Land Marks 2019/20

AUDREY JACK

This collection is a reflection on my journey over the last 3 years, both personally and professionally. It tries to express both the chaos and calm that is part of everyday life, and a need to try and stay balanced, calm, and centered when you have no control of what goes on around you.

This collection started life as an exploration on bamboo upon finding it on Corstorphine Hill. It made me reflect on my recent transition from living in Asia to moving back to Edinburgh and how hardy and adaptable bamboo is regardless of the environment within which it finds itself. It made me question my own adaptability through, what seemed like, the chaos in which I found myself following divorce and international relocation.

At the same time I was also drawn to the designs of Mari Ishikawa, a Japanese jewellery designer who, in one of her collections used red threads. I was intrigued by the effectiveness of its use and decided I wanted to incorporate colour and texture through threads in to my work.

This began a series of experiments playing with fabrics and felts but I kept coming back to embroidery threads and found a 17th Century way of twisting the thread to give the effect of moss.

The other material used in some of my pieces is Tagua Nut. Vegetable Ivory, growing in the rainforests of South/Central America, was once the largest export from there before the invention of plastic. In recent times it is making a resurgence and allowing indigenous communities relearn age old traditions in harvesting and creating from it. This nut has made a come back at a time when environmental issues are at their peak.

Why my colour choice of predominantly green? Given my experience and knowledge of Asia I knew I wanted this to reflect Chinese beliefs in the meaning of colour and green expressed my needs: harmony, growth, regeneration, and hope.
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In my mind, this colour also helps tell the story of the Tagua Nut, and expresses life out of death – moss growing from a dead tree – much of which I found during my walks on Corstorphine Hill.

The pierce cut design reflecting chaos originally came about through experiments with etching, and one piece in particular that had been left in the tank too long. There was beauty in how the acid had eaten away parts and left an intricate design inside. There was no control yet something beautiful was left behind.

Knowing that this could not be duplicated I stencilled the etched piece and played with the lines to create my a more controlled, yet no less unique, design. Pierce cut, domed, and cost, it is this design that is carried through all the pieces in the collection.

Personal experience and reflection, combined with the enduring force of nature to overcome the chaos that surrounds it, allows this collection to speak on many levels and is open to interpretation by the wearer or admirer.

Chaos was the law of nature; Order was the dream of man.”
― Henry Adams

SASKIA GAVIN

This project was about place: the place given to me was Blackford Hill.

Last summer, what particularly caught my attention were the great chunks of exposed rock- some faces smooth and weathered, others jagged and sharp, and the broom bushes, the calm soothing pattern of the pods against the frenetic energy of the twigs/leaves. My research brought me home to my place, Arthur’s Seat, and the shapes and forms of my daily walk. This landscape is so familiar to me, it’s my comfort blanket, my worry beads, my meditation. I can map any emotion to something I see on my route and, in my minds eye, move on.

The making of many of these pieces involved a repetitive, almost meditative process. Sawing multiple straight lines was therapeutic during lockdown. The theme of rocks, picked in a pre-pandemic era, for the outer smooth and inner compressed energy has also served me well during these ‘unprecedented’ months: solidity, stability, energy. The resulting shapes and structures invite touch and contact.

For me, jewellery should entertain more than one sense.

ROSANNA MACNAUGHTON

My projects journey began at Calton Hill in Edinburgh, exploring the landmarks of the city and skyline. My initial research was documented through charcoal observational drawings and black and white photographs of the surrounding area, monuments and architecture.

Calton Hill and its surrounding area remain a wealthy and conservative part of Edinburgh, the hill monumentally represents the imperial past and rich history of the city. For me personally, this particular part of the city held a lot of significance, my grandparents lived on Royal Terrace, the connecting cobbled street leading up to the Calton observatory. My emotional response to the area was through childhood memories. I wanted my project to convey both my personal narrative and reflect Calton Hill’s rich history.

The inspiration behind my colour palette was associated with Scottish tradition, conservatism and wealth. Geologically Calton Hill, like Edinburgh Castle, is a volcanic extrusion. Its ancient rocks are dark and sinister in tone. The silver, black and blue tones in my collection pull together the history and represent metamorphic rock, such as Lapis Lazuli.

The boxy structure of my pieces is inspired by architectural maps of Calton’s monuments and my wire work reflects the abstract style of my line drawings.

This collection is a reflection of my findings, memories and historic research.

ADAM TAYLOR

I aim to create adventurous jewellery that captures the imagination whilst being a refined and aesthetically pleasing object to wear.

I am excited by the idea of jewellery as being a transportable, mini sculpture of artistic or personal statement that can be exhibited publicly outside a traditional gallery or art space.

My jewellery is inspired by my family history, set in the industrial past of north east England.

By practising psychogeography, I explore the world around me but am particularly drawn to architecture and machinery. I develop my ideas through sketchbook work, found objects, etching, laser cutting and model making. I also experiment with different materials such as copper, silver, brass, leather, acrylic and wood.

The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in me being furloughed from my day job for three months. I embraced this time by learning various CAD software, learning about 3D printing and studying gemstones.

By combining traditional making techniques with cutting-edge technology, I can create ambitious designs with a wide range of materials, as well as fulfilling a zero waste ethos.

Through sympathetic use of gemstones, I aim to create the illusion of movement in my jewellery. It is important to me that all stones are responsibly sourced or synthetic alternatives.

CARLY WILSON

My collection explores the boundaries between nature and urban architecture, specifically the beautiful patterns created by natural erosion. An initial walk up Calton Hill last autumn drew my attention to the incredible patterns created on dock leaves as they decayed and changed colour. Later explorations of the East Neuk coast, then walks along the canal and the Water of Leith during lockdown led me to recognise those self-same patterns replicated elsewhere.

In particular, I noticed the forms I had first taken from the dock leaves were repeated in the many negative spaces created by natural erosion, such as between the bricks in buildings and on rusty mooring rings. These shapes and spaces that were once straight, accurate and unfailingly perfect have become, in my eyes, all the more beautiful for the multitude of imperfections that erosion and decay have bestowed upon them.

Taking this counter-intuitive beauty as my inspiration, I have channelled it into a positive and integral component of my work. I have tried to recreate the wonder of these spaces by etching brass and silver tubes with these intricate patterns. Additionally, each piece has been specifically designed to subtly yet relentlessly change while being worn.

For example, the movable parts contained in the rings, necklaces and earrings I have crafted change position in harmony with the motions and gestures of the wearer. At the same time, the different environments in which the pieces are worn (indoors or outdoors, bright light or dim) alters their colours and tone. Some sections of the silver have been highly polished to mirror the light and colour surrounding them, while others remain more stubborn and steadfast.

In this way, I have tried to create a range of jewellery that is as vibrant and dynamic as the natural world all around us – and as eye-catching as its raw, restless and ever-evolving beauty.