I first saw Annemarie Reinhold’s work online. Her home page features an image of a neckpiece in fine silver from her current collection. Surrounded by soft, fragile, almost translucent foliage, it comprises a cluster of gently moving leaves and seems weightless, almost ethereal; a fitting visual representation of a collection entitled ‘Treasure these Moments‚’. In subsequent images however, the mood darkens somewhat and objects, in oxidised copper, appear more dramatic and intense, their dark, longer leaves swaying with greater purpose. Actually it’s the combination of all these pieces that really captures the essence of this young designer maker’s work. Creating sculptural and wearable objects from individually fashioned leaves, she has sought inspiration from the natural world, constant change and movement; the notion that ‘when you go outside it never looks the same‚’. Observing life’s continual cycle of growth and decay, a state of constant flux, she is driven by the desire to hold on to these precious moments of change, employing metal not only for it’s durable qualities, but for it’s fluidity and it’s ability to react to changes in temperature. In ‘Sphere‚’, for example, rich purple and crisp blue tones are achieved through heating the copper.
she has sought inspiration from the natural world, constant change and movement
Initially studying Art, Craft and Design at Grennan Mill Craft School in Thomastown, Annemarie Reinhold went on to study at NCAD, graduating with a Degree in Metal and Jewellery in 2016. In fact her current body of work is a continued development of her degree show collection. The confidence and maturity demonstrated in this student work, and the potential of the young maker, was recognised firstly in 2014 when she won the Newbridge Silverware NCAD Design Bursary Award and again, in 2016, when she won a residency support award in the student category of the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland’s Future Maker Awards. This latter accolade enabled her to apply for a postgraduate residential course at Bishopsland Educational Trust where she is currently focusing on traditional silversmithing and jewellery skills. Fully appreciative of the promotional opportunities that awards can bring, she is also keen to emphasize, however, the importance of the application process, which gives students the opportunity to reflect on their work.
Asked about future plans, Annemarie Reinhold expresses the desire to establish her own studio, but before that there are plans for further skills training. It is a testament to her recognition of the importance of process, the notion that crafted objects record the intimate interaction between maker and material and ultimately, her belief in thinking through making.
Frances McDonald is an independent writer, curator and project manager, specialising in craft and design.
