This is a small exhibition with some skillfully made works, showcasing the art practice of jeweler Michelle Stemm. The body of work is based on the premise, in Stemm’s words ‘What are Australian's attitudes towards refugees and asylum seekers? And how are these attitudes formed?’ It is an interestingly uncomfortable topic to bring out in a material so associated with home and beauty. Using the imagery of migration and nationalism, the works show some interesting explorations of how the objects we use can reflect a darker side of home.

As a jeweller, Stemm uses research to define a distinct conceptual practice to her craft practice. Stemm seeks to examine the conversation beyond platitudes and used firsthand investigation into how attitudes towards refugees are formed. The attitudes and the language Stemm finds are all too familiar. The research also turns up an eclectic mix of countries and technological influences reflected in the works.

Stemm translates the imagery into some really beautiful works as with Australian Fair, 2017. The layered plates recall that quintessential Country Womens’ Association cake stand. Their function, however, is invalidated by the cut out of Australia, suggesting nationalism and hospitality don’t always go together. This sentiment is echoed in Dinner Party Research, 2016. Adding context to the exhibition, the work presents a viewer with the problematic logic of nationalism with, frustratingly, no chance to respond.

The gleaming pieces with national imagery evoke intricate trophies from our colonial past. Flooded with the imagery of the myths of Australia, Stemm’s work updates the imagery to include the maps of more recently arrived refugees and contemporary technologies.

Further parallels to the trophy come in the representation of Australia as coveted. In We’re full, 2017, a raised decorative copper plate throws an Australia shaped shadow around a gleaming bounty of copper coins. It shows a delightful appreciation for the qualities of the materials.

If you haven’t been to Artisan before, it’s a dynamic little space where the pleasures of gallery shop, workshop space and gallery intermingle. It’s a place to access affordable pieces by some really interesting makers, including Stemm.

While there, turn the corner to see the window exhibition of Gwan Tung Dorothy Lau’s Gloom, 2017. Like a window into a millennial pink asylum, the padded mantle dwarfs a human form. Simultaneously cozy and avant garde, it raises some interesting questions about the nature of wearables (or clothes) as both intimate and public. 

 

By Rosie Goldfeder 

 

Empathy to Infiltration - Michelle Stemm

26 August - 18 November 2017

Gloom Gwan Tung Doroty Lau

4 October - 6 November 2017

Artistan