FK talks to Zachary Frankel about his Melbourne based jewellery label. Zachary will be debuting his work at Finders Keepers Melbourne next weekend!
Can you describe your work to our readers?
My work is a mix of elegance and playfullness; the earrings that I will be showing at Finders Keepers are sculptural in their use of space, light and comfortable to wear; while the faceted rings both parody and celebrate bling in a playful way. While all the jewellery is quite simple, it is always interesting in the way it occupies space and interacts with the wearer.
What is your background and how did you get started?
I studied silversmithing and jewellery during a Bachelor of Fine Art at Monash University. I had a three year hiatus from jewellery, working, travelling and bumming around. When I got back to Oz I decided to give it a go professionally, and here I am, almost a year in!
Tell us about your fascination with jewellery!
I’ve been fascinated with jewellery for a long time, the power it has to imbue and transform the wearer. Everyone has jewllery that make them feel basic human emotions like confidence, nostalgic, powerful and beautiful. It is these reactions that has propelled me forward and upward.
Where do you find inspiration for your work, and what keeps you motivated?
My inspiration comes quite sporadically and unfortunately doesn’t tell me when its coming! Generally though, I am inspired by my everyday surroundings and by the function of jewellery as an ancient form of adornment.
Its not always easy to stay motivated, but as boring as it sounds I think the most important thing is to find a routine that works for you. Mine usually involves a decent paper-reading stint during breakfast, followed by some gardening in my ever widening veggie patch! It has become especially easy as my practice has progressed and I get more feedback from my customers.
What is your workspace like and what is your creative process?
My workspace is always messy! The available space becomes smaller and smaller until there is nothing left but to tidy up, *sigh*. The space though is large and full of light, which I love. I’ve been sharing a studio with 2 painters, Steven Jacks and Shannon Smiley at the Creative Spaces Southbank studios. Its the first time I’ve shared with artists of other mediums and I find it really interesting.
My creative process is pretty varied and completely without formula! Being so close to the city is great; I often visit the NGV and other galleries; walk through the the Domain and Fitzroy Gardens; sketch people in the streets, visit contemporary jewellery stores. All of these stimulate the creative process and come back to me one way or another.
Where would you like to see your work in the future, and what aspirations do you have for your label?
I’d like to see my label reach into a number of different areas; exhibitions, fashion jewellery stores and beyond. I find it really interesting how different people buy jewellery and what they like. I would like to push the boundaries of how and what I produce and continue to produce well-made beautiful work that people can enjoy and take pride in wearing.
http://zacharyfrankel.wordpress.com/
