantitall.co.za/beauty/extremely-long-pink-stiletto-nails-false-nail-diy-3d-shiny-press-on-fake-nails-finished-handmade-bli__b07zx6kxtf

Non precious materials

Non-precious materials are cheap materials like paper, glass, fabric, copper, aluminium mixed media and recycled materials and these materials are not new in history. Art jewellery adopts natural non-precious. In nowadays non-precious materials are mostly used and it easy to get them in the store or you just recycle. Most of the jewellery that we see in the street is also made from cheap material.
The generation of the 60s and 70s were stridently modern simplicity and truth to materials because their cheap material learnt themself well to a point where they free to express themself by making any kind of jewellery. I like the way all the designs who use non-precious tend to come up with jewellery that pleases everyone eye. Peter Chang use non-precious materials to make his jewellery. In (fig 1) it a bracelet, that is made up of acrylic and polyester. Peter Chang used hints of patterns and curvaceous rhythms derived from sea creatures; I like the way he mixed primary and secondary colours it makes the bracelet look more colourful.

Figure 1 -Peter Chang, bracelet

https://za.pinterest.com/pin/360639882632989198/?autologin=true 

In my contemporary jewellery that is inspired by the beauty of nail art, I will be using non-precious and precious materials. Peter Chang's work relates to my work because his work is colourful, has patterns and form. In my jewellery, I will be using acrylic gel to add colour and patterns. I will be transforming plastic nail shape into the jewellery forms like earrings, rings, bracelet, brooch and pendant.

Mixed materials

When I was reading the VGCJ paper of mixed material I understand that mixed material it's to combine precious and non-precious material. The jewellery value can be strongly influenced by the handling of the material because the value of precious material can be expansive whereas non-precious material is cheap.

Combining precious and non-precious materials can lead an artist to create jewellery that pleases everyone eye. People can be interested in buying your work and some would like to know more about the skills that you applied. As an artist, the skills that we use can transform the humblest of materials and reveal beauty where it has not been seen.

The work of  Giampaolo Babetto can relate in my artwork because he uses colour, shape and texture. He often combines precious metal with red pigment as in this bracelet (fig.4). Babetton intention of using uniform pigment is to intrigue and attract, especially when the bracelet is worn the colour reflect against the wearer's arm. I'm exploring the beauty of nail art in jewellery, I also want to make rings with nails and add colour on, so that it can reflect on the finger of the wearer.   

Fig 4, Bracelet, Giampaolo Babetto