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Pete

PETRE ANDREEVSKI

WHEN I WEAR THIS NECKLACE I KNOW I’M SET TO EMBARK ON A JOURNEY OF SIGNIFICANCE. THE NECKLACE IS STRONG BUT DELICATE: WEARING IT REQUIRES ME TO BE ALERT AND PRESENT. WEARING THIS NECKLACE I FEEL POISED AND CONSCIOUS, MORE MINDFUL OF MY SURROUNDINGS. THAT’S WHAT I LIKE ABOUT WEARING IT.

MARGARET HANCOCK DAVIS

MARGARET HANCOCK DAVIS

I ORIGINALLY HAD MY EYE ON ANOTHER PIECE BY BLANCHE AS I FELT MAYBE THIS NECKLACE WAS A LITTLE TOO OUTRAGEOUS. THOUGH I WAS KEEN TO TRY THE GRADED GRAND PALAIS ON, REGARDLESS. ONCE ON I KNEW THERE WAS NO TURNING BACK, THAT THIS WAS DEFINITELY THE NECKLACE FOR ME. IT REALLY IS BOLD, ITS SCALE AND THE WAY ITS ARTICULATED FORM SITS ON YOUR BODY AND MOVES AS YOU WEAR IT, CREATING A GENTLE CLINKING SOUND, IS, WELL, SIMPLY PERFECT. IT ELICITS JOY.

JULIE EWINGTON

JULIE EWINGTON

IN THE FLOW

EMMA TELFER

EMMA TELFER

I HAVE LONG ADMIRED BLANCHE’S ABILITY TO MAKE WORKS THAT ARE NOT ONLY HARD-EDGED AND POWERFUL BUT ARE ALSO DELICATE AND INCREDIBLY REFINED. THERE IS EXTRAORDINARY BEAUTY IN THE WAY HER PIECES MOVE AND THE SOUNDS THEY MAKE AS THE ARCHITECTURAL COMPONENTS INTERACT. NOT A DAY GOES BY WHEN I AM WEARING HER WORK THAT I AM NOT ASKED ABOUT ITS ORIGIN.

SIMONE LEAMON

SIMONE LEAMON

IN BLANCHE TILDEN’S WORK WE SEE WITH CLARITY HOW GLASS IS ENTWINED WITH SYSTEMS OF PRODUCTION, BOTH ARTISANAL AND INDUSTRIAL, GIVING FORM TO IDEAS THAT HAVE SHAPED THE WORLD AROUND US. FOR A CONTEMPORARY DESIGNER/ CRAFTSPERSON MATERIAL CULTURE IS AN EVOLVING PRACTICE. IN THE FUTURE’S PAST, TILDEN’S WORK WILL SHED LIGHT ON WHO WE WERE.

MELISSA DAVIS

MELISSA DAVIS

THE WAY IT MOVES AS IT IS WORN IS PROBABLY ITS MOST ENJOYABLE ASPECT FOR ME. I LOVE THE WAY IT CHANGES SHAPE AS YOU MOVE. IT IS LIKE WEARING A LIVING THING. IT IS ALSO GREAT TO SEE THE WAY THE LIGHT PLAYS WITH EACH LUG OF GLASS. YOU GET SOME AMAZING EFFECTS ON YOUR NECK AS YOU WEAR IT. IT WAS GIVEN TO ME BY MY HUSBAND. HE TALKED WITH BLANCHE ABOUT WHAT IT SHOULD BE AND ALTHOUGH I WAS NOT PART OF THIS PROCESS IT IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE PIECES OF JEWELLERY. I LOVE IT!

SANDY BENJAMIN

SANDY BENJAMIN

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT I WANTED THE NECKLACE FROM THE MOMENT I FIRST SAW THE IMAGE AND THIS IS THE FEELING THAT HAS STAYED WITH ME THE UNDERSTATEMENT AND THE UNOBTRUSIVENESS OF IT, YET IT IS SO STRONG THAT I CAN WEAR IT AT ALL TIMES AND IT JUST LOOKS AND FEELS RIGHT.

MERRYN GATES

MERRYN GATES

THE PLEASURE I GET FROM THIS BEAUTIFUL NECKLACE STARTS WHEN I TAKE IT OUT OF THE DRAWER. THERE IS A LOVELY WEIGHT TO IT, AND THE GLASS MAKES A GORGEOUS CRUNCHY SOUND. THE GLASS IS COOL AROUND MY NECK AND I HEAR IT ALL THE TIME I AM WEARING IT.

DEB JONES

DEB JONES

IT’S THE POETRY OF BEAUTIFUL JEWELLERY MADE OUT OF INDUSTRIAL CHAIN THAT SUITS ME.

ROBYN MCKENZIE

ROBYN MCKENZIE

BIKE CHAIN FOR BEST.

ANN JAKLE

ANN JAKLE

I LOVE THE VISUAL EASE OF THIS SIMPLE CHAIN OF GLASS AND TITANIUM LINKED LIKE BREATH TO THE BODY, GENTLY SITTING AROUND MY NECK. AND I LOVE HOW IT MAKES ME FEEL WHEN I AM WEARING IT AND THE STIRRING IMPACT IT CREATES UPON OTHERS WHO ADMIRE IT. IN FACT, I’M WEARING IT NOW.

ANNA KIRK

ANNA KIRK

BLANCHE IS AN ALCHEMIST OF EXCEPTIONAL, SPIRITED AND STRIKINGLY BEAUTIFUL INDUSTRIAL WORK, BURSTING WITH PRESENCE AND ENERGY. I AM DRAWN TO THIS PIECE AS A POWERFUL AND EDGY SYNTHESIS OF ENGINEERING, ARCHITECTURE, SCULPTURE AND ART.

ANNA WALDMANN

ANNA WALDMANN

I WORE THE NECKLACE AT THE VENICE BIENNALE – IT GLITTERED, SHIFTED IN THE SUN AND MIRRORED THE WATER IN THE CANALS AND THE DUSTY LEAVES IN THE GIARDINI.

BARBARA MCCONCHIE

BARBARA MCCONCHIE

I LOVE THE SCISSOR NECKLACE HEAPS! BLANCHE GAVE THIS TO ME AS A GIFT AND IT WAS AN AMAZING OBJECT TO RECEIVE, IT WAS THE RESULT OF A GREAT DEAL OF HARD WORK AND I KNEW WHEN I SAW IT THAT BLANCHE WOULD GO ON TO BE ONE OF THE BEST AUSTRALIAN JEWELLERY DESIGNERS. WHENEVER I WEAR IT PEOPLE NEVER FAIL TO ADMIRE IT, TOUCH IT, OGLE IT, LUST AFTER IT AND EVERYONE WANTS TO KNOW WHO MADE IT. IT IS WITHOUT DOUBT THE MOST ORIGINAL PIECE I OWN. I LOVE IT HEAPS.

GRETEL HARRISON

GRETEL HARRISON

I LOVE THIS PIECE BECAUSE… I LOVE THE SOFT CLINKS IT MAKES WHEN I MOVE, I LOVE THIS SOUND, I LOVE THE WEIGHT AROUND MY NECK, I LOVE TO TOUCH THE SMOOTH TEXTURE OF THE GLASS AGAINST THE TOUGHNESS OF THE STEEL, MY CHILDREN LOVE TO PLAY WITH THE PIECE EVERY TIME WHEN I WEAR IT EVEN AS THEY GET OLDER, EVERYONE IS DRAWN TO THE PIECE AND WANT TO TOUCH IT, THIS IS WHAT MAKES ME FEEL WHEN I WEAR IT!

NAOMI CASS AND NÜTKA

NAOMI CASS AND NÜTKA

FIRST ATTRACTED BY THE MEETING OF MATTE GUNMETAL GREY AND LIGHT FILLED GLASS, ON CLOSER INSPECTION I WAS DRAWN TO ITS UNLIKELY ANIMATION AND ITS PASSING REFERENCE TO A LONG STRING OF PEARLS. ONLY WHEN I RETURNED HOME AND MY TEENAGE DAUGHTERS EXCLAIMED, ‘SHIT MUM, YOU’RE WEARING A BIKE CHAIN’, DID I CONSIDER THIS REFERENCE. BOTH NECKLACE AND WORRY BEADS, AFTER MANY YEARS I STILL ANTICIPATE THE COMFORTING LINKS IN MY HAND WHEN I PLACE IT OVER MY HEAD. COLD WHEN FIRST WORN, THE NECKLACE WARMS TO BODY TEMPERATURE WITH WEAR. BUT MOST UNLIKELY OF ALL THE PLEASURES OF THIS SENSUOUS CHAIN, IS THE PERCUSSIVE SONG IT MAKES WHEN I WALK AND THE TITANIUM CHIMES WITH THE PYREX AS IT BOUNCES ON MY CHEST.

NINA CUEVA

NINA CUEVA

WHO SAID DIAMONDS ARE A GIRLS BEST FRIEND... THIS NECKPIECE REMINDS ME OF RUBIES... IT ARTICULATES GRACEFULLY ON THE NECK. IT’S A BEAUTIFUL MARRIAGE BETWEEN GLASS AND SILVER. THIS IS A UNIQUE PIECE MADE BY A UNIQUE MAKER.

SUSAN TAYLOR

SUSAN TAYLOR

I LOVE BLANCHE’S PRECISE CRAFTING OF EACH ELEMENT OF HER PIECES WHICH IS EXEMPLIFIED IN BUREAUCRACY, A DENSE MECHANICAL CHAIN THAT IS COMPOSED OF MANY METAL PIECES CUT BY HAND. WHEN I LOOK AT THIS PIECE I THINK OF THE PAINSTAKING WORK OF THE MAKER THAT BROUGHT IT INTO BEING, AND I CAN FEEL THE TENSION IN ALL THE PIECES OF METAL WORKING WITH AND AGAINST EACH OTHER, JUST AS IN A REAL BUREAUCRACY.

SUSAN WARDLE

SUSAN WARDLE

THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE ITEMS OF JEWELLERY. THE NECKLACE IS REFLECTIVE AND ALMOST SHEER BUT VERY DISTINCTIVE – PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS DRAWN TO IT.

TY BUKEWITSCH

TY BUKEWITSCH

I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INCREDIBLY INTERESTED IN NUMBERS. I STUDY PATTERNS AND SEQUENCES WHEREVER I SEE THEM. I OFTEN COUNT STEPS AS I CLIMB THEM AND I ALSO COUNT WHEN I SWIM – IT CALMS ME. WHEN I SAW BLANCHE’S EARLY WORK IT IMMEDIATELY RESONATED BECAUSE OF THE REPETITION OF ELEMENTS. I HAVE ALSO ALWAYS LOVED SCIENTIFIC GLASS, HOW IT CAN APPEAR SO FRAGILE WHEN IT IS OFTEN QUITE STRONG. MY BANDOLIER HAS EXACTLY 52 BLACK + 7 BLUE + 93 BLACK SEGMENTS. COINCIDENTALLY I SWIM IN STROKES OF SEVEN.

TOM MOORE

TOM MOORE

WHEN I FIRST SAW THIS NECKLACE I COULDN’T BELIEVE IT HAD ACTUALLY BEEN MADE, IT IS A PHYSICAL CONUNDRUM. MY NEXT THOUGHT WAS THAT THE INVENTION OF THE IDEA FOR THIS NECKLACE IS PERHAPS EVEN MORE REMARKABLE. IT IS PURE GENIUS. I WANTED IT VERY MUCH. I REMEMBER WEARING MY NECKLACE TO A LORD-MAYORAL RECEPTION AND BEING PRESENTED TO THE DUDE IN HIS BIG FANCY CHAINS OF OFFICE, I THINK IT PUT HIM AT EASE A LITTLE, TO REALISE HE WASN’T THE MOST IMPORTANT CHAP IN THE ROOM. WHEN I PUT THIS ON I AM REGAL.

ANNA FERRAN

ANNA FERRAN

I FELL IN LOVE WITH THIS NECKLACE WHEN I SAW IT ON EXHIBITION AT THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF VICTORIA. MINE IS A GIFT FROM MY PARTNER AND THE EARRINGS WERE COMMISSIONED BY FRIENDS, TO GO WITH IT. NEEDLESS TO SAY I FEEL VERY PRIVILEGED WHEN I WEAR THEM.

RICHARD WHITELEY

RICHARD WHITELEY

I WEAR TWO RINGS, ONE ON EACH THUMB AND THEY REMIND ME THAT I HAVE OPPOSING THUMBS.

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