These large enamel brooches were developed from the study of Margaret Anne Field’s 1860s crochet lace pattern booklets. Margaret lived in the Gulf of Carpentaria with her engineer husband and three children in the mid 1800s. She was an amateur astronomer and based her lace patterns on the stars and planets.
The process of enameling on steel reminded me of early industrial enamel on steel mugs and cookware. These decorative brooches suggest fine china on an industrial steel surface reminiscent of steel enamel mugs.
The lace designs were developed using computer drawing that opened up the possibility of refining the surface of the lace into the fine jewellery surface on the gold and silver earrings. Again reminiscent of another early industrial process and texture referred to as engine turning from the late 1800s.
- Alice Whish
The process of enameling on steel reminded me of early industrial enamel on steel mugs and cookware. These decorative brooches suggest fine china on an industrial steel surface reminiscent of steel enamel mugs.
The lace designs were developed using computer drawing that opened up the possibility of refining the surface of the lace into the fine jewellery surface on the gold and silver earrings. Again reminiscent of another early industrial process and texture referred to as engine turning from the late 1800s.
- Alice Whish
Alice Whish, Green Brooch, 2013, Steel and vitreous enamel
Alice Whish & Vicki Mason
Bundanon
September 30-October 22, 2020