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| handmade eyeglasses and jewellery ... | Thu, 10 Sep 09 14:42 | ... since 1981 |
Relevant Biography1949 - born Greymouth, Westland, New Zealand 1968-70 - studied Graphics/Textiles at School of Design Wellington Polytechnic, Wellington, NZ ... rode a motorbike ... 1979+ - joined Ruth Baird's jewellery studio, Titirangi, Auckland, NZ 1979+ - worked with Ruth Baird Jeweller, Auckland, New Zealand 1981 - worked with Warwick Freeman Jeweller Auckland New Zealand 1983-90 - Member Details contemporary jewellers group (NZ) 1991-95 - Jewellery Lecturer, Manukau Institute of Technology, Auckland NZ 1994-04 - Member Society of North American Goldsmiths [...]
Interests: la Sicilia
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infoMy jewellery in general seems to fit between the extremes of precise spectacle frames and the looseness of molten silver on wood. I'm curious about everyday materials and how things function, using low-tech tools with soft-tech aims. I've exhibited widely in New Zealand since my first solo at Fingers, called 'Face Furniture' (1984), and have taught specialty masterclasses to professionals and simple things to kids. Quite a wide range, really. In my own work nowadays I try to make pleasing shapes from local materials into comfortable and durable jewellery.
Spectacles and Eyewear are one of the most
interesting areas of body adornment for me, and the curiously most humorous. My
earrings and rings are also quite light-hearted. I made my first
spectacles in 1981 when I added
I use the malleable metals (silver, tin, gold, copper) that I alloy
Eyewear history tells us that utility and frivolity in eyeglasses has always
existed together. I'm no exception. I make plain eyeglasses plus I've a
fondness for depicting an enjoyment of myopia and its attendant foibles.
A detached retina ...
is something that can happen to short-sighted people,
and in 2000 on my return from teaching in the States it happened to
me. Eye surgery at Auckland Public Hospital in September 2000, then
a cataract developed in that eye 3 years later (as happens). Replaced
the lens. The new IOC is better than the old one.
Jewellery.
I'm just a tinker handyman.
Eyewear and eyeglasses. Spectacle history shows us that utility and frivolity in eyeglasses has always existed side by side. Eyeglasses depicted in art are commonly shown as both a badge of eminence and scholarship, and a sign of pityful helplessness. 
We have serious portraits showing eyeglasses worn from necessity and we have
caricatures depicting a malicious enjoyment of the misfortune of others. As
an eyeglass wearer myself, I vascillate effortlessly between scholarship and
pityful helplessness every day...
[ eyeglasses etc] The computer. My methods of designing are melting, alloying, forging, folding, chasing, grinding, scratching, sawing, brazing, riveting. Really, I design on the go - on my feet and moving around - from the torch to the anvil to the bench-pin. Then for those developed designs I use my faithful computer... [a British computer? what next.] How important is the optical lens in all this? The historian of optics might prove that frames are the servant of the glass lenses, an invention that some say occurred around 1280. They might say that without a lenses, the frame is pointless. I see things differently. I look at what came from China where they had another type of eyewear which had no optical qualities at all - with stone lenses. True vision blockers - sight restrictors for meditation. Worn to encourage introspection. Then I look to 18th century Europe where highly embellished eyeglasses were the height of fashion and jealously guarded badges of rank. Expressive eyewear worn in order to appear in a more advantageous light. Worn to direct attention towards oneself. So my concerns as an eyewear-maker have been both introspection and personal expression. I'm not so interested for example in the knick-knackery of spring-loaded frames folded off-the-face into their Roccoco cases. I do both sculptural and jeweleric adornments. Both in-your-face eyewear and pretty sensible spectacles... |
WorkshopsCustom tuition and group workshops are now primarily taught from Bush Jewellery in the studio I share with Ruth Baird. My eyeglass master-classes are aimed at jewellery and optical professionals and my classes at local high schools aim to encourage an early interest in making things, especially if it's a bit dangerous.
Workshops Taught 2009 Dangerous Jewellery for Boys, at Bush Jewellery 2002-9 Custom Tuition at Bush Jewellery Studio 2008 Turning Point Trust mental health recovery centre, to set up jewellery area. 2008 Taupo Festival, Street Jewellery ring-making. 2008 Diocesan School for Girls, bezel-setting class. 2008 Bubbledome, jewellery for 6 - 14 year olds during school holiday. 2007 Private custom tuition, Children's Jewellery Workshop, Lopdell House. 2006 Wanaka, and various other places. 2005 Whakatane, and various other places. 2004 within New Zealand 2003 Iraq becomes US state #51 2002 workshop Tour USA/Canada, -Eyewear, Rings. -'Bush Jewellery' studio workshops opened, Auckland, New Zealand 2001 -July: 'Eyewear' workshop tour Canada: Toronto, Red Deer College, Alberta 2000 -May/June: Unitec (Auckland) module. -July 1-3: artists talk presentation and exhibition of recent eyewear student work, JMGA Jewellery Conference, Brisbane, Australia -July 15-20: 6-day 'Eyewear' wkshp at Blackall, Queensland Australia. -July 27: Interlaken Art School, Massachusetts, USA -August 7 to 11 'Eyewear', 92nd Street Y, NYC
1999 'Eyewear' Australia 3-venue tour Sep/Oct, University of Sth Australia, Object Workshops Sydney, Brisbane Jewellers Guild. 'Spontaneous Casting and Practical Alloying', Nelson Winter School. 'Street Jewellery', Queenstown, Titirangi, Ponsonby, The Dowse, Napier Museum and Dunedin Art Gallery during 'Turangawaewae' Jewellery Biennial. 'Making A Spectacle' USA tour May/June, Revere Jewelry Academy San Francisco, CA Maryland College of Art, Baltimore MA 92nd Street Y, New York City Arizona Designer Craftsmen, Phoenix AZ 'Street Jewelry', The Rockies YMCA, Estes Park Colorado
1998
September - Bush Jewellery Titirangi, Auckland, New Zealand September - Street Jewellery, Dowse Art Museum, Lower Hutt, New Zealand Apr - Jewellery Workshop, 5th Form students, Lynfield College, Auckland. Feb to June -Jewellery Direct Auckland Art School night class, Lopdell House, Titirangi, Auckland. Mar - Street Jewellery to summer tourists at Queenstown. Jan - Street Jewellery to summer tourists at Queenstown. 1997 Street Jewellery, Queenstown, New Zealand Making A Spectacle Four Summer Workshops Travelling N.Z. Team-taught with Deb Stoner. Making A Spectacle Maryland Institute, Baltimore, MD. Workshop team-taught with with Deb Stoner, Creative Eyewear Workshop, taught at Whitireia Polytechnic, Porirua, NZ Metalchemy Workshop, taught at Unitech, Auckland, NZ Street-Teaching the Tourists, summer Jewellery sessions, Queenstown, New Zealand Metallurgy, Casting, and Eyewear Design, two weeks, Eastern Insitute of Technology, Napier
Grants1991 QEII Major Professional Development 1981 QEII mentor programme with Warwick Freeman Auckland Collections/Publications1998 - '100 New Zealand Craft Artists' by Helen Schamroth. 1996 - 'Spectacles' by Samuele Mazza. 1995 - Auckland Museum, New Zealand 1994 - I. Isad-Pana, The Optician, San Francisco USA, private collector 1989-93 - G. Gherardi, l.a. Eyeworks, Los Angeles USA, private collector 1984 - D. O'Neill, Auckland, New Zealand, private collector 1982 - Dowse Art Museum, Lower Hutt, New Zealand |
Exhibitions (selected)2009 Annual Group Show, Fingers (since 1980) 2009 5th Birthday Show, Inform, Christchurch 2008 15th Birthday Show, Form, Christchurch 2008 'Ring Master' Quoil Gallery: 'unique rings that can be worn every day, all day, any day' 2008 'Neckwear' Quoil Gallery, Wgtn 2008 '15 year anniversary' Form Gallery, Christchurch 2007 'The Originals!' Quoil Gallery, Wgtn 2006 'Jewellery box' Masterworks mini solo 2005 'Finger Rings' mini solo, Fingers, Auckland 'Natural Processes' with Ruth Baird, Lopdell House Titirangi 'Family Jewels' with Ruth Baird, Quoil Gallery, Wgtn 2004 'Neckwear', Masterworks, Auckland 2003 'Bloom' Aus and NZ jewellery, OXOXO Gallery, Baltimore, MD, USA 2001 'AnonEvent' annual group show, Fingers, Auckland 1999 Turangawaewae, Dowse Art Museum 3rd National Jewellery Biennial touring New Zealand 1998 Eye-Con Visionary Eyewear, International invitational, John Waldron Arts Center, Bloomington, Indiana, USA Annual Group Exhibition, (since 1980) at Fingers Jewellery, Auckland 1997 Foresight, Visionary Eyewear by Artists, International invitational exhibition, Gallery I/O, New Orleans Face It, L.A.Eyeworks' collection touring USA/Europe 1997 - Annual Group Exhibition, Fingers Jewellery, Auckland The Wedding Party, Masterworks, Auckland Alluring Ring Exhibition at Lure Gallery, Dunedin, New Zealand Eyewear - Four Recent Workshops group show, at Form (Ch-Ch), Fingers (Ak), Avid (Wn) 1996-97 - Eyewear - Four Recent Workshops group show, touring New Zealand: Form, Fingers, Avid. 1996 - Jewellery and Glass, Statements, Napier, N.Z. from the studio of brian adam, stanley lechzin, betty helen longhi, deb stoner, OXOXO, Baltimore MD Festival Jewels, Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington, N.Z. 1995 - Op Art: Eyeglasses by Jewellers, international invitational, touring USA Annual Group Exhibition at Fingers Jewellery, Auckland Face It, international exhibition of L.A.Eyeworks' permanent collection 1994 - Eyewear, solo at Gallery Gold & Silver, Melbourne, Australia 1993 - Three Recent Ideas, solo at Fingers Jewellery, Auckland N.Z. 1991 - Pieces in the Form of a Pair, solo at Dowse Art Museum, Lower Hutt N.Z. Art of the Pacific Rim, at Kikuyu Gallery, Los Angeles Spectacular Spectacles, Craft And Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles 1984 - Face Furniture, first solo exhibition, Fingers Jewellery, Auckland, N.Z.
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| Brian Adam jewellery | this page www.adam.co.nz/cv | Auckland, NEW ZEALAND |
pauashell
sunglasses
When making an exact replica of some beautiful 1930s Aviators for a
customer I was quite inspired by the way that the pressed-metal technology of the
day dictated how they fitted to a variety of face shapes, and when
comparing them to the modern Aviator frame I could see it has lost
the design innovations of those originals.
I live in a rainy foresty area of
Titirangi, Auckland, New Zealand. I work here alongside
