We’re super excited to preview our inaugural studio/artist collaboration, giving you a sneak peek of Ginger’s first prototype for the Prisoners of the Crown does Michael Brogan series.
Prompted by mutual admiration, Michael and Ginger first kicked the footy around about her transposing his Shield series into jewellery way back in 2010. The notion was quietly tucked away until such time she had finished at uni and set up her own workshop…like, um, now!!
Michael himself has just had an exhibition opening in Armidale (last Friday night) and so we figured this was as good a time as any to unwrap Ginger’s latest work-in-progress…
Ginger Bottari, prototype for Prisoners of the Crown does Michael Brogan: Shield #1 brooch, silver.
We’re loving it big time and thought it might be useful to put it into context for those of you not familiar with Michael’s work. He’s just sent through snaps of the current exhibition, on at Gallery 126 Armidale NSW until the 28th March…
(Click to enlarge)
[Hey, love that exercise yard! n(Ed)]
And for additional back story, go to glasscentralcanberra here.
Prisoners of the Crown 
Fabulous collaboration! Beautiful work on both sides…..
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Yeah, a most fitting meeting/conjuction of creative minds, eh – noice.
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Great plumbing hardware look for another level. The big ones with shadows intrigue me too.
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Got it in one Pete!!
Michael’s shields (the big ones with the shadows) are indeed polypipe – and Ginger has picked up the articulation of the connectors/fittings (barbed tees!?) in her silver interpretation. She’ll be putting together a range of his work (with full permission, it goes without saying) over time.
Serious, and mutual, respect all round. Perfeck.
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There was a jeweller at Maldon years ago. Son in law of Tony Kean jeweller, who made a line of brooches specifically directed towards men. If I find anything ’bout them I’ll send it on.
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Thanks Pete. Actually I vaguely remember an interview with a bloke who was leading a putsch for men’s brooches years ago – must be the same guy.
Ginger is definitely keen on putting together a man friendly(!) line. She’s got a bevy of sartorially inclined chaps – a Scottish brother-in-law and a Latvian uncle and plenty of very cool cousins (none of whom are afraid of adornment and we’re not talking piercings of any nature) – that she’ll be roping in for her R&D. And Studio Bitch is Sicilian, of course, and he – naturally – is the house model! So she won’t go short on quality feedback.
And then there are all those enlightened, very serious blokes who’ve long been switched on to brooches. Emeritus Professor David Williams, former Director of the ANU School of Art, always wears one – he really must have the most fabulous collection.
The ‘Prisoners of the Crown does Michael Brogan’ series are definitely unisex, so she’s off to a pretty good start.
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