War and Beauty
We wish him a safe voyage, Iona McCuaig , brooch , white metal, patinated, painted (photo: courtesy of the artist)
The National Glass Centre’s current exhibition showcases work by four jewellers who are connected by a shared interest in conflict (until 3 January)
Called War and Beauty, the exhibition explores the inherent tension between these two strands and shows how jewellers can use their work to comment on the nature of violence. Of the four, Israeli resident Shirly Bar-Amotz’s most directly references war. She incorporates outlines of fighter jets on her brooches, surrounding them by inlaid semi-precious stones in a comment on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the extreme contrasts of lifestyle between the haves and the have nots in the area. Kali Arulpragasam’s work is equally political, highlighting the plight of those affected by war with her Terrorism affects Tourism collection. This is a series of large neckpieces – more like suspended breastplates really – depicting images representing war-torn countries such as Iraq, Sri Lanka and Sudan.
Iona McCuaig’s work has less of a political punch as her themes are softened by sixty years of history, but it’s no less moving. It’s inspired by a series of letters and diaries belonging to a World War II soldier, snippets of which she incorporates into her gently elegiac brooch forms. After these three, Inge Margrethe Larsen’s work comes as a light relief as she creates colourful medals celebrating the hero in all of us.
www.nationalglasscentre.com
