Brooching the subject of wearable art

SMALL PRINT:N THE vast white space of Dublin's Rua Red gallery, a collection of 150 handcrafted brooches are the stunning stars of a show called simply Ornament. Impaled on long strips of canvas at eye level around the room, inspired by everything from old army medals, to ancient decorative pins and children's toys, the brooches form a covetable collection of wearable art.

The eye-catching pieces have been brought together by Dublin-based curator Angela O’Kelly, who called on 32 jewelers in Ireland and the UK for the exhibition. O’Kelly says this is a group of dynamic craftspeople who are challenging the boundaries of their discipline by applying a contemporary aesthetic to traditional methods. “They are addressing current trends and approaches using slow and fast craft techniques and materials. The common link between all the makers is their sensitivity to the materials they use, mastery of their craft and a strong individual identity,” she says.

The Rua Red gallery in Tallaght has mostly been used for visual arts in the past but given that it is the Year of Craft, O’Kelly wanted to display the jewellery in the way visual art is traditionally presented.

The effect of brooches pinned to canvas is striking. Some feature surprising materials such as pebbles, plastic and vintage cards. Others are more traditional – finely worked gold and silver and some delicate, hammered tin.

Many are mini-sculptures, like the work of Lindsay Mann, who incorporates found objects with anodised aluminium, to create whimsical pieces. One of these is set on a plinth, a set of plastic red wheels which can be removed when the brooch is being worn.

Derek McGarry, the assistant head of design at NCAD, used rapid prototyping technology to print nylon flower brooches in 3D.

Not surprisingly O’Kelly is a big fan of the jewellery as art concept.

“I have loads of nails in my wall at home where I just hang brooches when I am not wearing them,” she says. All of the pieces are available to buy and prices start at €100. “It’s affordable art which is also functional,” she says.

Ornamentruns until June 18th at Rua Red. See ruared.ieiumph