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JewelleryJustin produces contemporary gold and silver jewellery from his studio in Newlyn. Newlyn is a small fishing town at the western end of Cornwall, about seven miles from Lands End. In the past, Newlyn achieved international renown when a group of painters (collectively known today as the Newlyn School) were attracted both by the light and the possible subjects provided by the area. This group drew their inspiration from the French style of "Plein Air" painting, portraying their subjects in their natural surroundings. Justin's silver and gold contemporary jewellery is also deeply influenced by the surrounding countryside and ocean. He is especially fascinated by the way they engage with each other, constantly conflicting, whilst paradoxically achieving a harmonic balance. The gold and silver jewellery that justin produces uses the contrast between the textures of the land and sea. He does this by combining wood with gold and silver to give the piece an elemental feel, or by texturing the metal in a way that creates a feeling of organic movement. This culminates in contemporary gold and silver pieces of jewellery, which change with wear in much the same way as the sea shapes the coastlines of Cornwall. 
History
Justin Duance first became interested in jewellery in 1996 when doing a foundation in art at Portsmouth university. "It had suddenly occured to me that jewellery was just a miniature form of sculpture, with the potential to contain deeper meanings because the pieces are so intimate to the wearer". He then went on to develop this concept, experimenting in creating contemporary jewellery using unconventional materials such as concrete and lego. In 1997 Justin went on to study a BA in Jewellery and Silversmithing at Sir John Cass Faculty of Art in London. During the three year degree his designs continued to use unconventional materials as he experimented further with combining different textures. After finishing his BA in 2000 Justin assisted Kelvin Birk, an internationally acclaimed goldsmith who specializes in working with concrete and precious metals, such as silver and gold. Justin found Kelvin's work inspirational.  
Current Jewellery
As a keen surfer, Justin became increasingly fascinated by the sea, which has surrounded him all his life. He began to look in detail at the way the sea creates and re-moulds the shapes of its environment. He found that this is beautifully illustrated in the shapes of driftwood or sea worn glass. Justin used this concept to further develop his work and began to use beautifully grained hardwoods such as Yew and Indian Rosewood which change in colour and texture as they are worn. In this way, each piece changes through the years developing an intrinsic uniqueness and an intimate affinity with the wearer, echoing the way the sea continually changes the coastline with the seasons. |