it all ends well

posted by Simon Azzopardi

Undertaking a full time course in Jewellery and Object Design was never going to be undemanding. For many students, the first brief of the year has already caused a few restless nights and the pressure is rising as we contend to get our work finished on time. The weight will rise from the shoulders as you wrap your work up and package it into a box after spending countless hours making the once thought great designed pieces. Unsatisfied with that edge that is out by 0.3 of a millimeter or that scratch that always manages to make an appearance last minute will all be forgotten once your work has been collected. The stress starts to dissolve and you know you have only so much time before it starts to work its way back in to your daily schedule. Making requires stamina, focus, strength and perseverance, yet the rewards can be huge. In a society only too comfortable with instant gratification and sanitised pleasure, it has been forgotten that the greatest highs come from the deepest lows. Applying yourself totally can produce a sense of satisfaction that is impossible to replicate.

First week back: Eggcups & Exhibitions

Post by Ian Koker, Indigo 2

The first week back from the mid-semester break has seen the first year classes (Indigo I and Crimson I) configure and present their very first mini-exhibition, under the expertise and guidance of the esteemed first year lecturers, Diane Appleby and Majella Beck.

Proudly arranged atop each of the white plinths in the critique space, are a plethora of intriguing and captivating eggcup designs ranging from the ornate and elaborately constructed to the minimalist and modern. The students first design brief challenged them to created an object that would function as a vessel for an egg, while representing and realising a concept they had chosen to develop, both technically and aesthetically. The technical aspects of the design were limited to using certain cold-connections only, meaning that no solder, synthetic adhesive, or even rivets have been used in the construction of these superb vessels.

Indigo I & Crimson I, setting up their eggcup exhibition

It seems that each year, the results of this brief manage to outdo the previous year’s efforts by continually producing work of an outstanding quality and finish, particularly considering that many of the designers have had no prior training or experience in metal working or jewellery design - I’m constantly amazed at what can be achieved in such a short amount of time, under the generous expertise of our wonderfully skilled lecturers and the gracious support of the technical staff! Should you wish to peruse a collection of the most interesting, mesmerising, and clever eggcups you’re likely to see (for at least this year!), head on up to the second level of D Block to the critique space directly outside the Jewellery & Object Design workshop.

Eggcups by Samantha Holleley, top, and Dat Van (bottom)

Meanwhile, as the first year classes bask in the satisfaction of completing their very first brief for the year, Indigo II and Crimson II (the two unusually good-looking second year classes) are ensuring that every second of time in the workshop is devoted to completing our first project for the year - a creative exploration of cutlery, its cultural significance, and uses throughout human history. With the brilliantly talented duo of Seung Ki Hong and Catherine Harrington to guide us, I’m sure that we will manage to compile an impressive mini-exhibition of our own next week when these pieces are to be revealed. And then we’ll embark straight onto our next brief! No rest for the wicked, they say...

On another topic altogether, rumours abound regarding the end of year exhibition, which is being organised by Sienna - the mysterious third year class. So far details are top secret, leaving me to ponder what those diabolically genius third years could have in store for us? What is the mysterious title of the exhibition to be? Where and when will the exhibition take place? Who will this year’s guest of honour be? Hopefully some light can be shed on these questions and more in the coming weeks. Until then, thanks for reading! Have I mentioned how great your hair is looking lately?...

First break, second brief

Post by Jessica Muscat, Indigo 2


Alana - perfecting her cutlery

It was only a couple of weeks ago when we all were just brainstorming ideas. Now we have a matter of hours before our cutlery is due, and a new set of design and technical challenges awaits, the pressure is on. With the Easter break on our doorstep, we are all working frantically to use as much of the workshop as we can. Still even though workshop is closed for the break I am sure most of us will be glued to our benches at home filing and going up the emery paper chain, taking every last imperfection out of our freshly cut metal.


Simon & Miriam - end of term cabin fever?

On top of this, we have been given our next brief, and a new challenge to ponder and explore. Both stage 2 classes had to choose from a bunch of various postcards that were from a past time, sent long before most of us were born. Some of the cards had notes and letters written on them, some blank, however the images, the colours, the styles and the destinations had us all intrigued and stuck trying to choose which one we wanted to use. After narrowing it down to one final postcard we are now on the way to discovering a past memory and creating a new work of intrigue and beauty.

a week before easter break

posted by Hannah Clark, Indigo 2


Nina’s ‘work in progress’

It’s all hands on deck come the start of week six. The workshop is ablaze, literally, with soldering torches and welding bays churning in and out many a student and their work. With just two weeks until mid-term break, at this stage, we’re all on a mission! Whether seated at ones desk ‘focusing’ as Ki, our awesome, technical advisor would relay to us, or moving briskly in, around and amongst the diverse range of machinery the large workshop we all call home has on offer, everyone is ‘making, making, making’, the wheels are in motion for all. No tears have surfaced as of yet however, being still just within the ‘mock-up’ constraint period where works are adjusted and finely tuned, we are yet to see what happens in the following weeks when real works commence and ‘playtime’ ceases to amaze, eek!

Marina with her hydraulic-pressed components

Of special mention, over the past few weeks, we have seen a particular highlight with the addition of the very colourful Miss. Radka Passianova. Radka was a third and final year, 2008 Advanced Diploma graduate from the Design Centre, who then stayed on for an additional year to complete a private body of work in winning the 2009 JOD award recipient grant for the one and only in-house position offered each year at the college. Radka has been co-advising our Concept Realisation class alongside our well respected Head of Department/Concept teacher Catherine Harrington and has been a very welcome and valued asset to our class structure – Thankyou Radka

Radka advising Marina