Métal Noir is a special project, and is studio jeweller Julie Bailey’s way to say thank you for the opportunity to live this life fully. She builds on her current ‘Intaglio’ collection that was well received at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park MADE 2016 jewellery showcase and is now showing in a selection of independent galleries in the North. She feels privileged to re-exhibit at New Designers One Year On with business mentoring and support alongside others at this stage of establishing their signature voices and careers. There is a counterpoint to the femininity and paleness of the current ‘intaglio’ paper embossed fine silver that references petals falling from a blossom and the countryside studio where she is now based, Métal Noir is defined by industrial geometry and something urban and rich and velvety, like the crema on a good coffee and ever so slightly androgynous.
‘Considered design is at the heart of what I do. Considering design means sufficiency and efficiency, jewellery pieces for 24/7 and a lifetime. I embrace the principles of an aesthetic that derives from simplicity, economy, modesty, intimacy and an appreciation of the integrity of natural materials and processes. Jewellery can be loaded with status, fashion, political and artistic values; for me paring back to the intrinsic that is metal, surface, patina and only the most necessary of forms for wear-ability is fundamental to how I approach my work. I ask not what I can add, but what I can take away.’
