Robert Baines, Professor of Post Graduate Studies, Gold and Silversmithing, at RMIT is one of the leaders in contemporary jewellery. He has recently had a retrospective exhibition at Glen Eira City Council Gallery which includes his wirework sculptures and his well known take on historical jewellery where he blends contemporary elements with ancient techniques.
He also has a new body of work being showcased at Pieces of Eight. The exhibition runs till Nov 12, 2011. I was lucky enough to hear Baines talk about his ‘Frisches Fleisch – Fresh Meat‘ exhibition at Pieces of Eight. This exhibition comments on the endangerment of the original idea and plagiarism in contemporary jewellery. He visualizes this by using the Rothschild Red Giraffe, which is an endangered species.
image credits: image 1 & 2, image 3, image 4
