Artists

This exhibition Here’s Something I’ve Been Wanting To Show You is all about a journey. It’s a punctuated journey as you move along the works, slowing down on approach, stopping and starting, leaning in carefully, squinting to see a detail or a hint of colour.

Punctuation is usually the provenance of language. Comma’s, question marks and colons are used to clarify and emphasise meaning, ‘locales’ that give us time to catch our breath, reflect and help give understanding to the world we live in. The two large vessels and the east and west walls in this exhibition are full to the brim with jewellery and objects, or ‘locales’, that suggest relationships and connection, forming a community of RMIT Gold and Silversmithing students and participants from the two Blak Design workshops from 2018 to now, many works been shown for the first time. These locales are not ones of language but are ones of actions, experiences and a sense of belonging so thoughtfully nuanced in Micheala Pegum’s catalogue essay for this exhibition.

This journey for our alumni was disrupted by studio closures while Melbourne experienced lockdowns, a punctuated learning and teaching experience for students and staff while we transitioned from face to face learning, to online classes, then back to face to face learning, thinking what’s next. For many of us, it redefined the notion of home. We sought new way of working, new tools and materials with a resilience not seen before. The large vessels and gallery walls are home to the locales of what’s next.

At the exhibition celebration a ‘runway’ intervenes the space providing a particular environment for new significations of displaying jewellery to emerge. The to and fro, unravelling nature of the runway conceptually allows all things around it to engender this journey and, in doing so, builds relationships. The RMIT culture team, the poster and website, curators, runway, Gold and Silversmithing auctions and donors, Koorie Hertitage Trust, RMIT School of Art staff and students, RUSU, Radiant Pavilion, invited speakers, event coordinators and caterer, property services and most importantly, the Gold and Silversmithing Alumni are all distinct locales who’s care and dedication has activated this specific journey and time.

MARK EDGOOSE

Artists’ profiles