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BRIDGET KENNEDY

Jewellery/Artist/Studio/Gallery/Gardener

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The Renewed Role of Currency in Contemporary Jewellery

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Here’s a bit of interested reading by Kevin Murray on artists and the troubled relationship that many of us have with money. The article deals specifically with contemporary jewellery artists, explores critiques of preciousness, feminist economics and social art practices. I’m honoured to have my work referenced in the text, specifically Choice Mate and my most recent work ‘A Year of Time (1:30)’ which is still currently in progress and yet to be fully documented.

http://kevinmurray.com.au/text/from-tabu-to-blockchain


image: Bridget Kennedy – A Year of Time – installation

WOW – we raised over $1500 for OzHarvest at – ‘Sing and Soul’ Art event

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What a wonderful night we had. The weather was perfect and the music sublime. Thank you again Laura, Dirk and Tim for being a part of the ‘Year of Time‘ art project. This was certainly a very special art exchange and more than $1500 was raised for OzHarvest. Here’s to the power of creativity and the arts!!!

A year of time - exchanged vessel

A Year of time exchanged Vessel – ‘491:14730’ mixed fibres

 

Here’s something a bit different to do…for Mothers Day….or just for yourself!

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Let’s be honest, I adore and appreciate my mum, I really do but sometimes I do have a bit of a love hate relationship with her (and I know that my teenage daughter mostly has a hate hate relationship with me these days)….and in those moments I forget about those lovely, easy times when we’ve spent quiet time together pottering in the garden, or relaxing with a glass of wine and a game of cards, or the endless support she’s given me, even with little things like helping with those little clothes mending jobs that have been sitting around for ages and then I just don’t know what I’d do without her.  For me, some of the fondest memories I have are from times when we’ve learnt new skills together, so I wanted to create the possibility of a special workshop to share with your mum (or your child), to not only create an object to remember the occasion by but to create memories that last. Or hey, you may be just like my teenage daughter and just want to spend some ‘me’ time learning a new skill. Either way, let’s have some fun!

Held over two Sunday mornings, 6th and 13th May (so you can whip up a ring to give to your Mum at Mothers Day lunch!), learn the skills to create a ring or pendant of your own design using a variety of wax working techniques, including carving and forming. These will then be cast by a commercial caster in a metal of your choice (additional costs for metals).  On the second weekend morning, learn to clean and polish the cast ring.

Day 1 –  10-1pm– learn the skills to carve a ring in wax (3 hrs)
Day 2 – 10 – 12noon – learn to clean and polish your sterling silver cast ring (2 hrs)

There are only two places left on this course, so get in quick!

finished rings from wax ring workshop

finished rings from a wax ring workshop


Create your own commitment rings together – a beautiful symbol of your partnership

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Design and make your commitment and wedding rings together in this one day workshop. Available at two locations, in North Sydney and the beautiful Blue Mountains.silver weddings commitment rings

Create memories together under the guidance of a professional teacher.

During this hands-on learning experience, suitable for absolute beginners, you’ll create your rings out of recycled sterling silver. We’ll guide you step by step through the process, sawing, filing, soldering and polishing, ensuring your rings are of the highest professional quality.  The silver ring may, of course, be your wedding ring or you may prefer to have it cast in any colour or carat of gold or platinum. Should you opt for this, your rings will take a further two weeks to produce.

workshop - white gold and silver commitment ringsThe workshop includes all materials for the silver rings, coffee and cake on arrival, and a light lunch. And of course, at the end of the day, you leave with your unique, sterling silver rings and the memory of having created them together—a beautiful symbol of your partnership.
We also offer a shorter 2.5-hour workshop held over two consecutive weeks where you can carve your ring out of wax and have it cast directly into silver or the gold alloy of your choice.
Please get in touch for more information and to arrange your special day.

I’m using the power of Art to raise $1000 for OzHarvest!

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As some of you may know, I have this ongoing artwork ‘A Year of Time (1:30) (if you don’t, you can read a bit more about it here and follow the exchanges taking place on instagram)…..anyway, as part of the project there’s been a lovely development which I thought some of you might be interested in participating in.
coiled basket - OzHarvest FundraiserIn the last hectic days of 2017, a lovely lady took a fancy to my art project, selected one of the vessels (which took 8 hours and 11 minutes to make) and said she would sing for me! I absolutely loved the idea and thought it wonderful and slightly crazy (maybe also because I can’t sing to save myself) – but singing for 8 hours seemed slightly insane, so instead we cut down the exchange by bringing her partner along to play his guitar at the same time – so that will make it 4 hours and5.5minutes! They have a band called ‘my sauce good’ and you can check them out on YouTube.

But then, how to make it happen? As you know, I have a contemporary jewellery art gallery and thought maybe they could sing at a gallery opening. Or maybe they could come along and do it as a special gallery event. But then I thought, let’s do a fund raiser! And let’s do it for one of my favourite charities Oz Harvest, because being a permaculture lover, wasting food just drives me INSANE when it can be made good use of!

I’m holding the event in my garden in Lane Cove on Sunday 8th April 5:30-8:30pm, and I have another ‘Year of Timer’ exchanging time cooking some yummy food for everyone to eat. I’d love to have you be a part of this blossoming of My Sauce Good singing for OzHarvest‘A Year of Time’.

It costs $25 per person to come and listen to Laura sing and I’ll throw in some wine for a complimentary drink on arrival. 100% of all proceeds go directly to OzHarvest! Please reserve a booking online  but you’ll need to also donate $25 to OzHarvest by clicking here to fully secure a space to the event. I realise it’s a bit messy doing it this way, but it ensures that OzHarvest will get the full $25 tax-deductible donation (with no fees taken out). And you’ll have peace of mind that I’m not spending the proceeds on art supplies! 🙂

We can only fit 30 people so book quickly if you and your friends would like to come along!

If you can’t make it, or miss out but just love the idea of this project and would like to contribute and be a part of it in another way, please donate anyway. I’m sure OzHarvest would really appreciate your support. EVERY DOLLAR donated provides two meals to a homeless person. My goal is to raise $1000.
AND as a bonus, anyone who makes a donation (whether or not they attend) will be acknowledged as a contributor to ‘A Year of Time 1:30’ and their name will be included in the exhibition of exchanges that have taken place throughout the year….AND you’d be making the ‘Year of Time’ art project an even bigger success!

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any inquiries.

I’m sooo looking forward to this. Here’s to the power of creativity!

Bridget

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Playing Catch up – All the ‘Choice Mate’ participant art books are now online

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It’s hard to believe that the end of the first quarter of the year is in site.

I’ve been busy playing catch up and tying up the loose ends of a few projects that took place in 2017 (and even earlier!)

choice-mate-sculpture-the-lost-ones-gallery

Choice Mate – Site 6. The Lost Ones Gallery, VIC, 2017

The uploading of all the current ‘books on the shelf’ from the participatory art work ‘Choice Mate’ is now finally complete! So now those of you who’ve contributed can check out your entry online and see what other pics people took….and their responses to the project.

There’s some really funny comments, serious comments, concerned commentary on the environment, pictures of ‘rocks’ that went on journeys, more pictures of people who cut up their rocks….and some that tried to join them back together again….

You can also now buy your own ‘souvenir’ of the project by purchasing your own ‘book on the shelf’ with your rock or comment in it. You just need to pop over to the Blurb website by clicking these links….they’ve made it really easy for you…..and it would make a great gift for the person who has everything! 😉

Site 1 – Airspace Projects, Marrickville, NSW
Site 2 – SCA, Rozelle, NSW
Site 3 – Depot II gallery, Waterloo, NSW
Site 4 – The Incinerator Gallery, VIC
Site 5 – The Coal Loader, Waverton, NSW
Site 6 – The Lost Ones Gallery, Ballarat, VIC

Here’s to a 2018 full of creativity!

BK
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We’re pleased to launch our 2018 exhibition program with ‘Sanguine’ and ‘Red – it’s not just a colour’

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Welcome back!

bridget-kennedy-with-ship-cockatooAfter an amazing and inspirational kayaking trip to Southern Raja Ampat off the West Papuan Coast, I’m looking forward to the year ahead! We kick it off with our first exhibitions ‘Sanguine’ and ‘Red – it’s not just a colour’ opening on 1st March,  as well as a free pop-up jewellery making workshop, all part of THE RED PROJECT, a North Sydney Council Arts & Cultural event exhibiting artworks by 74 artists at 6 venues throughout the month of March, in celebration of creative women in North Sydney and International Women’s Day.

There’s also been an exciting new development with my ‘A Year of Time 1:30’ installation….stay tuned for details. The exhibition is on display in the gallery until 24th Feb, so there’s still a chance for you to participate. I’m looking forward to sharing 2018 with you!

Sanguine
1 – 24 March 2018

Opening drinks and artist talks Thursday 1st March 6-8pm.

Anita Larkin, Jenny Pollak & Margarita Sampson are three mid-career artists working in new media, found object & textiles; with work represented in major prizes and collections across Australia. In this exhibition they present new bodies of work responding to the idea of the ‘Sanguine’. Anchored in the body, their work is thoughtful, incisive and transcendent.

image:Jenny Pollak Bloodlines, 2016

RED – it’s not just a colour

1 – 24 March 2018

A  group collection of red inspired jewellery by female Project Space artists.

GOING, GOING, GONE

Your last chance to view and partipicate in ‘A Year Of Time 1:30’ is Saturday 24th Feb. The installation explores notions of value and exchange and invites the viewer to ‘purchase’ an individual object by exchanging either the equivalent amount of time or in monetary currency, the number of minutes that the buyer considers that time is worth.
image: Michael’s hands with 263:7890 after exchanging 4:23min of time

NEW IN GALLERY

We welcome Inari Kiuru as a new gallery artist. Inari  is a Finnish-born, Melbourne-based multidisciplinary artist. She interprets seasonal changes and lightscapes within urban environments, working with experimental and traditionally industrial materials such as concrete, glass and steel. Impeccably made, with a beautiful sensitivity to material and process, there’s a certain poetry to these very collectible enamel  pieces.
image: ‘Night falls over Brunswick’, pendant, 2017, enamel, glass, 9ct gold, blackened 925 silver chain, copper $480.

Love is in the air! Yes, Valentines Day is almost here and while we all deserve a special gift on occasions (and you can find heaps of very special ones at the gallery), I wanted to share a gift which doesn’t cost the earth…and that’s to ask your partner something new… like ‘what’s the most interesting conversation you’ve had recently?’ or ‘which talents do you wish you had?’ Another romantic idea could be to make your own wedding rings together. We have two locations available, North Sydney or the stunning Blue Mountains.Get in touch for details. Here’s to love!
See you soon.

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ps. The best way to stay in the loop with all the latest goodies in the projectspace is to follow on Instagram.

Time out in Southern Raja Ampat, West Papua

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raja-ampat-holidays

The live aboard cockatoo.

It took 3 planes, an overnight visit in a dodgy Indonesian airport hotel, and a 13 hour boat trip, but the southern area of Raja Ampat was worth the hike to get there! Whilst the easier to access parts of Raja Ampat are showing early signs of a yet another remote paradise soon to be taken over by the tourist dollar, the remoteness of the south is providing fabulous protection from the inevitable decline that happens when masses of tourists move into an area.

live-aboard-raja-ampat-making-jewellery

my outside work space with the perfect view!

The archipelago is thought to contain the richest marine biodiversity on our planet. Positioned between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and the meeting of four tectonic plates, has contributed to this diversity. The reefs are also relatively resistant to coral bleaching and disease.

The marine life and landscapes we kayaked around for 10 days were mind boggling, crystal clear, blue water, calm, protected lagoons, massive limestone, weather-worn rocks, carnivorous plants, wild seas and currents, sea turtles, reef sharks, too many fish to name….One of the highlights was swimming through a dark and majestic limestone cave with just our head torch (think Jenolan caves without the kitsch coloured lighting)….I did hear later that salt water crocodiles had previously been spotted in the cave…that could have made for an interesting full stop to my mortal existance!

Sadly, even in this remote and beautiful part of the planet is being inundated with plastic brought in by the currents. On most of our kayak day trips, we collected plastic to be brought back to the ship. This would then be returned to the local recycling plant that had been setup. The Misool Foundation is a great organisation which is doing it’s bit to help keep the reefs clean. The trip was inspiring and left me with lots of food for thought…. as well as a few ‘plastic souvenirs’ which I’ll be using to make work for an upcoming group exhibition  opening 5th July 2018. ‘Sea Shape reflects on our relationship with the sea. Artists will work with discarded plastics and marine debris in response to the changing shape of our seas, and the way we live in our urban environments.

Thank you! What a year.

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Thank you to everyone who came to the opening of my installation ‘A Year of Time’ and the group show that I co-ordinated ‘It’s been 10 years’. What a fabulous exclamation mark to put to the end of a jam packed year. The shows are on until the 23rd December so there’s still time to come by and swap ‘some time’ for part of the installation.

Open Wednesday to Friday 11-5pm, Saturday 9-1pm
53 Ridge Street North Sydney, NSW 2060

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