
janine Combes
Location
Bruny Island , Australia
Preferred artistic medium
Jewelry
Art level career
Mid career
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Artist statement
My current practice has two distinct streams- one focuses on wearable jewellery while the other involves making small scale sculptures, many of which are ephemeral, some of which are wearable. I like to observe objects, both natural and man-made, and then re-interpret the form to explore ideas of place, belonging and identity.
I’m particularly interested in layers, residue and the dissolution of things. I choose materials in terms of their potential to further this exploration. I like to exploit the qualities of materials to evoke meaning, memory or connection. Old objects with a story tend to draw me in. Much of my work begins from a reference point of the form of an object.
I make my artwork in a studio set in bushland on Bruny Island, off the coast of Tasmania. I mainly work with metals (silver, brass, aluminium and steel) but also harness organic materials, fabrics, paper, lacquer and found objects.
I can’t imagine life without making. I make as part of a dialogue with what I see around me, as a way of putting shape around an experience. I’m an intuitive maker, things evolve through the process, through a dialogue with the materials and the ideas which objects evoke in my head. I often write as I work with text making an appearance in some pieces.
I want the works I make to evoke feelings in the viewer, but I don't have a particular response in mind. Sometimes there is a thread within the work which is giving voice to specific histories or parts of the natural environment which may be overlooked. I focus on the detail in a landscape, the textures and small forms.
I’m always open to approaches to be part of exhibitions. I enjoy the research process and the experience of working with artists working in a variety of art forms.