Q and A with Madeleine Brown, jeweller.
I met Madeleine Brown when I lived in Brisbane, working in arts administration. Madeleine was one of the many amazing tutors at Flying Arts, and a perfect candidate for a question and answer post. Below Madeleine discusses the art and craft scene in Brisbane, what it’s like working from home and her sources of inspiration.
- Describe the project you’re working on at the moment?
It’s the beginning of the year, so I’m getting started on lots of projects for lots of people. I seem to do a lot of remodelling of jewellery these days – so, melting down old jewels, redesigning, and re-setting stones. It helps me to alleviate some of the guilt I feel about contributing to the environmental and ethical disaster that is the mining industry. I’m also working on some new silver pieces for my online store, based on poetry and insects.
- What inspired you to make this piece/series?
The insect pieces have been brewing in my head for about 5 years, I have a very slow brain. Since I’ve been working in my new studio in the bush, I’m surrounded by all sorts of over-grown insect life, which definitely brought the idea back to the surface! I’m concentrating on moths for the moment, although I’m constantly aware of the design potential of huntsman spiders, also!
- The object’s story and how you’ve included elements of it appear to be an important part your commissions; can you tell us a little about this?
I think it’s because I’m not very good at self-directed work- I need to work to a brief. So working with clients to interpret the big events in their lives is fascinating to me. I’m lucky to have wonderful clients who can be very open and honest about their stories and what they want to commemorate or express with their jewels. I’m actually not really into purely decorative jewellery- even the pieces that I make for my shop or for exhibitions have a meaning or a memory for me. I also get easily bored, so working with different clients’ stories is a good way to try out lots of different techniques and styles.
- What would you like viewers to take away or remember from your work?
I hope people can appreciate the craftsmanship in the pieces I make- as a jeweller who went through art school , rather than being trade-trained, I’m constantly trying to refine my skills and catch up with the fine techniques. I guess my work doesn’t have ‘viewers’ so much as ‘wearers’… hopefully the relationship that is built as part of the commission process is something that the wearers will retain.
- Describe the Brisbane art scene to someone new to the city:
Have you seen GoMA?? It’s fantastic! I think the time for Brisbane’s cultural cringe is over- our big state galleries are pulling in international standard exhibitions, and I know so many curators and artworkers who work tirelessly to present new work in smaller galleries all over the city. It’s not easy to be an artist or a private gallery owner, but the support is out there- you just have to search for it.
- What is a typical day in the studio like?
It always begins with two cups of black coffee, and a trawl on the internet through my favourite blogs and sites. Give the dog his breakfast. Then I might have a meeting with clients, be doing design sketches for a new commission, or getting the hands dirty at the bench. I might drive somewhere to escape cabin fever and get more coffee. My studio is at home and I’m self-employed, so there’s no typical day- although I seem to spend more and more time at the computer, and less and less at the bench!
- Do you have a favourite gallery?
Artisan in Fortitude Valley will always be close to my heart. As a gallery and store, they show a lot of really innovative craft-based works, and as an organisation, they have offered me a hell of a lot of support over the years.
- Artists often have a day job to support their work, can you comment on this? Is it necessarily a bad thing?
I made cappuccinos for years on the side, which wasn’t a great thing, I suppose: it left me with a nasty caffeine habit. Since then, the jobs I’ve had have been more appropriate to my career. For example, when I lived in Scotland I worked as a commercial jewellery designer, which gave me a really good insight into the industry that I hadn’t seen as a fine art student. Now I do some teaching on the side, which doesn’t feel like a day job because I love it.
- Critics: friends or foes?
Hmm, I don’t think I’m qualified to answer! I operate more in the ‘craft’ world than the ‘art’ world, so criticism isn’t a big part of it. They say there’s no bad publicity; I guess if anyone wants to discuss your work in the public arena, that’s a pretty great thing!
- What advice do you have for budding jewellers?
There are so many roads you can go down as a jeweller, from trade-based to commercial designer, to much more conceptual work. I think it’s worth getting experience in as many facets of the industry as you can, to find out what works for you.
Images: Courtesy of Madeleine Brown.
