Through the eye of a jeweller

My proposal for this exhibition is based on the parallel development of my work as a professional art jeweller and my long-term relationship with opticians. The recent research in laser processing that I carried out at The University of Manchester has led me to work closely with scientists and engineers. The jewellery I called Ocular Series was inspired both by the laboratory environment that I worked in as well as by the aesthetic and function of the measuring instruments used in optometry. These had always been an intriguing source of interest to me, perhaps due to a lifelong condition of hyperopia and astigmatism. Manual instruments, trial lenses and correcting glasses have all provided me with inspiration and the jewellery usually includes a lens in the centre. This invites the wearer to peer through, to examine in detail, to inspect further - actions associated with scientific observation and also with improving sight, aiding discovery or simply appealing to the wonder of magnification. The Ocular Series was modeled on the idea of a monocle that might be made to individual prescriptions.