Materials: Brass, Lenses, Mirror and Marble
Dimensions: 8"w x 12"h
Through the lens the normal becomes abstracted and treasure is found where once normality reigned. Spin the bowl and reality shifts rendering you adrift in a sea of colour.
Brette Andra Peters
Calgary, Canada
My artwork explores the relationship I maintain with my inner child and seeks to connect with the inner child of others. It is intended to be a bridge that links the transitory stages of youth with the perceived attainment of maturity, fusing them so the ending of one is indiscernible from the beginning of the other.
Many of us are forced into adulthood, or strive to attain it from an early age. We leave behind the joys of our youth without a second thought and it is not until we are already well into our adult lives that many of us realize just how precious those early years were. My work is about rebuilding that connection and fostering its’ growth.
I establish this bond by creating pieces that are at once playful and sophisticated. Making ‘toys’ for adults is of particular interest to me. I seek out a youthful sense of wonder from my audience when they interact with my art, and thrive in the dialogue that develops as a result.
Many of my works which are not ‘toys’ are more personal conversations with my own inner child. As a result, I create pieces that speak directly to certain memories or candid emotions that I recall from my youth. They are a way for me to bring tangibility to a part of myself that I hope never to lose.
These containers and vessels definitely hold their place in the world of stunning art objects as well as in the world of metalsmithing.
Since the dawn of time humans have created containers to hold things that were important to them, from large vessels to hold food and harvests to intimate containers for small precious things. They might hold memories, ashes, medicine, beverage, fruit or food - but all spring from the imagination and skill of the maker. Some have specific religious functions, some are meant for everyday use. When one thinks of a vessel or container the inclination is to think of something with solid walls - yet many of these works involve the exploration of positive and negative space, and the use of negative space to help create the illusion of the wall of the vessel.
As the world’s largest jewelry related internet site, Ganoksin strives to develop exhibitions showcasing work from around the world. This exhibition was open to all metalsmiths, professional and amateur, advanced and beginner. Participants are from The Netherlands, the USA, Canada, Australia, Costa Rica, the United Kingdom, Israel, Hong Kong, Colombia, Romania, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia and Denmark. While most of the pieces are by an individual metalsmith, some are collaborations, one of three artists spanning 50 years.
In total 319 artists contributed 729 show pieces for the permanent online exhibition.
Objects in the exhibition include boxes, lockets, urns, ash containers, bowls, wine cups, reliquaries, match holders, vases, teapots, pitchers, sugar bowls, baskets, nests, pillboxes, clutches and a range of sculptural forms. A variety of techniques are showcased covering a wide range of metalsmithing techniques. Materials used include everything from gold and silver to less expensive metals. Ornamentation includes the addition of enamel, chasing and repousse’, gemstones and found objects.
The exhibition was curated by Beth Wicker, President of the North Carolina Society of Goldsmiths in the United States, and Adjunct Instructor at Northeastern Technical College in South Carolina. Director of the exhibition is Hanuman Aspler, founder of The Ganoksin Project, the world’s largest internet jewelry site.
