Inscription and Place

I Can Hear Your Heartbeat

A new display at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) is taking a fresh look at history and women’s lives through the prism of contemporary jewellery.

Inscription and Place, now on show on level two of the Central Gallery, recognises the role that local contemporary jewellers can play in Tasmanian art and telling our stories.

It features the work of four Tasmanian jewellers: Alex Parish, Janine Combes, Sarah Jones/Stubbs and Sophie Carnell, who are collectively known as CUSP.

The artists have used a diversity of materials, techniques and conceptual approaches to explore stories of place, family and objects.

Their inspiration has been the Henry Baldwin Collection, which was bequeathed to TMAG in 2008 and was the largest single donation in the museum’s history.

“We have made work which responds to objects within the Henry Baldwin Bequest collection including jewellery, diaries, letters, books and small domestic objects,” Sarah said.

“As a result of this opportunity we have been able to make jewellery which speaks to the lives of the women of two of Colonial Hobart’s leading families, the Manings and Knights, whilst adding elements from our own lives and sense of place.”

A catalogue has been produced to accompany the display, which is available from the Museum Shop.

Inscription and Place is on show in the window display cases on the mezzanine level of the Central Gallery until Sunday 22 October 2017.

Image details: Alex Parish; I Can Hear Your Heartbeat neckpiece; stethoscope, silver, plastic, brass, found objects.