ordinari observations

Taking off

2011-12-22T01:16:00.004+11:00

What a crazy time of the year … what a crazy year!!!

So many pictures to post – of the time in Europe, of Japan adventures, of this late spring in Australia. One step at the time though, I will take it easy now (even if that hurts : ).

All will be well.

Hoping to fly towards the sun tomorrow. Almost time for season's greetings. Stay tuned, take care, chat soon!

30/11/11

2011-12-08T18:38:00.002+11:00

20/11/11

2011-12-08T17:49:00.003+11:00

26/11/11

2011-12-08T17:10:00.002+11:00

Japan 4: nemuri masu

2011-11-25T19:00:00.004+11:00

I also really like the interesting series of tired Tokyo commuters leaning on surfaces, Tokyo Compression, by photographer Michael Wolf (an image from his series below). You can see more of his series here.

And finally, asleep at home …

© S.Tan 2011

a visit

2011-11-20T01:35:00.001+11:00

mother, sister, love

2011-11-18T00:43:00.001+11:00

turn up the volume and be glad to be alive

Japan 3: sound, nightline

2011-11-17T16:29:00.010+11:00

For Yasuko & Mark

Kyoto, October 2011

Japan 2: spirits, underground

2011-11-15T00:00:00.005+11:00

Tokyo and Osaka subways, October 2011

Japan 1: hikari, akari, kaze ...

2011-11-14T15:25:00.009+11:00

Koyasan on the mountain, October 2011

archives of thought

2011-11-04T19:50:00.001+11:00

awake, asleep

2011-11-03T20:14:00.020+11:00

August 27–September 4, 2011
Besançon, France

just now

2011-10-28T18:55:00.003+11:00

kokoro

2011-10-20T17:11:00.011+11:00

Hi for the longest time.

I stayed in France and Switzerland for six weeks, and finally, all is well with my parents. Perhaps I'll write more about what happened, later, after some time has passed and I've had time for contemplation – for now, the only thing that matters is that we all survived, and will be able to move forward as stronger and hopefully more positive people; a family.

48 hours in Melbourne in between continents, now in Tokyo. We came down the mountain from the thousand year old Koyasan yesterday, a night in a temple; stayed in Kyoto for a while before and after, and this morning, flew through the flatlands in a whale-nosed shinkansen. From the 22nd floor heights of this building, a cloudy afternoon, I am looking down to the boiling center, human traffic, of Shibuya and trying to make sense of life.

Best thoughts to you all, more pictures soon, and a new leaf.

A difficult time

2011-09-04T08:02:00.004+10:00

Dear All.

I have been quiet for a while, and may remain so for some time. However I wanted to write a small update on what has happened.

My parents were involved in a motorbike accident while on a road trip, and flown to a hospital in Besancon, East France. I have been here with my sister since last weekend, and my husband was able to join us this Thursday evening. My mum is now OK with only broken bones, but dad is still in intensive care after emergency surgery. Mum and my sister have been taken back to Switzerland where my other sister is waiting for to help, and dad will be transported in an ambulance tomorrow to a hospital closer to home. His condition is stable. My husband and I will remain here to see him off, and follow by train. We are staying positive and just happy we are able to be here, and that we're all able to be together as a family. Things are improving day by day.

I do not have words to describe this time yet. Just that life is precious and unpredictable.

I will keep in touch after some time when things settle.

Meanwhile, take care.

Inari

… pink champagne on ice?

2011-08-18T19:43:00.006+10:00

sydney 31/07/11

invisible, indivisible

2011-08-16T13:29:00.005+10:00

all you gotta do

2011-08-14T23:14:00.002+10:00

The First Quarter

2011-08-09T20:03:00.004+10:00

haru

2011-08-08T17:40:00.005+10:00

Welding!!!

2011-08-07T17:38:00.004+10:00

Photo: © Gordon Tait 2011

Here is the first pictorial evidence of a dream come true: me learning to MIG weld thicker steel. Yay!!

Don't worry about the gloves on the table, and not on my hands... I was wearing them most of the time, this shot was for the camera : D Learning to weld, and working towards a larger steel sculpture, is part of a mentorship program with Tait Outdoor, with Susan & Gordon Tait, which came about from being a part of Craft Victoria's FRESH! exhibition last year. It's been very interesting to learn about the industrial manufacturing of steel furniture (and Gordon's one off sculptures) in the Tait factory in Thornbury, and visit the beautiful showrooms, one of which opened recently in Sydney.

Stay tuned for pics of progress …

for the love of gold

2011-08-05T13:49:00.001+10:00

... Where is that pot??

: D

RMIT Gold & Silversmithing Jewellery Auction 2011

2011-08-02T13:43:00.007+10:00

The much awaited annual RMIT Gold & Silversmithing students' fundraising auction is almost here again! Next week! Please click on the link below, it'll take you to the preview site for all the important details. There are amazing pieces by students and established makers alike – it's going to be a fantastic night! Hope to see you there, in adventurous spirits.

RMIT Gold & Silversmithing Jewellery Auction 2011

Inari Kiuru
january brooch (2011)

stainless steel, blue lace agate, crystals
fused, fabricated, welded
60 x 70 x 40 mm

after the winter solstice

2011-08-02T00:42:00.003+10:00

International bird friends

2011-07-28T21:53:00.006+10:00

Dave from Laguna Beach, California, sent these amazing images of hummingbird babies hatching and growing up:

© David Fielding 2011

And a friend from Mexico City related a funny story about her parrot & new neighbours:

"… I am happy that the rainy season finally started since it was so hot. Lucas [the parrot] enjoys it because he can be out of his cage and in the patio and also, because he can get a bath with the spray hose. My new neighbors have a bloodhound whose name is also Lucas and they get a kick out of Lucas yelling, "Hola, Lucas!" I think they thought that he was calling the dog until they found out that that's his name also and since we repeat that frase to him so often, he learned it that way. "

Love hearing your news, keep on keeping on!
xi

Chasing a deadline

2011-07-13T17:19:00.006+10:00

Not sure which animal I identify with more …

three times

2011-07-08T00:00:00.002+10:00

Dirty Corner(s)

2011-07-06T20:27:00.013+10:00

I have noticed that, somehow, the technical functioning of my camera has
begun to mirror the states of my mind. These pictures, like most of the ones
taken over the last six months, are unfocused, often too dark or burnt empty
of detail, and oddly framed.

But I'm working on servicing the old machine now …

See great photos of the actual amazing sculpture, including the interesting
process of building and structural plans, here: Anish Kapoor: Dirty Corner

Milan, Fabbrica del Vapore, June 2011

My red homeland

2011-07-06T18:35:00.013+10:00

Anish Kapoor: My Red Homeland

Milano, Rotonda di Via Besana, June 2011

And I don't know when …

2011-07-05T22:18:00.016+10:00

… but just saying it could even make it happen

Mama

2011-07-04T19:00:00.004+10:00

June 2011

x

'burnout con moto'

2011-07-03T15:43:00.007+10:00

Milano, somewhere near Via Tortona, June 2011

in transit

2011-06-28T22:03:00.002+10:00

Padova - Milan, Nightfall, June 2011

Last summer, 7

2011-05-07T17:35:00.006+10:00

The first time I saw a hummingbird was two years ago, almost to date.
That winter, in Sid's garden, hovering next to a blossoming cherry tree.
A miracle. I was speechless, I the alien. Sid went on fixing the water mains.

Ever since, the hummingbird holds a special meaning for me.
Having been able to spot these tiny creatures twice on the recent
visit, and always just when I'd been thinking of Sid, was really something.

Everything about Santa Monica: I expected him to emerge from around the
corner any time, and we'd all go off to a deli for a chat.

You are dearly missed, in all the things that make me smile.

Our magician and the invisible hummingbird
Malibu - Santa Monica, February 2009 - 2011

video by kandarf

Last summer, 6

2011-04-27T21:41:00.006+10:00

Sunshine / on a rainy day

oh ok!

Kodak Theatre /VF AP/ LA, February 27, 2011

Last summer, 5

2011-04-19T00:08:00.007+10:00

Ocean Ave, 1

Santa Monica, February 2011

Last summer, 4

2011-04-15T23:11:00.005+10:00

February.
Into the LA LA Land, 1:
We're the birds of America

Malibu Beach, California, February 2011

Last summer, 3

2011-04-14T20:49:00.009+10:00

We wished you a happy new year, Europe
and fell back asleep in your industrial arms

Milan, January 2011

Last summer, 2

2011-04-13T19:41:00.014+10:00

Per Kaisli e Michele

From Milan, we headed to the lakes
and drove up a long mountain.
There in residence, grand style,
was winter.

On the way back
it got warmer again

x

Lago di Como, Gennaio 2011

I know what I did last summer, 1

2011-04-11T18:32:00.010+10:00

It's been a while.
And it's been an amazing ride, this summer; up and down,
most definitely and in extremes. For the both of us.

With the palpable turn of seasons now, it's time to return.
Perhaps slowly at first, as I feel that autumn is piling its weight
right on my chest, but it's time. And it won't be long.

Here I come. These pictures were taken late December,
in Switzerland with family. It was very good to be together.

Hope you are well and happy. More soon –
and warmest wishes for the new year once again.

Wilen, Thurgau, Switzerland / December 2010

Gratitude, and a little break

2010-12-15T15:22:00.003+11:00

Hello to everyone xx

It's been a tremendously busy year, and an important one in so many ways.

Thank you to everyone for sharing it with me.

Hope you all will enjoy your summer / winter, and catch up with family and friends.
That's what I'm about to do now, anyway - have not been able to do anything creative (the hand refuses to raise and the brain to think : D, but all the more, have loved socialising for the longest time.

Will be back in a little while, but for now, lots of light and best thoughts your way.
Chat soon!

Inari

PS. Happy news about Craft Victoria's Fresh! exhibition. You can check things out online here:

http://www.craftvic.org.au/whats-on/exhibitions/fresh-2010

and here, thanks heaps to Karen:

http://melbournejeweller.wordpress.com/2010/12/06/fresh-2010-craft-victoria/

Before rain in Brunswick West

2010-11-27T23:30:00.005+11:00

Friday 26 November, Union Street

Work for Bell Weather, our Graduate Exhibition 2010

2010-11-08T19:26:00.008+11:00

Artists:

Kim Victoria Wearne
Anita van Doorn
Colly Lu
Bin Dixon-Ward
Inari Kiuru
Soo Jeong Jo
Courtney Jackson
Marcos Guzman
Emi Fukuda
Emily Drummond
Lauren Joffe
Timothy Smullen
Alysha Batliwalla
Romy Mittelman
Sarah Fletcher
Chloë Powell

Finally, the assessment is over, work finished (almost : D, i've just been granted the permission to do some very final welding) , and our graduation exhibition Bell Weather mounted, opened and running successfully.

To me, it's a beautiful, personal show and I appreciate every piece in it: Having travelled with my fellow students for three years, all the work in the exhibition speaks about the experiences, learning, challenges and changes we've all gone through, and most of all, of the passion and creative discoveries of each individual. I hope you get to see it too.

It's at 1000 Pound Bend, 361 Little Lonsdale St (just 30 metres uphill from Elizabeth Street), very central Melbourne until next Friday the 12th, 6 pm. Welcome!

Here are some snapshots, taken in low light, from my work at the show. It's a small selection from this year's projects, and I'm reasonably happy how things turned out. It was great fun and a deep adventure researching and creating the works. I've been saying that it feels as if I've found a path or direction of some sort, creatively, and really look forward seeing where it can take me, and the other way round.

The main materials this year have been steel and enamel, often constructed by welding, to safely take the heat of the kiln. I've also been experimenting with various other materials, such as glass and wax. Without further ado, the titles of the work are:

Table 1 - Silversmithing, from the largest vessel anti-clockwise:

Honey Blossom Sting / spun, etched steel, copper, enamel

Orange container from Let us be lovers – New Jersey industrial landscapes series / mild steel, sugar fired enamel. The series gets its name from the opening line of the old Simon & Garfunkel ballad 'America' which was playing in my head when we took a train from Manhattan to New Jersey last winter. The objects are based on the photos from that journey.

Evening emerges from Day meets night series / mild steel, galvanised steel,
enamel, liquid gold

Fragile nightmares from Day meets night series / mild steel shim, etched and heat coloured

Andalucia brooch / mild steel, glass, 925 silver, stainless steel pin

(More objects from the New Jersey series, photographed by Jeremy Dillon 2010.)

Table 2: Jewellery

Selected pieces from Winter thoughts (between two summers) series
mild steel, enamel, glass, brass, encaustic wax, safety pins, steel coated copper mesh

* * *

At the end of the exhibition images, some of the background / process images too.
Hope to see you at the show!

"To me, creating objects and jewellery feels exactly like playing and discovering new things did as a child. There is a timeless sense of wonder about bringing abstract concepts, ideas and inner worlds into a tangible form, and witnessing how raw ingredients begin to take on a life of their own. I enjoy experimenting with different materials, learning their language as we spend time together, taking a few risks to see what would happen if ...

I am curious, and I definitely want there to be madness in my method.

As an artist my key objective is to never lose my sense of humour – or of the absurd. Examining our immediate environment, the strange depths of the most mundane things and interactions, is my way of looking for light. A way to survive in this world. There are maps in the dirt, stories in wrinkled wrappers, and whole histories discarded on roadsides. Taking time to honour and share these observations through making feels not only like magic, but like a constant renewal of some kind of human hope. I would like my work to convey this."

Inari Kiuru November 2010

And here, some images leading up to the final works:

Partly finished steel objects, and an etched aluminium cone for the other large vessel.

Etching Honey Blossom Sting the Swedish way (ja ja!)– in an IKEA rubbish bin!
The copper sulfate and salt liquid I've been using works especially well if
mixed with hot water.

Vessel with a copper flange which has a steel support with prongs,
and another large spun vessel with shifted enamel, not yet ready.
I had a lot of trouble getting the enamel to stay on the golden coloured
piece, it kept pinging off in a circular pattern, perhaps because I didn't
prepare the steel surface well enough (emerying off spinning ridges).

Sprayed with Klyrfire and water mix, shifted. I thought at the time
that the shifting was maybe too thick at places, perhaps that's why
the enamel surface was rather uneven initially, and kept breaking.

The welded steel top and an aluminium insert. The top
now has texta drawings of cranes and a thick coat of encaustic
wax – will post a photo as soon as I get a chance to take a proper one.

One of the smaller trivets I made for hanging delicate objects in the kiln.

Etched steel plate and shim; a smaller etched steel vessel
and the beginnings of Fragile nightmares.

My bench at uni, leading up to the final weeks : )

Gone, gonna rise again

2010-10-29T04:10:00.002+11:00

optimism is everything

Find Wally

2010-10-28T02:40:00.002+11:00

Etching

2010-10-22T03:06:00.006+11:00

The first images are of aluminium sheet, impasto resist with a little magenta paint for pattern recognition when dry; copper sulfate and salt etch for about half an hour. This solution is also suitable for steel and zinc. The last picture is a brass shim sheet etched in ferric cloride, a chemical that can be used for copper too. I have made my marks with a paint brush.

A brilliant website for those interested in etching with the mildest possible chemicals is www.nontoxicprint.com

And so it was

2010-10-21T00:35:00.004+11:00

Dad sent me this photo today to confirm that my memory of the
cart was correct. Beautiful. Thank you!

: )

Riding in carts with girls

2010-10-18T00:15:00.003+11:00

I recently found this little card I drew 15th of September, 1976.

It makes me very happy to look at the picture, and I remember well what it's about: It was the beginning of my fifth summer, we were visiting my maternal grandfather's farm, and as a custom after winter, we gave the cart a new coat of paint. Shiny and black, and the wheels seemed huge to me then, I can recall the wooden surface warm in the sun and long spokes higher than my head. After, we went riding up and down on the sandy roads with my 'nanny', a teenage daughter of our neighbours whose long hair I just adored.

I also love the different angles of the drawing – I obviously thought about the 'people' part differently as I was in it, from the horse which I'd seen many times 'from outside', galloping past.

pleasant roundness

2010-10-02T00:35:00.004+10:00

20 September / Brunswick West

Monday best

2010-09-29T22:09:00.001+10:00

Airbody in the whole cell block …

2010-09-27T15:56:00.005+10:00

26/09 Brunswick West

secrets at joe's fish shack

2010-09-25T20:30:00.003+10:00

From the team that brought you Sir Robert Menzies!! : D

2010-09-20T22:13:00.005+10:00

The adventures of Barry McKenzie

Dinky di tales of the true blue boy

Fresh from the shores of the antipodes

Wafting the scent of the eucalypt trees

If you want to get your sister in a frenzy

Introduce her to Barry McKenzie

He's got a great big grin and a great big chin

Give him half a chance, he'll be in like Flynn

His great big fist will flatten any Pom

He's got a great big thirst you can do your worst

When they tap McKenzie he'll be in their first

It's no use mate you'll never win

He's a better man than you are Gunga Din

Barry ... Barry ... Barry ...

The adventures of Barry McKenzie

Dinky di tales of a bonza boy

Lonely and lost in the land of the Pom

Wishing to hell he was where he was from

From the team that brought you Sir Robert Menzies

The adventures of Barry McKenzie

He's got a big brown hat and an Earl's Court flat

And a map to show the Poms where Bondi's at

And he rushes in where angels fear to go

He can sink a beer, he can flick a queer

In his latest Aussie double breasted gear

He's a handsome wild colonial man

He can beat the bloody world

if Genghis Khan

Barry ... Barry ... Barry ... McKenzie

The adventures of Barry McKenzie

Dinky di tales of a true blue boy

Fresh from the shores of the antipodes

Wafting the scent of the eucalypt trees

From the land that's got the whole world green with envy

The adventures of Barry McKenzie.

Barry ... Barry ... Barry ... McKenzie

The 1972 theme tune to Adventures of Barry McKenzie

Photo © SBS Australia

yes, fond of 'em ALL

2010-09-19T01:05:00.001+10:00

an early morning definition of happiness

2010-09-16T01:04:00.008+10:00

Not so long ago, I realised that I am no longer waiting for anything.
The thought stopped me on my tracks and I realised, this could be it.
Happiness.

I'm not waiting to get older (nor do I long to be younger)
I'm not waiting for the school, day, month or year to finish
I'm not waiting to look any different
I'm not waiting to find someone who loves me and whom I can love
I'm not waiting to find a home – I know I'm home wherever we are
I'm not waiting to become a 'real' artist – working on things that interest me is all that counts
I'm not waiting to become someone – I am me already, and always have been.
And I'm not waiting for times without sadness or anxiety, for happiness calmly embraces its seeming opposites: not one without the other. For those with sensitive radars, I now know, happiness is the whole roller coaster that life is.

As for the things I may be envisaging for the future, or longing for,
such as seeing my families and old friends,
perhaps having a family myself,
and gently restoring peace where I may have disturbed it,
for those I am looking forward to.

*

Hope you are well and happy too.

xx

hide n seek

2010-09-15T02:44:00.005+10:00

12 September Brunswick West

a visiting artist in our sink

2010-09-12T18:02:00.005+10:00

Seems like we currently have an artist in residence
somewhere in our kitchen sink.

This bubble design (I gather a neck piece)
emerged this morning, next to a tea cup, through
the grimy water. It was tiny, only about 35 mm across.

And just as is, complete with a clear bubble catch –
no photoshopping involved. Amazing!

Life otherwise: very involved in creative processes
and excited about work/study, to a point where it's hard to sleep at night
as new ideas come so fast and clear. This is good. So much to discover.
Feeling spiritually tired at the same time, if that makes any sense,
but think I'm on the mend by putting things into perspective.
Looking forward to more light and warmer weather very much,
as well as going away together in a couple of months
somewhere just to sleep, eat, read and of course
to swim in the open ocean.

backyard at dusk

2010-08-28T23:45:00.004+10:00

Saturday 28 August 2010
Beautiful scent of the blossoming plum tree

rough edges

2010-08-27T10:41:00.003+10:00

charlotte's visit

2010-08-26T22:10:00.004+10:00

Around Easter time 2010, Brunswick West

Bon Voyage

2010-08-26T00:05:00.002+10:00

All, all, all the best xxx

Hanami

2010-08-25T19:29:00.005+10:00

Spring fever, new beginnings, and the cherry blossoms
a beautiful reminder of death, not as the enemy,
but as a guide to elegant living

From 'Hanami' / Ed Wright 2006

play is timeless

2010-08-23T20:05:00.008+10:00

These are some of the pre-Columbian artefacts which once belonged to Diego Rivera, and are now housed in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City – one of the most amazing places I've ever visited.

Among exhibits which span the Central and South Americas, and thousands of years, there were some huge, impressive pieces of stone art there, such as ancient Aztec sacrificial altars and parts of Mayan temples. But awesome as they were, I just couldn't get over these small ceramic vessels and figures! They are so playful and so streamlined. It's as if time disappears, and the artist is right there, talking and joking with the viewer, with gestures that we still share.

Next to the collection there was also a picture of Diego himself – somehow, not too different from the spirit of some of his statues … ; )

shapes to sing to

2010-08-21T00:15:00.008+10:00

night ties

2010-08-18T19:06:00.003+10:00

trees throw the ropes again
to draw in the night

RMIT Gold & Silversmithing Jewellery Auction 2010

2010-08-07T21:46:00.005+10:00

Lately, the life of our class has been virtually nothing but organising, organising and organising. It is because this year, it's our turn as 3rd years, to organise the traditional jewellery auction which will fundraise for our end-of-year exhibition and catalogue. Amazing how quickly the time has gone from first year to here, almost leaving … it's great, with all we've learned and the jewellery moments along the way, but a little scary at the same time. And now, only a few days to go to the first big event of our (quickly vanishing) year.

Here are the important details of what, where and when. You can also see images of work for sale at our blogsite, link below. The site is still continuously updated, so mark it in your browser and keep checking back.

RMIT Gold and Silversmithing Annual Jewellery Auction 2010

Hope to see you there!

RMIT Gold and Silversmithing Annual Jewellery Auction 2010:
Snap up the work of contemporary jewellers and silversmiths!

The RMIT Gold and Silversmithing auction is just around the corner – only four days to go! An annual landmark within the jewellery community, collectors and the public, this event is a great opportunity to spot emerging jewellers and silversmiths, and to purchase original handmade pieces by established and up-and-coming artists.

The work will be auctioned by the legendary jewellery expert Mr Ronnie Bauer of Klepner’s Fine Antique Jewellers, assisted by our own Alysha Batliwalla. A fundraising tradition, all proceeds go towards the end-of-year graduate exhibition and catalogue which highlight the exceptional talent this course nurtures and develops.

Come along, have a wonderful night and show your support by bidding on some outstanding jewellery pieces!

Wednesday 11 August
Previewing of work from 6.00 pm
Auction begins 7.00 pm

The auction venue is just opposite RMIT Storey Hall, upstairs:

The Order of Melbourne
Level 2 /401 Swanston Street

Food & drinks available at the venue
Credit card and EFTPOS facilities

If you're a maker and would like to support us by donating original jewellery, it's not too late! Please see our Invitation to Participate for details.

Welcome!
The Graduating Gold and Silversmithing Class of 2010

Imagine them all ... crying

2010-08-05T00:06:00.006+10:00

Would be great to know if all hell breaks loose every time
the dad walks out of the room or stops cootchy-cootchy!

I found this clip after participating in a survey on computer generated
laughter vs. human laughter. It was surprisingly difficult to decide on
some of the seven clips played, which one was which. The site also presents
short videos on the science of laughter - did you know, for example, that
rats giggle when they're tickled, and seem to enjoy the activity?

You can participate online here, it's a short and simple test, run by Acoustic Engineering
at Salford University, UK, supported by the New Scientist magazine.

Maybe we're all born with a spoon of some kind in our mouth?

2010-07-31T16:12:00.008+10:00

It must be in the blog air, the reminiscing about our paths to jewellery and looking at the very early work (something that's still very recent for me, a latecomer to the field). I had just been thinking about my first silversmithing pieces and how I got here when I was further inspired by the recent posts by Melissa Cameron and Karen, Melissa (previously a designer) talking about the events that lead her to seriously pursue jewellery as a career, and Karen (the amazing host of Melbourne Jeweller blog) showing her first year, first semester RMIT silversmithing pieces.

So here's something from my first months at RMIT in 2008 when we were introduced to silversmithing by the lovely Beatrice Schlabowsky. The making of a copper spoon from scratch was especially a tough one for me, and I remember being very proud at the end, of having been able to forge something that resembled a cutlery piece even vaguely. I'm always amazed and impressed when I now see other spoons from the first year projects – they're so beautifully designed, all really original, and perfectly finished! (This is not to say we weren't taught well, but more a realisation that while some possess natural abilities for shaping metal, others like me have to learn them from the very, very, very beginning! : )

Our briefs that semester were to design and make a "Filter" and "Spoons". Here's some:

Seven Characteristics in Spoons (2008)
Stainless steel teaspoons, steel wire, adhesive (yes! supaglue!), magnet, shrink wrap

These seven spoons are a playful take on modifying an industrial object, always identical in the hundreds and thousands that are produced, to speak about individual tendencies.

I thought about the states of being 'Discontent', 'Enlightened', 'Charismatic', 'Self-Obsessed', 'Fragile', 'Pessimistic' and 'Optimistic'. See if you can spot which is which.

Looking at this image has also given me an idea for something that a friend in the virtual sphere, Eddy, asked me to do a while ago …

Japanese Laundry (2008)
Roller-embbossed copper, brass, black pebbles, thread, glass

This was my filter. I can't remember exactly anymore what the rationale for being a filter was, but somehow I arrived at a mobile-like solution that plays with the sense of gravity and proportion. It has stony weights hovering just above the ground, attached to the wing of a mute and blind house (no entry, no exit, only form). The oxidised tones and patterns of copper and brass reminded me of silk, and the black pebbles of garderns; water of East – the reasons for the name. I wanted to present the piece standing on a pond, for the reflection – so I placed it on a tray with cardboard and water for the assessment. Oops … spillage and tearing that I can now laugh about … Here's a detail from a picture I took later on:

Then, there was a spoon that I created on the morning of assessment, in the usual panic.
But I like it! Maybe it's dedicated to Yoko Ono?

Breathe (2008)
Qantas plastic spoon, nylon netting,
grapevine twig, mother of pearl, copper

And then a few cast spoons:

Atmo-sphere (2008)
A gasket and a plastic Qantas spoon cast in fine silver

Childhood (2008)
Thread lace and wax – this image is taken before casting in fine silver

And finally, a nameless copper spoon that I will keep forever : )

a tiny postcard from another planet

2010-07-31T02:08:00.004+10:00

I think it's a map.

Some interesting things happened today

2010-07-29T23:47:00.003+10:00

Enamel on steel, enamel on aluminium, aluminium on steel – resting and fused ...

our winter window

2010-07-28T19:04:00.006+10:00

I love how this vine made its way to the front room last spring;
over summer, it grew tall, through the little cracks in the old wood.

It now covers the little spectators, always at the window,
observing life on the street passing by. An ancient Latvian woman
knitted the yellow duck a long time ago.

A winter blanket : )

still there

2010-07-26T22:37:00.008+10:00

all these weeks on

Kauas pilvet karkaavat

2010-07-25T19:46:00.013+10:00

From Union Street to Collier Crescent
Brunswick West, July 25

Onnellista syntympäivää numero 66 äidille!

Carlos Saura's "Carmen" 1983

2010-07-12T17:39:00.006+10:00

Christina Hoyos and Laura Del Sol clash in one of the best scenes in one of the best dance films ever made – Carlos Saura's Carmen (1983).

It's cold here in Melbourne but watching this might help in getting warm (if not HOT) again!

PS. For a better quality clip, but without the beginning with the female singers, and without subtitles, click here: Carmen / Factory scene

Wedding ornaments for another time 1: Drought

2010-07-08T22:53:00.009+10:00

Photography: © RMIT University, Melbourne 2008 >

Wedding ornaments for another time 1: Drought (Inari Kiuru 2008)
shower cable, brass taps, 925 silver, 18ct gold, found objects
fused, soldered, fabricated

Please click on the image if you want to see detail clearly - here the photo condenses into a very pixelated one for some reason!

While still photographing work from this semester and the year gone, this is something from the recent past, one of the four pieces designed and made during the traditional "fusion" project at RMIT, on our first year 2008, then taught by Mr Robert Baines. The idea was to create a neck piece which incorporated gold embedded in silver (we learned the whole process from melting granules to gradually rolling the sheet of gold and silver into a thin layer), fused sterling silver pieces (= no solder, metal joined by heat only, at the right melting point), mixed with modern materials.

My work for the brief evolved into a four piece collection of rather large "wedding ornaments" (this was the semester preceding my own wedding, hence perhaps the theme … :), imagined to belong to a future time where environmental or another catastrophe might have changed our living conditions, circumstances, and available resources significantly.

The first piece is titled "Drought", something I had been thinking about a lot at the time, after a move from Perth to Melbourne – here, we faced serious water restrictions for the first time in our lives.

meanwhile, winter afternoons

2010-07-07T17:01:00.009+10:00

The occasional shower of sunlight feels so welcome at this time.

Blogger glitch?

2010-07-07T16:56:00.003+10:00

There must be, or have been, something going on with the Blogger software, as my yesterday's post (Magpie by Luke Davies and Inari Kiuru) with its follow-up comments only seems visible for those who are subscribing to ordinari observations via RSS.

Mysterious!

I'll try and post again today and see how it goes.
Apologies!

x IK

and just when you mean to tell her

2010-07-04T18:22:00.003+10:00

Mariposa / Butterfly: New work, 5

2010-06-30T21:04:00.004+10:00

mariposa / butterfly (inari kiuru 2010)
mild steel, enamel, 18c gold, 925 silver

Out of the fire: New work, 4

2010-06-29T08:21:00.008+10:00

1. Enamel added, waiting for the kiln

Now here's a piece of work I have quite mixed feelings about!

This piece is based on a simple black and orange close-up portrait of a cajon player, and while the design, model making and welding of the mild steel for the pendant went all smoothly, the rest of the process was riddled with trouble. Or shall we say CHALLENGE.

2. Fired pendant with enamel painted and fired orange back
3. The textured back of the main pendant part

After firing the main pendant, everything was looking OK and I liked the textured back that shows the brushstrokes as dark marks on oxidised steel. I would have been happy to leave the design at this, but thought that an extra layer would bring solidity, and I could avoid riveting the necklace attachment directly onto the pendant.

3. Back of the back, clear liquid enamel on steel, 925 attachments soldered

Soldering the silver bars to the back of the orange base (seen from the front, painted with orange, red and yellow enamel paints), to be riveted to the pendant, however was a real adventure: I had to use IT solder for it to last the heat of a kiln. On steel, making the "harder than hard" IT solder go required a true blast of heat. Luckily, nothing melted though – at this stage.

Then it came to riveting the pendant onto the base. It had warped slightly due to the many layers and firing process, so the rivets had to be firm and a little longer than usual to keep the pieces together safely and without bending the parts, thus risking breakage of the enamel layers. First I tried to hammer the ends of the rivets (1.2 mm 925 wire with 18c gold balls at the ends; this too was a bit of an accident, but gold's not so bad ; ), but found that I couldn't position the pendant anywhere securely enough, for the brisk and accurate hammer blows the riveting process requires. This I'm sure is dependent on my skill level, not the actual logistics of the piece, but neverthless, it was late at night, and …

5. The same back, after some … eventful events …

At this stage I'd used microtorch exactly once in my life. Somehow, in my desperation, I got an idea to ball BOTH ends of the wire. We had talked about this, speculating if it would work neatly should the rest of the piece be immersed in water. But no time for water at this stage, straight to the flame! The first rivet was successfull … until I smelled something burning … Yes, it was the orange enamel paint on the other side I'd forgotten about!!

I took a look and had to be optimistic in those "am" hours; I thought that a bit of flaking and ash might look OK. Hehe. "The fire of flamenco"??!

So then I decided to ball the rest of the rivets, too. What the heck! I could always repaint the enamelled orange side, as I ended up doing. But for some reason, the wire would not make a ball this time, no matter how hot I had the microtorch flame on! I even tried with a bigger torch, but to no avail. Everything just melted into soft hills. So, I decided that this shall be the look, then. Don't anyone dare call me a perfectionist, or INflexible! : P The final rivet is hammered in a traditional way, it was in the outside edge of the layers, so I could somehow manage.

After this treatment, the beautiful back was stained with black marks and melted silver. You can kind of see that for yourself in the photo. I thought that a slight sand / polishing might help it look more together, and was happily surprised that the marks from enamelling still came through after emerying the back quite heavy-handedly. Otherwise, it's a mess! : D

And the chain?
I made one, but am not happy with it really. So I'll re-make it over the break, and then present before and after images.

xx IK

A las cinco de la tarde / At five in the afternoon: New work, 3

2010-06-27T12:44:00.016+10:00

LORCA
Lament for Ignacio Sanchez Mejias (for the death of a bullfighter)

Cogida and death / fragment

At five in the afternoon.
It was exactly five in the afternoon.
A boy brought the white sheet
at five in the afternoon.
A frail of lime ready prepared
at five in the afternoon.
The rest was death, and death alone
at five in the afternoon.

The wind carried away the cottonwool
at five in the afternoon.
And the oxide scattered crystal and nickel
at five in the afternoon.
Now the dove and the leopard wrestle
at five in the afternoon.
And a thigh with a desolate horn
at five in the afternoon.
The bass-string struck up
at five in the afternoon.

Arsenic bells and smoke
at five in the afternoon.
Groups of silence in the corners
at five in the afternoon.
And the bull alone with a high heart!
At five in the afternoon.
When the sweat of snow was coming
at five in the afternoon,
when the bull ring was covered in iodine
at five in the afternoon.
Death laid eggs in the wound
at five in the afternoon.
At five in the afternoon.
Exactly at five o’clock in the afternoon.

A coffin on wheels in his bed
at five in the afternoon.
Bones and flutes resound in his ears
at five in the afternoon.
Now the bull was bellowing through his forehead
at five in the afternoon.
The room was iridescent with agony
at five in the afternoon.
In the distance the gangrene now comes
at five in the afternoon.

Horn of the lily through green groins
at five in the afternoon.
The wounds were burning like suns
at five in the afternoon,
and the crowd was breaking the windows
at five in the afternoon.
At five in the afternoon.
Ah, that fatal five in the afternoon!
It was five by all the clocks!
It was five in the shade of the afternoon!

A las cinco de la tarde, a series of brooches (Inari Kiuru 2010)
mild steel, pva, paint, resin, crystal, salt

Last year I took some photos of an afternoon sky, at five in the afternoon, thinking about this poem by Federico Garcia Lorca. These brooches are my interpretation of the absolute darkness and blinding light the words of the lament evoke.

Robert Motherwell's paintings, the 1950 At Five in the Afternoon and his Elegies to the Spanish Republic also inspired me.

Click on the images for a larger, more detailed view.

La Cogida y La Muerte

A las cinco de la tarde.
Eran las cinco en punto de la tarde.
Un niño trajo la blanca sábana
a las cinco de la tarde.
Una espuerta de cal ya prevenida
a las cinco de la tarde.
Lo demás era muerte y sólo muerte
a las cinco de la tarde.

El viento se llevó los algodones
a las cinco de la tarde.
Y el óxido sembró cristal y níquel
a las cinco de la tarde.
Ya luchan la paloma y el leopardo
a las cinco de la tarde.
Y un muslo con un asta desolada
a las cinco de la tarde.
Comenzaron los sones de bordón
a las cinco de la tarde.
Las campanas de arsénico y el humo
a las cinco de la tarde.
En las esquinas grupos de silencio
a las cinco de la tarde.
¡Y el toro solo corazón arriba!
a las cinco de la tarde.
Cuando el sudor de nieve fue llegando
a las cinco de la tarde
cuando la plaza se cubrió de yodo
a las cinco de la tarde,
la muerte puso huevos en la herida
a las cinco de la tarde.
A las cinco de la tarde.
A las cinco en Punto de la tarde.

Un ataúd con ruedas es la cama
a las cinco de la tarde.
Huesos y flautas suenan en su oído
a las cinco de la tarde.
El toro ya mugía por su frente
a las cinco de la tarde.
El cuarto se irisaba de agonía
a las cinco de la tarde.
A lo lejos ya viene la gangrena
a las cinco de la tarde.
Trompa de lirio por las verdes ingles
a las cinco de la tarde.
Las heridas quemaban como soles
a las cinco de la tarde,
y el gentío rompía las ventanas
a las cinco de la tarde.
A las cinco de la tarde.
¡Ay, qué terribles cinco de la tarde!
¡Eran las cinco en todos los relojes!
¡Eran las cinco en sombra de la tarde!

More odd brooches: New work 2010, 2

2010-06-27T11:17:00.005+10:00

These brooches were made as an addition to our semester work, to the odd-series , as I lost one of the earlier pieces in a plane, and broke two by... stepping on them! Oops! : /

The idea of the project was to experiment with a material – my focus was melting and fusing different types of plastics, and combining them with other materials.

Odd 5 Inari Kiuru 2010
resin, paper, enamel paint, 925, stainless steel

Odd 6 Inari Kiuru 2010
PVA glue, resin, paint, found object (thermostat from our now ex-rice cooker)

Odd 7, Summer Inari Kiuru 2010
Plastics, crayon, paint, stainless steel, brass wire

Click on the images for a larger and more detailed view

self portrait with sudden ears

2010-06-24T07:01:00.000+10:00

This morning,
I woke up at 5 am.
To my surprise,
with new ears.

Winter ears?

waiting for the fire

2010-06-24T00:23:00.004+10:00

"What comes out
must go in"

From the past weeks' experiments with enamel on mild steel, objects and a pendant waiting to be fired in a kiln. They look very different pre and post the heating process. I've just finished a series of work, including the vessels above, for our first semester assessment at RMIT – I'll post some images of the final work over the weekend.

When I wake up, that is. And now back to writing an essay which will be 24 hours late : /

PS.
More enamel on steel experiments here (samples from the Elizabeth Turrell workshop in Perth, Western Australia in April), and here (the first jewellery pieces I made at RMIT using welded mild steel and liquid enamels).

I also just recently discovered Suzanne Beautyman's work, and am simply in awe of her use of the media of metal and enamel.

One hundred rings of solitude

2010-06-23T20:48:00.000+10:00

Life as a jewellery student, part 2:

This work belongs to a first year project at RMIT for which I made myself a set of rules: No drawing or sketching (my usual escapes), just model making from materials that might be unfamiliar to me, seeing if I could create one hundred different rings. How many I ended up with? 80? I still haven't counted.

I remember that all this began from turning wire in a state of confusion about what a "contemporary look" might be, a concept so prevalent in the first year "art jewellery" discussions. I thought at the time that if I blast out something highly asymmetric, warped and quite monochromatic, preferably black and plasticky, avoiding precious metals, surely I'll succeed – in an ironic way. But as I kept working, the pissed-offness at the notion of "contemporary = cliched" wore off, and the project became a fun experiment which I still like to look at.

Confusion remains, but in such a different way now : )

– Click each row if you'd like a closer look –

A Mysterious Disappearance: New work, part 1

2010-06-22T12:32:00.001+10:00

"All we know about your great grandmotheris that, apparently one day,she wandered off into the snowand never came back.

They say she was wearing
nothing but
her favourite pieces of jewellery.

And a hat."

Into the snow (Inari Kiuru 2010)
Pendant, Earrings, RingFound objects (rusted can lids, a driven-over jeans' button, two squashed safety pins that I altered into mini-ornaments, resin, cotton thread with araldite, 18c gold, brass, enamel paint

So, our first semester of the year is over! As promised, I'll post pictures of my work over the weekend, and will start with the smallest of the pieces made.

This project for our Jewellery subject at RMIT was to re-create a "lost" piece of jewellery. My inspiration was the above photo and the images I got when inspecting the white resin pieces I had made earlier as a part of a material investigation. The rusted parts were in the collection of my found objects, as was the ring stand and the parts to make the ring; they seemed to go beautifully together.

PS. Sunday 27 June: Sorry for random addings of images – I'm archiving the work for myself as well as recording it here, and updating the posts as I have a chance to clean up images etc.
: )

Click on the images for a larger view and better detail.
photo © Harvey Brothers (?)

The most beautiful neckpiece, maybe ever

2010-06-20T06:25:00.009+10:00

Neckpiece
c.1900, Papua New Guinea
Uncut stones in natural fibre (grass?) setting, woven and wax-hardened

During the JMGA Perth 2010 conference, at Gallery East, Fremantle, I met a beautiful lady wearing this beautiful piece. I could not stop looking and admiring it, there was something about it that completely captivated me. The contrast between the rough, natural stones and the soft, dark weaving; semi-transparent and opaque, the way light played on the piece, and the way it looked a perfect fit for the wearer who appeared luminous herself – something that particularly interests me in the aesthetics and culture of wearable jewellery.

The lucky owner was happy to engage in conversation and kindly let me take a photo. She, a well-travelled owner of a boutique specialising in Asian imports, told me that she found this necklace in Papua New Guinea, and estimated it over a hundred years old. The substance used to harden the woven setting must therefore be very durable, to last and be able to hold the heavy stones. The design is also timeless as this (to me, at least) could be a contemporary neck piece as well as an ancient, ancient work of art.

I realise I should have taken a peek at the attachment system also, it would have been interesting to see how and with what materials the "catch" had been resolved.

all the rocks lead to orange

2010-06-19T09:53:00.003+10:00

And the mystery ingredient is …

2010-06-19T09:37:00.002+10:00

: > )

emery II

2010-06-19T09:11:00.001+10:00

a fijole in the night …

2010-06-17T12:45:00.004+10:00

… or a small animal hiding?

enamel on steel and silver

2010-06-14T23:28:00.011+10:00

Here's a few results from my resent playtimes with mild steel and enamel …
I called these three first brooches Amazon, Caribbean and Spain, you guess which is which! They're all welded mild steel with liquid enamel, some have also glass beads; the brooch backs are sterling silver and stainless dental steel wire.

The last two pieces are May and March – the month of the Bull and the month of the Fish. These two pieces are somehow related, or at least trying to co-exist. The bull brooch has industrial cardboard and plastic on roller-printed fine silver base which was enamelled by underfiring, to match it with the matte of the other components. The square pendant is welded mild steel with liquid enamel, the attachments fabricated from 18ct gold and brass. It has a long beaded chain which I'll photograph properly in its entire length when daylight comes again. September?? : )

Click on the images for slightly larger detail.

artichoke, cabbage, rose

2010-06-14T02:02:00.000+10:00

Sometimes when I'm feeling a little low
photography is the perfect meditation
that makes everything else fade into the background.

The flowers -
artichoke, cabbage, rose
were still hanging in there
after a week and a half.

And then it occurred to me
if I ever had a daughter
I could name her not Sunday
but Cabbage.

Cabbage Rose!

Smiling again.

way home

2010-06-13T18:35:00.006+10:00

12 June, early morning hours, past the sleeping zoo to brunswick west

winter flowers

2010-06-13T18:10:00.001+10:00

howlin'

2010-06-09T01:45:00.004+10:00

Today I locked myself out of the house.
Without phone, wallet, any kind of ID, money, or toothbrush.
But I had my camera!

And kind friends who helped me out.
Thank you.

These were some remnants of things, rubbish floating in and out of water on the damp ground. I can never get enough of what I see around. Thinking about making jewellery directly based on accidental compositions on the street …

walking again

2010-06-06T21:11:00.005+10:00

Sydney Road 06/06/2010

June 5

2010-06-06T20:49:00.002+10:00

When a good husband and a good parrot team up, the results are spectacular!
And nut enriched : )

exhaust

2010-05-23T17:57:00.004+10:00

Last summer in WA, this pipe fell off the family car.
I thought it looked like an exotic flower.

subversive embroidery a.k.a the devil made me do it

2010-05-22T21:53:00.008+10:00

I made these two neck pieces for a show and auction called Romantica, in mid-February this year. Just around St Valentine's Day, the theme was naturally everything conceivable under the title.

For a change, I wanted to do something quite subtle and soft, deceptively conservative and even repressed, but with a twist. So I thought embroidery, that traditional ladylike past-time to ponder all kinds of things on long afternoons, and that I still had to learn at school, was the perfect way to adorn some silk flowers.

Which came with really quite prominent centre parts ; )

– Click on the images for better detail –

Like a Virgin I (2010)
silk flowers, glass beads, crystals, antique imitation pearls, antique catch

Like a Virgin II (2010)
silk flowers, glass beads, crystals, antique imitation pearls, antique catch

Both sides were embroidered.