Interview with Joanne Garner

Do you think that jewellery is being standardized? What is there of local and universal in your artistic work?
I’m not sure if I understand this question. Do I think that jewellery is becoming standardized? I’m not sure. From what I have seen and experienced I would say that you will always find some similarities in peoples work as often we work from similar inspirations and starting points. How many people are inspired by nature or their surroundings? Every now and again though you will find someone whose work surprises and delights you with their own unique interpretation of their inspiration. I think that these are the truly creative people. I am also influenced by my surroundings and enjoy a material led approach so perhaps this is the universal part of my work that people can relate to. Local, I’m not sure, maybe the way I execute each piece?

What do you expect when exposing your work to the public (for example with an exhibition)?
I don’t know what I expect. I would hope that through exhibitions my work would be seen by many people and by people who might not normally see this kind of jewellery. My work is tactile and moves so I would hope that people would like to touch my work, wear it, try it on and get a sense of the piece as it should be when worn. What kind of reaction do I expect? I expect people to be surprised by the materials and how well they work together but also to enjoy the use of colours and movement in the work. I want people to be drawn to the work, and to enjoy it.

Are other areas besides the jewellery, present in your work?
I like to use some textile techniques and enjoy working with mixed media in general and wish to constantly develop my relationship with the materials. In the other part of my life I work with the public and deliver creative workshops to help them to use their own creativity. I think that working with people to uncover their own artistic side helps me in turn to be a more creative person. 

The last work, book, film that has moved me was...
Recently I visited Schmuck 2013 for the first time. It was amazing. I saw so many inspiring projects and exhibitions. It is amazing that it has built up such a huge reputation that people visit it from all over the world. The city-wide exhibitions were also amazing and the buzz around contemporary jewellery which is created by this show is unique. 

A place, space, country whose creativity surprises me...
I don’t think any one place surprises me. I am admiring a lot of the work which is coming from Norwegian and Scandinavian jewelers at the moment. Other places that I think do great work, not only in making work but also in promoting it are Australia and the Netherlands. Birmingham in the UK also seems to create a lot of talented artists and jewelers.

Is there any designer, jeweller, artist, you appreciate a lot?
Some of my favourite jewellers are Nel Linssen and Nora Fok. I love the way they use materials, the energy in their work and the way each piece enhances the body. I recently met Helen Britton via Skype and she was amazing. It was interesting to learn about the very deliberate decisions and choices she made to build her career as a successful jeweller. She was down to earth and extremely friendly but also very driven and happy to share her thoughts and opinions. I admire her creativity and her resolve to make clear decisions about her jewellery and stick to them!

What piece or work has given you the most satisfaction?
I feel most satisfied when I have the time to fully immerse in the creative process. I think my work takes time to develop and this is something I don’t have as much of these days so it can be a bit frustrating. In my opinion the best work I have produced was my degree show work. I had a year to work solely on the jewellery and just focus on being creative and in terms of my collections I think this is the strongest work I have.