Pairs of Pieces

Helen Britton,

May 20 to June 14, 2014

When I'm making my work, although I rarely have a clear idea of the end result, I am in pursuit of a fleeting vision that I chase along until the pieces start to materialize on my worktable. Over so many years of making I have observed that this often results in pairs of pieces. There they are then, in the end, these two friendly companions, singing together, vibrating at the right intensity, complementing each other, yet quite autonomous.

What happened along the way? Was there just too much to say to fit into one work? The vision is often dense and chaotic, so perhaps it is a kind of spreading and organizing within the creative process that produces the two possibilities. And this is jewellery after all, so there needs to be space for the wearer.

It not only like this though. At other times, works are being made or coming back to the studio. I lay them out to revisit them, learn more about them, and during this process I recognize quite clearly relation- ships between pairs, that may in fact be separated by months or even years. For this exhibition I have made and gathered works that examine this experience.

Helen Britton, April 2014


Brooches, 2013, silver, diamonds, vintage plastics

Work from Pairs of Pieces

Necklaces by Pairs of Pieces Necklaces, 2012-13, silver, paint
Rings by Pairs of Pieces Rings, 2013, silver, diamonds
Bracele and brooch by Pairs of Pieces Bracele and brooch, 2012-2013, silver, paint
Rings by Pairs of Pieces Rings, 2013, silver, glass, diamonds
Brooch and bracelet by Pairs of Pieces Brooch and bracelet, 2012-2013, silver, paint
Necklaces by Pairs of Pieces Necklaces, 2013, silver, plastics

Artists involved