Ewington, J 2014, Australian National University School of Art, Contemporary Australian Art (02.09.2014): Is contemporary jewllery the same as contemporary art?

Ewington posed Damien Skinner’s question, “is contemporary jewllery the same as contemporary art?” Ewington argues irrevocably, that it is. After a brief history of the human adornment, with the deliberate action or purpose to make wearable objects, Ewington put forward that jewellery is a constant. It has an affinity with the human body, this type of object “circumscribes” the body. It surrounds us. Ewington’s use of ‘circumscribe’ is intriguing. This notion points to the paradox of jewellery, which is these objects can restrict/regulate the body both physically and through the hegemonic/archetypal types of jewellery (i.e connotations of wedding rings, etc.), but in the same moment be a form of external/outward expression. Ewington puts forward vague characteristic boundaries that encompasses the term ‘jewellery’ such as: its use to make affiliations, to create a dialogue, as an expression of personal identity, its use as a non verbal sign, and portable wealth. Ewington states this is in no way a list of commandments for jewellery, nor a complete, it is merely pointing to the varied possible uses of this type of object. Ewington states her typologies of jewellery, “they are supplementary, not a physical necessity, but propensity for delight”. She argues that they are things that wind around he body, things that sit on the body, things to do with the hair, things that pierce the body. Though she acknowledges that these may extend to many art forms. Erwington puts forward that there is a slippage between uses, “graspable, but slippery”. Ewington describes to be contemporary is being in relation to time, what is means to be “with time”. It was post Second World War was the beginning of contemporary jewellery movement, jewellery as a proposition. Ewington quoted Susan Cohn (in 2010) as stating from 1975-1995 was the death of contemporary jewellery movement as dead.