September 2009

Jewellery Through Geometry by Melissa Cameron

A selection of intricate and fascinating new contemporary jewellery by Melbourne based artist Melissa Cameron is now on display at e.g.etal. Melissa began training to become a jewellery designer after studying Interior Architecture and spending several years working in interior, signage and industrial design.

The inspiration for her jewellery is geometry; from the regular rhythmic patterns of architecture to the seemingly random fractals of nature. Using Computer Aided Design, Melissa conceives patterns with the tools of Euclidean geometry: translation, rotation and reflection, and through the use of shifted scales.

Melissa then cuts her computer generated patterns entirely by hand with a jeweller’s saw. She uses a combination of new and recycled materials such as steel, porcelain, bamboo, antique silver and painted steel.

The sawn shapes are strung together with tension steel cables to create layered three dimensional forms. As in built space, Melissa has found that the ordering of the layers, as well as the patterns themselves, lead the eye on a journey through each of her fascinating pieces.

Image: Clouds brooch

Steel, sterling silver, cable