I feel this place in my bones A c o l l e c t o r ’s c u r i o s i t y c a b i n e t
CLARE ROBB A maker of place inspired objects and jewellery
Statement O b j e c t s t r i g g e r m e m o r i e s a n d t r a n s f o rm re c o l l e c t i o n s i n to pa l pa b l e e x p e r i e n c e s , pa r t i c u l a r l y i f t h e a r te f a c t s c o n s t i t u te n a t u r a l m a te r i a l s . I n t h i s c o l l e c t i o n of wo r k s , I F e e l T h i s P l a c e i n M y B o n e s , p i e c e s of j e we l l e r y a s re t a i n e r s of m e m o r y a re m a d e m e a n i n g f u l b y t h e i r c o l l e c t i o n a n d g a t h e r i n g a s s m a l l , d i s c re te , of te n f o u n d , i te m s . Wo r k i n g w i t h b o n e i s e s p e c i a l l y s i g n i f i c a n t ; a s i t i s a m a te r i a l t h a t i s c o n s i s te n t l y o ve r l o o ke d i n c o n te m p o r a r y d e s i g n , d e s p i te i t s p o p u l a r i t y i n pa s t h i s to r i c a l p e r i o d s a n d d i f f e re n t c u l t u re s . B o n e i s a s u s t a i n a b l e re s o u rc e c o n n e c te d to h u m a n , a n i m a l , a n d l a n d . Wo r k i n g w i t h b o n e p ro vo ke s q u e s t i o n s re l a t i n g to t h e b o d y of t h e m a ke r a n d i n v i te s t h e v i e we r to e x p l o re t h e s e c o n n e c t i o n s to o . I F e e l T h i s P l a c e i n M y B o n e s , c h a l l e n g e s s p e c i f i c va l u e s i n h e re n t i n t h e p o s s i b i l i t i e s of c o r p o re a l m a te r i a l a s a m e d i u m f o r m a k i n g , a s we l l a s t h e f r a m e wo r k of o u r p h y s i c a l f o rm ; and acknowledges the mundane, the found object, while adopting a f o rm of d i s p l a y s i m i l a r to t h e W u n d e r k a m m e r to u n d e r l i n e w a y s i n w h i c h we c u r a te o u r l i ve s t h ro u g h t h e c h o i c e of i te m s t h a t s u r ro u n d u s . C o l l e c t i n g i s a m e a n s of e x p re s s i o n , of s e l f h o o d b ro u g h t a b o u t b y s e l e c t i o n a n d c u r a t i o n , p re s e n te d h e re a s m i s c e l l a n e a f o r v i e we r s , i n v i t i n g t h e m to c o n s i d e r t h e c o n te n t s of t h e i r o w n ‘c u r i o s i t y c a b i n e t ’. T h i s c o l l e c t i o n , w h i c h e m b o d i e s we a ra b l e a n d s c u l p t u r a l p i e c e s , e n c a p s u l a te s t h e i n h e re n t l i n k b e t we e n t h e v i e we r of a wo r k a n d t h e i n te n d e d n a r r a t i ve b e h i n d i t . E a c h p i e c e i s c o n c e i ve d to re c o n n e c t i t s a u d i e n c e w i t h s u c h t h i n g s a s a s e n s e of p l a c e , n o s t a l g i a , a n d t h e h u m a n b o d y i t s e l f ; m a t te r s w h i c h a re e a s i l y n e g l e c te d , b u t w h i c h a re i n t r i n s i c to o u r e ve r yd a y l i ve s .
Right: 30 Objects photoshoot, November 2020.
CONTENTS
C L I C K O N T H E T I T L E TO V I E W T H E WORK
4. ‘Bone Map’ Brooch
5. ‘Migration Nest’ Pin
6. ‘Plants on the Hill’ Brooch
3. ‘Strandline’ Ring 7 . ‘C o n t o u r s o f Ro c k ’ B r o o c h
2. ‘ The Waves’ Earrings
8 . ‘ N e s t L o o p’ C h a i n
10. ‘Bone Rings’
1 . ‘A c t o f M o v i n g ’ C h a i n 10. ‘Casting Process’ Rings
9. ‘Buried in Red’ Ring
‘THE ACT OF MOVING’ CHAIN N AT U R A L LY D Y E D B O N E , OX I D I S E D S I LV E R W I R E + T U B E , CAST PLANT 510MM LENGTH
AN OBSERVANCE OF THE INSTINCTUAL MOVEMENT OF THE BODY AND OF MOVEMENTS PRESENCE WITHIN N AT U R E
B E L O W : C ATC H M E C H A N I S M D E M O N S T R AT E D B AC K TO CO N T E N T S
PROPOSAL
‘WOOD GRAIN’ CHAIN
R I V E T E D P Y R O G R A P H E D W O O D, 0 . 5 M M P I E R C E D S I LV E R S H E E T, 1 M M W I R E + T U B E , BONE TUBES
TUBE DRILLED THROUGH WOOD AND THREADED WIRE EYELET CHAIN
‘ T H E WAV E S ’ E A R R I N G S
PAT I N AT E D P I E R C E D B R A S S , S T E R L I N G S I LV E R P O S T S S TAT E M E N T E A R R I N G S AT 6 7 M M x 4 6 M M
PAT T E R N TA K E N F R O M T H E LIGHT ON THE RIPPLES OF THE NORTH SEA
PROPOSALS
R O C K WAV E E A R R I N G S P I E RC E D S I LV E R , S T E R L I N G S I LV E R POSTS
T H E WAV E S M E C H A N I C A L N E C K L AC E OX I D I S E D P I E RC E D S I LV E R , P U C K WELDED RIVETS
C LO S E U P : R I V E T S U S E D TO JOIN SLICES OF SHEET AND T-BAR CLASP MECHANISM
‘THE STRANDLINE’ RING
0 . 7 M M O X I D I S E D S I LV E R S H E E T, 0 . 8 M M S I L VER WIRE, AND CL AW-SET AMETHYST WITH POLISHED BONE SHANK 34MM DEPTH
S U R FA C E I N S P I R E D BY DRAWINGS OF THE BEACH ‘STRANDLINE’
PROPOSALS
0 . 8 M M S I LV E R O VA L , 0 . 8 M M W I R E , A N D
C L AW - S E T A Q U A M A R I N E S S P I R A L VA R I AT I O N R I N G W I T H S I LV E R S H A N K
CITRINE FRAME DOUBLE PIN BROOCH AND FLUSH SETTING PIN OX I D I S E D S I LV E R , S TO N E S , 1 M M S T E E L W I R E 6 5 M M X 4 0 M M O VA L
‘BONE MAP’ BROOCH
OXIDISED COPPER, RESIN-SET BONE AND C L AW - S E T 1 M M S I LV E R W I R E D O U B L E P I N 84MMX36MM
C O A S TA L M A P D R A W I N G S O F C A R NOUSTIE ARE HAMMERED AND P I E R C E D I N TO S U R FA C E
PROPOSAL
‘ T O P O P H I L I A’ N E C K L A C E
0 . 5 M M OX I D I S E D CO P P E R S H E E T, S I LV E R , FOUND STONE AND ROLLED 0.8MM WIRE
FRAGMENTS CHAIN
FOUND OBJECTS, 0.8MM BRASS WIRE
SETTINGS WITH SOLDERED JUMP RINGS A N D 1 . 2 M M OX I D I S E D S I LV E R W I R E ‘ TIED’ LOOPS
‘ M I G R AT I O N N E S T ’ B U T TO N H O L E P I N
0 . 6 M M OX I D I S E D S I LV E R W I R E , R I V E T E D B O N E A N D 1 M M H A M M E R E D S I LV E R P I N 81MM LENGTH PIN
CAPTURING THE NOTION OF M I G R AT I O N T H R O U G H A N E S T MOTIF; ‘COMING HOME TO ROOST’
ABOVE: COLLECTION PLACEMENT- INSIDE A N D O U T S I D E T H E C A B I N E T, W O R K S W H I C H V I S UA L LY C O M P L I M E N T E A C H OT H E R W E R E CRUCIAL
PROPOSAL
NEST RING
0 . 8 M M OX I D I S E D S I LV E R W I R E , R I V E T E D
BONE EGG WITH POLISHED BONE SHANK
NEST PENDANT
OX I D I S E D S I LV E R 0 . 8 M M W I R E N E S T,
1MM EYELET CHAIN WITH FISH HOOK C ATC H
‘ P L A N T S O N T H E H I L L’ B R O O C H
B O N E C O N C AV E , S I LV E R , C A S T P L A N T S A N D THREAD WITH A 1MM STEEL DOUBLE PIN
A WALKING MEMENTO- GIVING FORM TO THE FLEETING MOMENT OF PLANTS BLOWING IN THE BREEZE
‘CO N TO U R S O F RO C K ’ B RO O C H
E TC H E D, H A M M E R E D + S C O R E A N D F O L D PAT I N AT E D B R A S S , H A M M E R T E X T U R E D S I L VER PIN 82MMX69MM
M A P S O F ‘ P I T S K E L LY FA R M ’ A R E ETCHED ONTO A SCORED AND F O L D E D M E TA L S U R FA C E W H I C H I M M I TAT E S T H E S H A P E O F A ROCK FOUND THERE
PROPOSALS
R O C K F O R M AT I O N N E C K L A C E
E TC H E D OX I D I S E D S I LV E R 0 . 7 M M S H E E T,
THREADED WAX CORD WITH BONE CL ASP
R O C K B R O O C H VA R I AT I O N
E TC H E D, S CO R E + F O L D CO P P E R 0 . 6 M M S H E E T, 0 . 8 M M S I LV E R W I R E , W I T H STEEL DOUBLE PIN
‘BURIED IN RED’ RING
S A N D E D B O N E R I V E T E D TO 2 M M T H I C K S I LV E R , W I T H N AT U R A L C O R A L ‘ B E A D ’
3 8 M M TA L L
EMBEDDED IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH; THIS RING IS AN A M U L E T TO P R E S E R V E T H E PA S T
BONE RINGS
P I E R C E D, S A N D E D A N D P O L I S H E D B O N E , D Y E D U S I N G N AT U R A L F O O D S T U F F S
RIGHT: THE ‘BURIED IN RED’ RING IS PLACED BACK WITHIN THE LAND W H I C H I N S P I R E D I T S C R E AT I O N
VA R I AT I O N S I N C O LO U R / D Y E M AT E R I A L ; S H E L L A N D W O O D TO C R E AT E A N I N S TA L L AT I O N O F 3 0 R I N G S + F R A G M E N T S
‘CASTING PROCESS’ RINGS
C U T T L E F I S H C A S T S I LV E R , 1 M M H A M M E R E D WIRE, OXIDISED AND WAXED SET OF 5
“ FA I L E D ” C A S T R I N G S A R E R E PA I R E D W I T H W I R E TO H I G H L I G H T N E G AT I V E S PA C E A N D T H E U N P R E D I C TA B L E N AT U R E O F T H E C A S T I N G P R O C E S S
A N I N S TA L L AT I O N O F A L L R I N G FRAGMENTS AND THEIR IMPRINTS IN PLASTER , MIMICKING THE CUTT L E F I S H S U R FA C E . P L A S T E R J I G S AW P I E C E S A R E S C AT T E R E D, T H E I R FORMS RESEMBLE THE LANDSCAPE
‘NEST LOOP’ CHAIN
P O L I S H E D B O N E LO O P S , 0 . 5 M M S I LV E R WIRE, 0.8MM BLACK EYELET CHAIN WITH FISH-HOOK CLASP
‘BONE LOOP NEST ’ BROOCH
0 . 8 M M B L AC K W I R E ‘ N E S T ’, P O L I S H E D B O N E LO O P S , 0 . 5 M M S I LV E R S H E E T C L AW B A C K A N D 1 M M S T E E L DOUBLE PIN 50MMX45MM CIRCLE
‘BONE LOOP RING’
0 . 5 M M S I LV E R W I R E , P O L I S H E D B O N E LO O P A N D 1 M M OX I D I S E D S I LV E R S H A N K
I feel this place in my bones A c o l l e c t o r ’s c u r i o s i t y c a b i n e t
CLARE ROBB A maker of place inspired objects and jewellery