Monday 30 April 2012

Heidi Hinder: Medals for a Museologist

 Heidi Hinder
'Medals for a Museologist'

Heidi Hinder
Detail from 'Medals for a Museologist'

Here is the first in a series of blog posts showcasing some of the work that is going to be on show in the forthcoming 'Donning Oxford' exhibition at the O3 Gallery, Oxford.

This post focuses on the beautiful work of Heidi Hinder.

Tuesday 10 April 2012

The Exhibition!!

Here is the official flyer for the exhibition 'Donning Oxford'. The image on the poster is of a new piece of work created specifically for the show by Farrah Al-Dujaili. We will be showcasing more new work by our selected jewellers in the lead up to this very special exhibition, so be sure not to miss them!!

Monday 2 April 2012

Emily Bullock: Oxford Inspiration

'I instantly knew how I was going to approach my new collection for Donning Oxford. Recent Master’s work has helped to provide me with a studio methodology that I could apply to future projects…

The first stage of the process was to visit Oxford and take some inspirational photographs, being sensitive to particular forms, colours and compositions that caught my eye. 

 High Street, Oxford, photograph by Emily Bullock

The second stage was to collate these photographs into a book from which I could begin sketching initial shapes, forms and patterns; these provided the base templates of my pieces. The colour palette was also derived from my images from Oxford; the clashing terracotta’s and pastels that enveloped the houses evoked an immediate source of stimulus. I have an innate compulsion to place colours together that ordinarily would clash or be seen to be garish.


Buliding detail, photograph Emily Bullock

Building detail, photograph Emily Bullock

The third stage was material research. I began looking into products and materials which are traditionally linked with Oxford. There was one item I stumbled across which immediately intrigued me, ‘the Oxford shoe’. As I love to wear brogues in my day to day life I was amused by the idea of deconstructing an oxford shoe and thus using it in my pieces. From finding out that ‘the Oxford shoe’ was originally associated with Oxford University, I began looking into the academic dress of this established educational institution. The ‘matriculation ceremony’, a formal process of entering the University, sees every undergraduate wearing a cap and gown, a bow tie (for men) and a black ribbon (for women). I also discovered that during the examination period, students wear three colours of carnations: white for the beginning of exams, pink for midway and red for the last day. All of these aspects of research have helped to motivate each of my designs.


I am currently producing a series of brooches which encapsulate all of the above. More traditional techniques such as hand piercing and soldering are being combined with more modern processes such as 2D design, laser marking, PUC welding and spray painting'.