Wendy Dawson

I make objects to be worn, items of jewellery that are not just to adorn the body (if at all), but to entertain the wearer as well. Mechanisms are dismantled, studies and dissected, pieces are removed and categorised, copied and studied. I am interested in the textures, movement and hidden elements to mechanisms, and strive to incorporate elements of them in my own work. My work is often in silver and aluminium, sometimes incorporating parts of the original mechanism (such as glass lenses and springs), and at present the application of CAD and rapid prototyping technology is being incorporated in the design process. Aside from the obsession with the mechanism, and the creation of the object, I am interested in the reaction of the wearer, some pieces are to remain unseen, worn like a pocket watch, removed from the pocket and tinkered with, then put away again. The deterioration of the object as it ages is also important - wear, dents and scratches that echo the movements of the parts. I am currently developing a body of work based on camera lens mechanisms, in collaboration with the Innovation Centre in Coleg Llandrillo, and supported with funding from the Arts Council of Wales.