First Handshake3 exhibition at Objectspace Gallery, Auckland? Check!

I presented twenty works representing different stages of the evolutionary process – from very early beginnings (2 polystyrene balls connected by a piece of steel wire) to the most recent iterations (black folded and connected aluminium pieces – one to be worn on the face and the other on the foot).

Displayed in a single line on a 6m length of white-topped planks on trestles.

Accompanying text:

Following a pseudo-scientific methodology adapting elements of evolutionary theory to develop a new body of work, jeweller and former scientist Amelia Pascoe has created a series of works that transform and change with each iteration. Having provided an image as a starting point for Pascoe’s material exploration, her Amsterdam-based collaborator Ruudt Peters was then invited to influence outcomes at certain points in the process by introducing mutation events. These mutations took the form of instructions issued to Pascoe, altering the course of the making process.

Opening night was extremely well-attended, and a whole heap of fun.

The following morning a few of us – Sharon Fitness/Lisa Walker, Kelly MacDonald/Kirsten Haydon and I – participated in a public floor talk about our work, collaboration approaches and experiences.

Overall I feel very happy with the work and the responses to it and feel very excited about the possibilities for where it might take me next.

I do still have questions about whether I made the ‘right’ decision in terms of display. However, regardless of where I land with that, it has certainly reinforced for me the potential for creating such different experiences for an audience with exactly the same work – based purely on presentation decisions (both works selection and display). And therefore, the importance of being clear about what it is that you want to communicate, the audience you most want to speak to, and the experience you want them to have. And at the same time recognising and accepting the constraints and considerations associated with working in the context of a group show.