Connections and The Captains Daughter by Bin Dixon-Ward

Artist list

Bin Dixon-Ward

Connections reflects Bin Dixon-Ward’s practice which is deeply embedded in the shapes and structures of the city. She combines elemental building blocks of international cities with the human experiences of these landscapes. In this series attention is paid specifically to the way on which these shapes and human occupation come together - or connect. Whereas cities can be understood as alienated and alienating places, Dixon-Ward’s work highlights the connections that exist between city users, city structures and city grids. Four years of research has resulted in an innovative collection of jewellery that transcends the geometry of its digital 3D printed origins to create organic necklaces, collars, earrings and brooches.

The Captains Daughter is a collection of contemporary jewellery that reflects Bin Dixon-ward’s memories as a seafaring Captain's daughter.  The exhibition draws a connection between historic artefacts, contemporary jewellery, digital technologies and her experience of life at sea. Using 3D printing and 3D modelling software, her jewellery recalls the sensations and objects that define her memories of life at sea.  
 
“Because Dad was not home often, our family had time together where we could, at sea. We spent our school holidays at sea, long weeks at sea punctured by one or two days in port”. The enduring memories are of being on the ship at sea are ones around the movement of the ship in the water. The constant vibration of the engines created the background for every thing that happened on the ship. The ship was in a constant state of movement. The massive power of the ship ploughing through the sea was thrilling. A bow wave would rise alongside the hull and undulate along the sides of the ship until it formed a long white tail that would follow the ship as evidence of its passage through time from one horizon to another.”
 
"At times the sea was calm and passage was smooth at others massive swells would toss the ship forward and back and side to side. The sea never resting, these rough days were long and vomitus". The Captain’s Daughter captures some of these feelings of movement of ships at sea and in port.
 
Bin Dixon-Ward is a graduate of RMIT and has exhibited in Australia, Europe, Japan and North America. She is the recipient of many awards and her work is held in public and private collections. Bin teaches digital technologies at RMIT Melbourne.