The Cicely & Colin Rigg Contemporary Design Award 2006

David Neale

Artist statement

When I make jewellery, I’m looking for the quality of mystery. It’s the key ingredient for creating a sense of preciousness. This kind of mystery is most observable in folk art and the jewellery of yore. Such works often have a certain otherness which makes them disarmingly beautiful, and are made even more so by mottling and damage over time. I call this the ‘Atavus’ factor (L. great-great-great grandfather), and I try to find it in my work through a folkish, poetic approach, inspired by the feeling I get from ancient artefacts. Also present is the ‘Nepos’ factor (L. grandson or escendant – a word that implies a spendthrift or rake). By this I mean contemporary jewellery ideas which subvert tradition, such as the use of non-precious material, like paint, and an ambivalence towards wearability.