SIM LÜTTIN

>> EVENT: 2 – 5 Aug 2012 Six months in the preparation, the 2012 Melbourne Art Fair was a huge event. I co-curated Arts Project Australia's Art Fair exhibition space with Arts Project registrations coordinator Penelope Hunt, which featured the work of almost fifty emerging, mid-career and established Arts Project artists. When I am not wearing my jewellery hat, I am the gallery and exhibitions manager at Arts Project Australia, Melbourne, where we represent around 130 artists

Unexpected Pleasures is a major touring exhibition of art jewellery by important jewellers of our time. The exhibition questions what jewellery is, suggesting it's at the cusp of jewellery and design. I propose you pop down to the NGV and judge for yourself - it's a must see eye-opener. "Unexpected Pleasures looks at what we mean by jewellery from a number of different perspectives. Taking as its starting point the radical experiments of the Contemporary Jewellery Movement th

There is an exciting exhibition currently on tour in Europe, Jewellery Unleashed! Having just shown at the the Museum voor Moderne Kunst Arnhem in The Netherlands, the exhibition is about to open in Zurich at the Museum Bellerive. I have two mourning brooches in this exhibition, which features the work of over 80 international artists. Each piece in the exhibition is a one-off and "bears the unmistakable signature of the person who made it, relates to visual art, fashion and

With a little trepidation, I have decided to see how an eNews will go. I plan to start small and develop the news as I go. These are unchartered waters for me, so I want to tread carefully and while trying something new. So here it is...my first Contemporary Jewellery + Object eNews. Find out what's happening in the big, wild art jewellery world (and find out about some other cool artists and art sites!). > To access the online version click here. Read times: 792 #art #contem

It was sometime in 2010 that I purchased my first Alan Constable ceramic camera - I forget exactly when. All I remember is that I was immediately taken with the object and its wonderful form, complex glaze and quirky lean. I was surprised the camera that finally spoke to me was not one of Constable's signature SLR cameras. In fact, it's perhaps not even a camera at all. Ever since I started working at Arts Project Australia in 2008, I have yearned to own a Constable camera. S

When I recently visited the Museum of Old and New Art in Tasmania, my favourite artwork was Tracing Time created by Claire Morgan. I stood still - transfixed by the beauty and stillness of this piece. A moment captured in time that was so moving and compelling to me. The image of this piece often pops back into my mind and usually when I have literally stopped and given myself space to think. It is well known that MONA explores life and death with a confronting and arguably '

I have decided to take the plunge and dive into social media. Admittedly, I am a reluctant participant and rather than kicking and screaming I have decided to attempt to embrace it - that is, if I can keep up. Social media, as we all know, is the latest communication phenomenon. At first I thought I would never learn to integrate it into my everyday. However, it seems unavoidable on some level, especially as an artistand arts administrator. Social media is becoming a big part

100 stories of great Australian women past to present - 100 brooches made in response by 100 of Australia's most talented women jewellers. This touring exhibition curated by Kirsten Fitzpatrick, is currently showing at JamFactory: Design and Craftsmanship in Adelaide, SA from 23 February - 5 April 2012. While I didn't make it over for the opening I have many friends, admittedly mostly jewellery or craft folk, who did. From the pics posted on Facebook it looks like the night w

I really want to see Sue Lorraine's exhibition Cabinet at Gray St Workshop Gallery and if I were in Adelaide, especially at the time of the opening, I would. I love her work and more specifically, her impeccable craftsmanship. Sue Lorraine is one of my 'pedestal people', which is a term I give to craftspeople whose work I most admire. As an undergraduate student at RMIT looking to make my next creative/developmental step in the contemporary jewellery world, Sue took a leap of

My fabulous web designers have scored some great promotion: they managed to get my website they designed featured in desktop design magazine's 'project wall'. It's definitely worth a look and there are many other interesting things to discover while you're at it. For those not in the know (including me up until a week ago), desktop is a popular Australian design culture magazine. The publication covers areas such as animation, digital media, illustration, packaging, photograp

Today I am very excited to officially launch my new website, designed by 3sidedsquare. I have thoroughly enjoyed working on this project with Lee and Locky, who have really captured what I was looking for in a beautiful, new and dynamic site. They have done a FABULOUS job and I can’t thank them enough. The process over the past 5 or so months was really enjoyable, especially given they’re extremely creative, easy to work with and are basically very nice guys. In addition, the

In December, I invited a few friends to pop in to my (new) studio in High St Northcote. This was a small gathering to view new work and clear the drawers of previous, jewellery pieces that are not found in galleries in Melbourne. I displayed the work on a retro architecture drafting table that my friend Emily gave/loaned me before she moved to Mt Isa. I painted the tabletop white, placed some beautiful flowers and plant material in the center and grouped small installations o

I can’t believe we are almost at the end of another year. I have made some one-off small pieces for Christmas shows at Pieces of Eight gallery in Russell Place, Melbourne and Zu Design in Gays Arcade, Adelaide. I have representation at both galleries, which exhibit some of the best contemporary jewellers/artists/object makers in Australia. If you haven’t visited them or their website you should. They are doing some wonderful things, including the launch by Pieces of Eight of

As well as working on creative projects and on developing my jewellery practice, I work as the Gallery and Exhibitions Manager at Arts Project Australia, a non-profit studio and gallery in High St Northcote. If you haven’t already visited the gallery or website you really should. Arts Project is a hive of activity. We represent over 130 artists (40 per day) from emerging right through to professional, exhibiting their artwork in our gallery as well as in external exhibitions

I often think back on my time at Indiana University, where I completed my Masters in Metalsmithing and Jewelry Design in the USA in 2008. I really miss the people, the town Bloomington, as well as having the time to completely immerse myself in my creative practice. This video filmed in the masters studio in the Fine Arts building will be a constant reminder! It's a bit daggy and somehow I developed a slight American accent (how did that happen?) and yet it transports me back

"I can barely conceive of a type of beauty in which there is no Melancholy." ~ Charles Baudelaire ~ My current work Melancholy Series poetically explores notions of beauty, nostalgia and passing time. My jewellery questions how the creation of objects can guide or replace memory. As intimate objects, Melancholy Series alludes to forms found in nature, while deliberately abstracting them in order to de-familiarise the familiar. This latest collection embodies pathos, and evoke

Horses for courses is an installation of miniature 'horse and jockey' rings portraying the finish of the 2010 Melbourne Cup. The traditional The Emirates Melbourne Cup is an 18 carat gold trophy, and one of the most identifiable sporting trophies anywhere in the world. It is a national icon embedded in Australia's cultural fabric. Horses for courses is a celebration of sorts: hand-crafted like the cup itself, not for the winner of the race or in celebration of the sport itsel

This pendant is intended to be a protector of ‘craft’. It represents what is good about the handmade object; its uniqueness, quality and mark of the maker. As I was making this piece, I reflected on how privileged I am to have the time to invest in making distinctive objects that would never otherwise been thought of, let alone made. As I often work intuitively, I frequently reflect on how the object came to be. I believe that particular jewellery objects are fated to exist;

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"Art like life is a challenge. It challenges all our resources, mentally and physically…It eludes methodology, technology, or ritual…It is, like life, more about being human, being vulnerable, being imperfect, and about things unexplainable." ~ J. Fred Woell ~ I absolutely love this quote. For me it succinctly epitomises the journey of life and art. I refer back to these words when I feel as though I am wandering off track; in regard to my work and reflections on living a cre