SIM LÜTTIN

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

The end of a busy year fast approaches and it has been a constant struggle to balance my studio work with gallery and exhibitions management at Arts Project Australia, not to mention all the exhibition openings and catchups with friends and family. All things are wonderful things to be doing and at the same time they compete (in a good way) for my attention and time. And so, I cook, clean and re-arrange my artwork and crockery when I need some 'down time', as sitting still fo

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

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

2011 Brooch Fine + sterling silver, plastic plant, oxidised 71 x 93 x 28mm Edition 1 of 1 Somewhere there exists... #1 from the series Somewhere there exists... TRAVELLING TO NEW ZEALAND IN 2013! First exhibited in Unnatural Acts at Velvet da Vinci, San Francisco, US. Also exhibited in Unnatural Acts @ Craft, Melbourne, AU. Curated by Lauren Simeoni and Melinda Young. 'Somewhere there exists...' series will feature in the upcoming Unnatural Actsexhibition at Craft Vic

2011 Brooch Fine + sterling silver, wood, plastic plant 75 x 95 x 25mm Edition 1 of 1 Somewhere there exists... #3 from the series Somewhere there exists... First exhibited in Unnatural Acts at Velvet da Vinci, San Francisco, US. Also exhibited in Unnatural Acts @ Craft, Melbourne, AU. Curated by Lauren Simeoni and Melinda Young. 'Somewhere there exists...' series will feature in the upcoming Unnatural Actsexhibition at Craft Victoria in late 2012. "Contrary to the or

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;

"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

#art #contemporaryartjewellery #craft #oxidised #simluttin

100 Women 100 Brooches 100 Stories Curated by Kirsten Fitzpatrick Artisan Gallery, 381 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley from 29 Sep to 12 Nov 2011. The touring exhibition features 100 stories of great Australian women who have broken barriers in arts, sciences, humanities and sports, and 100 brooches were made in response to these stories by 100 of Australia’s women jewellers. An exhibition celebrating 100 years of International Women’s Day, the exhibition tours Australia unti

Often as I am working in the studio at my bench my mind opens up and wonders to past events and memories that evoke deep nostalgia. I seem to be a locked in to thinking this way and being in a constant cycle of melancholy. It's not hard to see why my current series continues to explore these themes. Today I couldn't stop thinking about how time is racing along and that I cannot possibly fit all the things I want to make on do into the little time I have left. I don't mean tha

Velvet da Vinci, San Francisco, USA 2 - 28 Aug 2011. Curated by Lauren Simeoni + Melinda Young Ten artists created natural and organic jewellery from packages sent in the mail to create jewelry that is unnatural, naturally. Unnatural Acts is an exhibition that began as a project between Lauren Simeoni and Melinda Young, who then invited artists to participate, and has since travelled to Velvet da Vinci in San Francisco. Artists include: Anna Davern, Caz Guiney, Kath Inglis, B

Sometimes, I sit at my computer and sift back through the memories. Perhaps this is where I am stuck – caught in an ‘in-between place' of then and now, which might explain why I have been working onMelancholy Series for the past four years. So again find myself drifting back in time, digging through photos and articles form the past. Art Designer form Down Under was an article written when I was completing my Masters at Indiana University, USA in 2008, and more specifically w