‘silver city dreams’ – 2 – 19 September 2015 – Melinda Young
celebration drinks Saturday 5th September 4-6pm
The exhibition will be opened by Catherine Farry, Culture and Heritage Curator Broken Hill City Council
‘silver city dreams’ is the outcome of a two week residency in Broken Hill, NSW by contemporary jeweller Melinda Young in 2014. The work Young has created as a result of the residency pays homage to the dreamscape of ‘The Silver City’ and country towns like it – wearable objects with imaginary narratives inspired by the patina of place. Some pieces have an obvious relationship to the landscape or include materials found within it. Other works are more poetic, they imply stories from behind closed doors: domestic tales of men and women, of outback life and labour.
Some work in the exhibition is swift and sketch-like, whilst other work is the result of extensive material research. In developing the exhibition, Young has considered the idea of the wearable and contexts for the precious and display. The pieces sit comfortably on the wall, the plinth; yet they are jewellery – for and of the body. However, many of the works do not sit so comfortably on the body; this is part of the story they have to tell – a story of people and place.
Melinda Young has a Master of Visual Arts from Sydney College of the Arts and currently works from a studio in Sydney’s Inner West. She has exhibited extensively in Australia and overseas since 1997, her work is held in public collections in Australia and Norway has been included in numerous publications.