photograph by Rebekah RobinsonSee more of Sharon's work here
Latest comments Kyla - 3 October 2009
I wasn't particularly excited by this brooch at first. Too synthetic looking, too purple. But it just grew and grew on me... by the end of the month it was one of my favourite brooches! (second only to Zarah's crochet blobs).
I loved how you could move and rotate the different pieces... I spent ages rotating the little sections to just the right angles. Interactive = always good.
The fact that it was made of unbreakable silicone ended up making it even more lovable. Actually I've always been drawn to the softer brooches, they often just feel more comfortable and somehow right to wear on clothing.
And it just always seemed to look good. Without fail. Even the purple. I wore it nearly every day towards the end and was very sad to see it go.
thanks!
kyla
And a lovely journal entry by AJay
Hi I am the lucky wearer of Sharons broach thanks Sharon and Kristin for a fabulous opportunity.I have worn it to work out shopping to a book launch out for dinner so far lots of comments all positive on colour,the shapes,whats it made from,can I feel it,to which I replied ofcourse.A very happy wearer I am.
ReplyDeleteThanks again Mandie
I am glad that you are a happy blob wearer and that the broach has been talking to people's fingers - enticing them to play with it.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what blob-thoughts it is leaving in their minds after their mutual encounter.
The single oft repeated comment during October in response to Sharon's brooch has been "Can I feel that?" following by a hand lurching toward my chest. Then "What's it made of?" Since I am then busy trying to divert that hand coming toward me I usually made some kind of reference to silicon breast implants. The hand retracts and I'm able to explain a bit more until I feel comfortable enough to offer a 'feel' - of the brooch that is.
ReplyDeleteMany people have commented along these lines except when I attended a weekend seminar where four people were wearing Sharon's pieces - 2 brooches, 2 necklaces. Nobody said a word except for the woman wearing a devine yellow silicon necklace of Sharons.
Whilst the blob has been easy to wear, I almost never wear the colour blue so intially the colour was a mini challenge. I thought too it is a daywear brooch, but future wearers note the lovely shimmer that comes to life under artifical light. The blue issue I think, is about my broader surrounds. Gisborne gets squished between huge blue skies and the big blue sea. It can get a bit overwhelming at times, although that is somewhat contradicted by the local surfing fraternity. Sitting on the beach yesterday supervising my son's surfing (but really reading a book) I noticed almost all the beach walkers wore blue.
The 2 bottom layers of silicon appear to be glued together and the others 'spin' so at times I've wanted to expose the black layer more. Playing with it's look has been a bit of fun.
The 2 brooches I've worn so far have really challenged my previous ideas about brooch jewellery. I've got brooches gathered from over 30 years tucked away - most of which I now consider hideous - the ones that still resonate are not so much associated with a memory they are the ones that have a certain mark of quality about them. It is to do with representing a time and being a thing well made. The blob fits here - it's a keeper.
The brooch that i have had this month is the multi-ringed rubbery brooch by Sharon Fit.
ReplyDeleteInside the box, was the artists statement which included the materials, this was good to inform people about the brooch, at the same time as the brooch club.
I did not wear this brooch once. I thought that the finding was too insubstantial, and after having the last brooch leap off my jacket - i didn't want to be responsible for the second loss. I showed it to people as an object when they came over instead.
I like the idea of being able to spin the layers around and change the appearance of the brooch, only it looks the same every possible configuration. I don’t think that this is a selling point. However i did like the colours and the material - and the use of material to get it on to the 'hitching post'.
As the weather gets hotter, the layers get thinner, and i wear brooches less and less. Maybe there should be really light t-shirt brooches for summer~?
So far, the brooches have been made for heavy jackets.
Finn
Sunny hellos from Sharon's rubbery and fantastical creation! I've been worn a few times with Nicola. She loves it as like Fin above and is completely at ease wearing it without worry that it might jump off. In terms of usability, she likens me to a timeless wash-and-wear perm,
ReplyDeletewhere there is no fuss and I always look good. Thanks...I think. In terms of human responses, there were alot of stares, but strangely few questions and touching? What's with that coz I'm pretty damn cool. Nicola probably should have chosen to wear me with more plainer, single colours to empower me and make me appear more distinctive. Does she find me a threat? I think she thinks its like wearing another person. I am pretty animated and my variety of combinations convey different stories each day. I think she is going to miss me when I'm gone!
It was so nice seeing you all the other night and re-acquainting myself with the shimmery blue blob.
ReplyDeleteI have been thinking about Pene's experience at the Volume symposium - about how she noticed four other people wearing blobs, yet no one talked to her about it. Obviously the blobs had noticed each other, but the wearers were afraid to initiate communication, even though they had a perfectly good conversation starter on their chest. It bugs me, because at least 3 of these wearers would have known me and the blob context well, and therefore should have felt comfortable approaching another blob wearer. Perhaps the blob context (they are designed specifically to initiate play and interaction between wearer and observer) is failing in some way. Or perhaps, some strange form of elitism is happening - a blob snobbery..?
I dont know.. I live in hope that the blobs will continue to break down social barriers and create happy temporal moments between strangers, and not be hindered by blob-snobs.
At the beginning of the project, each wearer was given a journal with a list of questions. I just came across the notes taken by Mandie when she was wearing Sharon’s brooch, and thought I would share her responses to each question.
ReplyDelete**************************************
Wearer: Mandie Taylor
Maker: Sharon Fitness
Silicon pigment, rotating layers
Q: How often did you wear the brooch?
A: I have worn Sharon’s brooch at least 2 to 3 times a week over the last month.
Q: List 12 words to describe this brooch
A: 12 words to describe this brooch (or less)
-curious (people’s response)
-pensive
-fun
-excited
-anticipation (are the results good or bad?)
-assembling an outfit around the brooch
Q: Contemporary jewellers often incorporate conceptual frameworks such as elevating non precious materials, exploring the relationship with the body, or employing found objects; what concepts do you think that the maker may have employed in this brooch?
A: Using a manmade material to incorporate colour and shape
Q: How does this brooch physically feel to wear?
A: Comfortable, at ease: non-invasive
Q: What is this brooch made out of, what associations do you have with this material?
A: Silicon, non-stick fry pans
Q: If you were locked away with this only this brooch for a month, what personal characteristics would it start to take on?
A: Wilson it would become somebody or something
Q: Did wearing the brooch make you self conscious in anyway or distracted by the brooch’s presence?
A: No
Q: Were you physically aware of the brooch during the day that you were wearing it or did it blend into the other things you were wearing?
A: Both: when people commented about it I was aware of wearing it.
Q: On what occasions was it appropriate to wear the brooch? On what occasions was the brooch inappropriate to wear?
A: Everyday/not so formal
Q: Were other people aware of the brooch’s presence?
A: Yes, because it was the first brooch
This brooch was a surprise success. Perhaps it was the return of some cooler weather... but it got lots of air time and lots of unprompted comments of "Nice brooch" and "I love your brooch".
ReplyDeleteIt was another of those ones where people reach out and ask to touch it. There is a clear human interest around identifying materials, and this brooch flumuxed one and all "What's it made of" = "I don't know", I would reply, intelligently.
Always one keen to play with the brooches from Broach of the Month, I was mighty happy once i realised that i could spin each individual part of this one, exposing more or less of the colour layers below.
And, why do I say suprise success? Well.. when I picked up this brooch, I didn't like it. Not my colours, I thought, and too synthetic....
I was wrong. This brooch, by some strange forces went with every outfit I put on... so, it is in fact my colour.
Second, the discussions around the brooch often mentioned it's under-water/nautic flavour and the more that was mentioned the less synthetic and more natural I discovered it to be... and the more I liked it.
In the end, swap day was a sad day for me.
A lovely and much admired piece.
I like this brooch - it's virtually indestructable! You could bounce it on the floor and nothing would happen to it. Not that I tried doing that....
ReplyDeleteThe shape, the colours and the material make this a very approachable brooch - I found it easy to wear, easy to like. I didn't get many comments on it although I wore it a lot but maybe because I wore it mostly on my blue jackets (didn't realize how many blue jackets I owned until I got this brooch!) so maybe it didn't stand out as much?
I wasn't particularly excited by this brooch at first. Too synthetic looking, too purple. But it just grew and grew on me... by the end of the month it was one of my favourite brooches! (second only to Zarah's crochet blobs).
ReplyDeleteI loved how you could move and rotate the different pieces... I spent ages rotating the little sections to just the right angles. Interactive = always good.
The fact that it was made of unbreakable silicone ended up making it even more lovable. Actually I've always been drawn to the softer brooches, they often just feel more comfortable and somehow right to wear on clothing.
And it just always seemed to look good. Without fail. Even the purple. I wore it nearly every day towards the end and was very sad to see it go.
thanks!
kyla