Worn & Weathered

Overview

Think jewellery is purely decorative? Think again. Sure, it brightens up your neck, wrists, fingers and more, but there's much, much more to bling than looking shiny.

In fact, jewellery is a form of sculpture, as the latest exhibition by the Jewellers and Metalsmiths Group of Queensland makes plain. Presenting a curated selection of their members' work, Worn & Weathered demonstrates the artistry, intricacy, textures and concepts at the heart of everything from a ring to a brooch — and their interaction with issues and ideas of landscape.

Yes, their pieces don't just please the eye, or add colour and shape to an outfit — they also connect with bigger themes and topics. In fact, next time you look at a piece of jewellery, it could be responding to Queensland's unique climate, or questioning the ethics of a society burning through the earth's resources.

Image: Jandy Pannell , Dark Blooms (Neck Piece), 2016, recycled grocery checkout bags, reused and dyed fishing line and flax thread. Image by Jandy Pannell.