When our senses are presented with something that is familiar and yet also ambiguous, our curiosity is triggered and sensory engagement is extended. This is because our ability to be definitive about what we are actually looking at becomes hard to bring to a clear resolve. At what point does your curiosity switch off allowing your assumptions to be viewed as fact. What can we assume to be truth in our perceptions? Can a deeper curiosity in any subject undermine our faith in our own opinions?

If there is a potential line between these objects being perceived as either one way or another, I will try to sit on that line. Where that line lies however depends very much on the attentiveness of the viewer. Hence the ambiguity here is multi-layered and shifting.

Are these pieces serious or playful? ...complex or simple? ...monotone or dynamic? ...plants or anatomy? ...Rocks or clouds?... Flowers or exploding ammunition. I am building structures, details and relationships between them that have the potential to be all of the above and many more things beyond.

All of what I have stated above is relating to the decisive cognitive aims to which I attempt to direct your sensory experience. In essence the work doesn’t aim to tell a viewer anything; more simply I want to give the wearer and the viewer a personal sensory experience, in a lasting, resonant but quiet manner. No matter how close we look ...or the angle we view them ...on what clothes or in what way we wear them, all these pieces are not conceived to be made clear sense of. Rather the aim is to offer a gentle shifting diversity of perceptual readings depending on the context. The more you look the more you see. The more that you see, the relationships between your perceptions of certain details begin to progress and change. Through this your cognitive building of linkages between sensual stimulus and applied meaning also begin to shift and change. There can be no punch line in this work although it is inevitable that your mind will attempt to find one... as it is human nature to try and make clear sense of our experiences.

The work itself is stimulated and Informed by insights into the broad phenomenology of creative process. In particular the relationships between sensation and perception. Toying with the parallels between the act of making and engaging with creative output. Being consciously aware of these processes simply enables me to get out of their way. These brooches are not ‘designed’ in a formal sense, instead they’re intuitive pieces, and each one starts from the memory of all previous works. I just sit down and down start making, while watching closely over my own shoulder.

Simon Cottrell, Australia.

Education:
2005 - 2010 Masters of Arts Research, Fine Arts. Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University (RMITU)
1996 - 97 Honours, Fine Arts. RMIT University Melbourne, Australia.
1994 - 96 BA, Fine Arts major- Gold and Silversmithing. RMIT Melbourne

Collections:
1998 Macmillan Collection, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University, Melbourne, Australia.
2003 Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.
2004 National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia.
2009 E’space Solidor, Ville de Cagnes-Sur-Mer, France.
2010 National Contemporary Jewellery Collection, Griffith Regional Art Gallery, Australia.
2011 Australian National Gallery, Canberra, Australia.
(Private Collections in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia, New Zealand)

Awards / Grants: 
2012 Australia Council, New Work Grant
2010 The National Contemporary Jewellery Award, Griffith Regional Art Gallery, Australia
2009 Atelier Ted Noten Artist Residency, Redlight Design, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2008 Australia Council Grant, for personal study into contemporary improvised music in NYC | 2nd prize ‘Refined Abundance International Art Jewellery Award’ Opera House Art Centre, Texas, USA
2005 RMITU Postgraduate Scholarship.
2000 Development Grant. Australia Council Visual Arts/Craft Fund For mentorship with Robert Baines.
1999 ‘KOODAK Peoples Choice Award’ Jewellers and Metalsmiths Group of Victora, Australia | ‘JOHNSON MATHEY AWARD’ For Excellence in Silversmithing, Australia
1996 LASLO PUZSAR AWARD. For Best Jewellery Design in Gold and Silversmithing, Australia

Selected Exhibitions:
2012, June ‘The Year Was 2006’ Studio 20/17, Sydney Australia. | Mar ‘Unexpected Pleasures’ National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Australia | Mar ‘Silver 1987-2012’ 25 Anniversary of the Wangaratta Regional Art Gallery, Wangaratta, Australia | Mar ‘Zeit Schmuck: Simon Cottrell & Miele Harvey’ Gallery Wittenbrink Munich.
2011, Sept ‘Melbourne Boys; Nick Bastin, Simon Cottrell, Mark Edgoose, David Neale’ Gallery Bilk, Canberra, Australia. | Aug ‘Output to Paths’ Solo Exhibition, Gallery Funaki Melbourne. | July ‘SOFA West Santé Fe, USA (presented by Charon Kransen Arts) | Apr ‘The Friedrich Becker Prize’ Goethe Museum, Dusseldorf, Germany. | Aug ‘National Contemporary Jewellery Award Exhibition’ Sturt Gallery, Mittagong, Australia. | Nov SOFA Chicago, USA (presented by Charon Kransen Arts)
2010 ‘National Contemporary Jewellery Award Exhibition’ Griffith Regional Art Gallery, Australia | ‘SOFA West’ Sante Fe. USA (presented by Charon Kransen Arts) | ‘By Example’ Museum of Art/Craft Itami, Japan | ‘Schmuck 2010’ Internationale Handwerksmesse, Munich, Germany. | ‘Treasure Room Australia’ Galerie Handwerk, Munich Germany.
2009 ‘Four Jewellers, Baines/Bastin/Cottrell/Haydon’ Espace Solidor Cagnes Sur Mer, France | Melbourne Hollow-ware’, Fine Arts Faculty Gallery RMIT, Melbourne, Australia | ‘Sofa West’ Santa Fe, USA (presented by Charon Kransen Arts) | ‘Melbourne Hollow-ware’ Galerie Marzee, Nijmejen Netherlands.
2008 ‘SOFA Chicago’ Navy Pier Chiagao USA. USA (presented by Charon Kransen Arts) | ‘International Art and Design Fair” Park Avenue Armory NYC, USA (presented by Charon Kransen Arts) | ‘Beyond Metal- Contemporary Australian Metal’ RMIT Gallery, Melbourne Australia | ‘SOFA 2008’ New York, USA. USA (presented by Charon Kransen Arts) | ‘Schmuck 2008’ Internationale Handwerksmesse, Munich, Germany. also toured Birmingham City University Gallery; Miejska Galeria Sztuki, Lodz, Poland | ‘The McMillan Collection; Selected acquisitions 1961-2007’ Project Space, RMIT, Australia | ‘The Rhianon Vernon-Roberts Memorial Collection’ Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia | ‘Refined Abundance; International Art Jewellery Award’ Steven F Austin Gallery, Austin, Texas, USA
2007 SOFA 2007’ Chicago, USA (presented by Charon Kransen Arts) | ‘SOFA 2007’ New York, USA. (presented by Charon Kransen Arts) | ‘Beyond Metal- Contemporary Australian Metal’ Touring Bangalore New Delhi, Mumbai, India; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Singapore
2006 ‘Siemens Fine Art Scholarship Exhibition’ RMIT Gallery, Melbourne | ‘Connect’ Inaugural Gallery Funaki International Contemporary Jewellery Prize | ‘City of Hobart Art Prize’, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart, Australia | ‘Its Got Legs’ Postgraduate exhibition RMIT Gold and Silversmithing, School of Art Faculty Gallery | ‘Colin and Cicely Rigg Contemporary Design Award 06’ National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
2005 ‘SOFA 2005’ Chicago, USA (presented by Charon Kransen Arts) | ‘Some…progress 05’ (solo installation) Objectspace Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand | ‘Space, Place and Poximity’ Elaine Jacob Gallery, Detroit, Michigan, USA | ‘SOFA 05’ New York, USA. (presented by Charon Kransen Arts) |  ‘10-2005’ Tenth anniversary exhibition, Galley Funaki, Melbourne | ‘Ninth Biennial Ernest Leviny Commemorative Silver Exhibition’ Castlemaine State Festival, Buda Historic Homestead, Castelmaine, Australia. Touring Hamilton Art Gallery, Ballarat Gold Museum, RMIT Gallery, Melbourne.
2004 ‘SOFA 2004’ Chicago, USA (presented by Charon Kransen Arts) | ‘International Art And Design Fair’ New York, USA (presented by Charon Kransen Arts) | ‘National Contemporary Jewellery Prize’, Griffith Regional Art Gallery, Griffith Australia | ‘International Jewellery’ Gallery Suba, Seoul, Korea | ‘Kunst RAI’ Arts Amsterdam, Rai Exhibition Centre (with Galerie Louise Smit) | ‘Metal Design 04’ International Design Centre, Nagoya, Japan | ‘COLLECT’ contempory craft fair, Victora & Albert Museum, London UK (with Galerie Louise Smit) | ‘Design Down Under’ South Shore Arts Center, Cohasset USA.
2003 ‘SOFA Chicago’ USA (presented by Charon Kransen Arts) | ‘SOUND’ (Solo Exhibition), Gallery Funaki, Melbourne, Aust. | ‘Melbourne International Mokume Gane Symposium & Exhibition’, Project Space, Melbourne Aust. | ‘SEXTET’ The Church Gallery, Perth, Aust. | ‘Metal element Six’ Quadrivium Gallery, Sydney | ‘Metal of Six Countries’ International Design Centre, Nagoya, Japan
2002 ‘RINGS’ , Gallery Funaki Melbourne | ‘Less is More / Less is a Bore’ Brisbane City Gallery, Brisbane, Australia | ‘Sofa 2002’ Chicago USA | ‘International Art+Design Fair’ New York, USA (presented by Charon Kransen Arts)
2001 ‘SOFA 2001’ Chicago, USA (presented by Charon Kransen Arts) | ‘International Contemporary Jewelery’ 20th Century Arts Fair, New York, USA | ‘Foundations of Gold’ Asialink project, touring Melboure, Osaka, Seoul, Manila, Singapore and Mumbai | ‘Schmuck’2001 Internationale Handwerksmesse, Munich, Germany
2000 ‘Emerging’ Seven contemporary Jewelers, Gallery Funaki, Melbourne | ‘TALENTE’ International young craft practitioners award exhibition. Internationale Handwerksmesse, Munich, Germany
1999 ‘TRACE’ Exhibition of Melbourne Contemporary Jewellers. Curator Carlier Makigawa. Gallery Yu,
Tokyo & Museum of Art/Craft, Itami, Japan | ‘THE WORKS’ JMGA ,VIC. annual Members exhibition. Victorian Artists Society. Melbourne | ‘Contemporary Wearables 99’ eleven venues in Australia organized by Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery | ‘Sixth Biennial Ernest Leviny Commemorative Silver Exhibition’ Castlemaine State Festival, Buda Historic Homestead, Castelmaine, Australia
1998 ‘18 National Craft Acquisition Award,’ Museum and Art Gallery of Northern Teritory, Darwin. | ‘Grain’, Honors and Masters Gold+Silversmithing, First Site Gallery, Melbourne | ‘24th Alice Craft Acquisition’ The Araluen Centre, Alice Springs
1997 ‘Mornington Peninsula Craft Event’ Mornington Regional Gallery, Mornington, Victoria | ‘City of Hobart Art Prize’, Carnegie Gallery, Hobart, Australia | ‘Graduate Metal’, Salamanca Arts Centre, Hobart.
1996 ‘OR(e)’ graduate exhibition, Gold and Silversmithing, Reserve Bank, Melbourne, Australia | ‘Fifth Biennial Ernest Leviny Commemorative Silver Exhibition’ Castlemaine State Festival Buda Historic Homestead, Castelmaine, Australia | ‘Toy, To Toy’ Customs House, Melbourne, Australia | ‘BOX’ satellite exhibition, Part of the Next Wave festival, RMIT Melbourne, Australia

Work Experience:
2011 ongoing Lecturer/research,Gold and Silversmithing, School of Art, Australian National University, Canberra | Relocated Studio to Canberra, Australia | May Guest Lecturer, Jewellery + Object Studios, Sydney College of the Arts.
2010, Aug Seminar Speaker “Practice as a Site of Enquirey” organised by the School of fine art RMIT.
2009, Sept Invited Visiting Artist Lecture, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia.
2009, Feb Atelier Ted Noten Artist Residency, Redlight Design, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
2009, Jan Guest Lecturer at South Carolina University Fine Arts, Greenville, USA ; Massachusetts College of Fine Arts, Boston, USA
2008, Dec Guest Lecturer at State University of New York, New Paltz, USA ;
2008, Nov Guest lecturer Rhode Island School of Art and Design Providence USA; Indiana University, Bloomington USA ; Pratt Institute, School of Art and Design, Brooklyn, NYC, USA
2008, Nov Invited international guest speaker SOFA Chicago Lecture Series.
2008, Nov-Jan Artist Residency, Point B, Brooklyn, New York
2005, Sept, Guest Lecturer Auckland University, Manakau School of Visual Arts, NewZealand
2005, Aug Jewellers and Metalsmiths Group of Australia (JMGA) Annual public lecture.
2004, Dec Australia Council commission for design/making of the "2004 Emeritus Medal and Award"
2004-2007 Sessional Lecturer in Fine arts/Gold and silversmithing, RMIT University Melb. Australia
2003, July Guest lecturer LaSalle school of Fine Arts, Singapore
2002, May Selected for Asialink cross-cultural collaboative project.
2002 - ongoing Sessional lecturer in Fine arts/Applied arts/ Metal, Monash University, Caulfield Melb.
2001, 2002 Tutor, Gold+Silversmithing department, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia.
1997, 2008 Robert Baines, Artist / Goldsmith, Studio assistant
1997, June Design and prototyping of corporate giftware for production. RMIT, Vice Chancellor.
1997, March Frank Bauer, Artist / Metalsmith. Assisant with large private commission.
1995, Nov-Dec Mark Edgoose, Artist / Metalsmith. Studio assistant

Gallery Funaki, Melbourne, Australia
Gallery Bilk, Canberra, Australia.
Metalab Gallery, Surrey Hills, Sydney, Australia.
Charon Kransen Arts, New York, USA.

1997 ‘Brooching a Fine Subject’ Herald Sun Oct 14th
1998‘Out of the Closet’ Robert Buckingham, Sunday Age magazine 23rd August
2000 ‘Talente 2000’ publisher Edition Handwerk, International Handwerskmesse, Munich Germany
2001 ‘Gold artists find solid foundations’ by Karen Meehan, www..artshub.com.au , February 09 | ‘Schmuck 2001’ publisher Edition Handwerk, International Handwerskmesse, Munich, Germany | ‘Foundations of Gold’ The Asialink Centre, City of Melbourne. July
2002 'Preston Artist's Gift of Gold' Preston Leader Newspaper, March 19 | Less is More/ Less is a Bore’ Brisbane City Gallery, Brisbane City Council Publishing
2003 ‘Thrill Of the New’ The Age Good Living Magazine November
2005 ‘The Naked Truth’ Art Monthly Australia, April 2005 #178 pg.35 | ’10-2005, Funaki’s 10-year Vision’ Penny Web, The Age 18th May | ‘Proximity, the Sensory and Displacement’ Wayne state University, Detroit, Michigan August | ‘Review of Proximity the sensory and Displacment’ The Detroiter, 5th October
2006 ‘Palm Beach 3 Contemporary Art Fair, 2006’ ATG Media & International Fine Art Expositions, Florida, USA | Cicely&Colin Rigg Contemporary Design Award’ Council of Trustees, National Gallery of Victoria | ‘Connect’ Penny Web, The Age October 3rd | ‘Gleam weavers’ The Age Life & Style, By Claire Halliday December 22,
2007 ‘SOFA New York 2007’ Art Fair Catalogue, Expressions Of Culture Inc. Chicago, USA | ‘500 Metal Vessels’ Lark Books, Sterling Publishing New York, USA 
2008 ‘Schmuck 2008’ International survey exhibition catalogue, International Handwerskmesse, Munich Germany 
2009 ‘Melbourne Holloware’ Design Research Institute, RMIT, Melbourne, Australia | ‘Marzee Magazine #66- Melbourne Hollo Ware ’ Galerie Marzee, Nijmegen | ‘The Compendium Finale’ Darling Publications, Cologne, Germany | ‘Four Jewellers; Melbourne Australie’ Ville de Cagnes-Sur-Mer, France | ‘Von Neuseeland nach Australien’ Olga Biro, Art Aurea Magazine, Germany, October
2010 ‘Dreaming Jewellery’ Monsa Design Publications, Barcelona, Spain | ‘Schmuck 2010’ International survey exhibition catalogue, International Handwerskmesse, Munich Germany | ‘Lo Noovo+’ noovoeditions.com/NOOVO/SimonCottrell.html Feature artist story. March 8th | ‘By Example’ Published by Museum Art/craft Itami, Japan & Sydney College of the Arts, Australia | ‘Treasure Room Australia’ Australian Scholarly Publshing, Melbourne Australia | ‘Engaging Art Worthy of Wear’ Kerry-Anne Cousins, The Canberra Times, Canberra Australia | ‘Unexpected Pleasures; Art & Design of Contemporary Jewellery’ Susan Cohn, Deyan Sudjic. Skira Rizzoli, London
2013 Authored Chapter for ‘Jewellery Design and Development; International Concepts’ Edited by Dr. Norman Cherry. A&C Black Publishers London