Girt by Sea by Julie Blyfield and Kath Inglis

Artist list

Julie Blyfield, Kath Inglis

About Julie Blyfield's work
Research has always underpinned my practice and it continues to feed my enthusiasm and spark my passion for making jewellery and metal work. Translating something ephemeral into a metal piece is both a satisfying and, an engrossing process.

In this marine work, I’ve created my own ‘hybrid’ algae specimens, made in Bi-metal from copper fused to silver and heat coloured red or patinated verdigris with copper nitrate, echoing the colours of the specimens. Some are also made from silver and others oxidised black.  I enjoy the contrast in colours, texture and form. Each piece of metal is laboriously hand chased ( textured) with steel tools allowing for both planning and spontaneity in the designs.

In making new work I hope the viewers/wearers add their own layers of interpretation and meaning to the jewellery pieces and reflect on the subtle symbolism the work evokes in regard to caring for our oceans and the life within. / Julie Blyfield, 2022


About Kath Inglis's work
Plastic is routinely regarded with little value, sometimes designed to be a single use item, passing from our hands to a sentence of waste for thousands of years. This (mis)use of plastic has significant impacts on the environment, in particular, marine environments.
Inglis wanted to connect her jewellery practice to this issue by investigating the marine algae (seaweed) collection at the State Herbarium of South Australia through a lens of values. In 2019 she was awarded a Guildhouse Collections Project with the Adelaide Botanic Gardens to do this.

Observing the dried specimens of marine algae through a microscope, I frequently referenced their intriguing surfaces to materials that I was familiar with – cling wrap, lollypop sticks, cellophane, fishing line, mesh bags for oranges etc. Many of these plastic items are often discarded after a single use, and decided to weave these new materials into my studio exploration. / Kath Inglis, 2022

This project uncovered rich entanglements between the living and non-living, recognising positive natural relationships, creative hope and the seeking material justice.