Utopia Series for Site Specific
Made for the exhibition Site Specific at e.g.etal, Phoebe Porter’s Utopia series references the influence of her upbringing in Canberra, a city designed in 1912 by Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin with the utopian vision of early Modernism as the ‘ideal city of the future’.
Porter’s formative years were spent within this designed city characterised by its clear, geometric city planning and extraordinary examples of modernist and brutalist architecture. She strives to embody this clarity and order in her own work as an antidote to the chaotic and overwhelming nature of contemporary life.
The series comprises sculptural bangles made from 1mm titanium sheet, where each joint is illustrated through the expression of a gold spacer and rivets, drawing attention to the fabrication method used for each piece. This work has evolved by working with titanium sheet for more than twenty-five years. It involves careful planning of each design with paper models, before meticulously hand cutting the titanium with a jeweller’s saw and hand finishing it with files and emery paper.
Drawing on the Bauhaus methodology of playful experimentation with colour and form, each bangle is an expression of geometry that directly reflects the properties of titanium and the precision, accuracy and method needed to work such a strong metal. The elegantly simple clasps and joining methods of the bangles extend a joyful experience to the wearer - they are designed to be satisfying to behold and to wear.
Exhibition Dates: 12 September to 2 October, 2024
