Alternative and Reclaimed Materials | Jo Pudelko, Aubin Stewart, and Eleanor Symms
In the later months of 2021, The Scottish Goldsmiths Trust in partnership with Ethical Metalsmiths launched Radical Jewellery Makeover (RJM) Scotland. RJM originated and developed in the United States since 2007, is an international jewellery mining and recycling project focused on education and collaboration. It brings together jewellers to examine mining issues while making innovative jewellery from recycled sources.
To kick-off the project in Scotland and inspire student participants we invited innovative Scottish based makers who make in alternative and reclaimed materials to present talks. Each maker spoke about their practice and use of materials which were transformative in the audience’s perception of material value which we now have the pleasure of sharing with the wider community. These recorded talks by Jo Pudelko, Aubin Stewart, and Eleanor Symms are now available to watch below.
Jo Pudelko
Jo is a contemporary craftsperson and educator. Her studio work consists of mixed-media jewellery and small-scale sculptural objects, employed through a diverse range of processes including casting, carving, etching, laser cutting, powder-coating and textile techniques - in addition to traditional metal work techniques. Jo specialises in the use of thermo- and thermosetting plastics. Jo’s practice is research-led and underpinned by a repeating theme of how we interact with the environment around us - particularly examining the space where the natural world and the manmade world collide.
Aubin Stewart
Aubin Stewart is a jewellery designer creating distinctive vibrant collections, with a strong focus on colour and composition. Materials employed are often re-purposed objects which are scavenged, collected or off cuts paired with delicate precious elements.
Eleanor Symms
Eleanor’s work derives from a fascination with different types of materials, especially reclaimed plastics, which have been found scavenged. Often, the starting point is the shape, colour, or texture of something found; sea-worn plastics from the beach or scraps of waste sheet materials, which would otherwise be discarded.
Combining non-precious and precious materials, Eleanor aims to make jewellery, which is beautiful and intriguing, rather than purely decorative, questioning the nature of ‘preciousness’ and disposability.