Melinda Young
Melinda Young – 'Sentinels #5', Necklace, 2024
"The beach where I walk has revealed, over the years its history and in learning about the landscape, I have come to a deeper understanding of the materials of this place." - Young has observed through her routines that Autumn swells bring driftwood. Sometimes in winter shoals of pebbles are exposed, amongst them weathered & tumbled bricks from the old brickworks & coal from the mines that were once close to local geography. Tile shards also appear - their leering faces at once symptom of pareidolia & a signifier of otherness.
The drift or lack of belongingness of this matter gathered along the tideline is a key concept in Young's work, they are migratory materials - at once part of the stories of the place of before & the place of now. Some of this work is born of observation, reflecting on the land & seascape; other pieces a collaboration, a co-making in place with human, non-human & more-than human occupants (& ultimately a collaboration with the wearer). The lines & traces of the shore encountered through the lens of 'jewelleryness'.
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Melinda Young lives and works on Dharawal Country. Her research-based practice spans jewellery and intimately scaled textiles reflecting experiences of being in and understanding place, underpinned by complexities of place-based making in contemporary Australia. She is interested in materiality - the traces of human and non-human interactions left behind on the body and the land.
Exhibiting extensively in Australia and internationally since 1997, her work is held in public collections and included in numerous publications. Melinda has spent the past 25 years working within the contemporary craft and design field as an educator, curator, gallery manager and writer. She has a Master of Visual Arts from Sydney College of the Arts and is currently undertaking a cross-disciplinary PhD in Human Geography and Creative Arts at the University of Wollongong. Melinda is currently an Associate Lecturer in the School of Art & Design, Faculty of Arts, Design & Architecture UNSW.
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Trove: Contemporary Jewellery
27 September - 9 November
Jewellery has always played a significant role conveying messages about the relationships between people and the things they value – communicating across cultural, social, personal and political levels. Trove will feature a curated collection of works created by some of Australia's most forward-thinking and renowned artisans working in the field of jewellery. Exploring themes such as identity, culture, and sustainability, this exhibition will showcase works that are both visually striking and conceptually engaging.
Featuring the works of Roseanne Bartley, Liv Boyle, Lorraine Brigdale, Christine Collins, Laila Marie Costa, Laura Deakin, Samantha Dennis, Carly Tarkari Dodd, Anna Davern, Polly Dymond, Kirsten Haydon, Inari Kiuru, Anke Kindle, Sarah Lockey, Sim Luttin, Leslie Matthews, Belinda Newick, Emily O'Brien, Gabbee Stolp, Blanche Tilden, Zoe Veness and Melinda Young
Read more about the exhibition here:
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Material: tile fragments, ocean debris, cotton cord, terracotta pigment,
Dimensions: approx. 17 x 4cm length
Please note when purchasing, exhibition works are to be collected when exhibition closes.