The Seaweed Gatherer is an ongoing jewellery collection materialised from gathered seaweed. The process is that of careful attention to, and immersion in, seaweeds’ wild ecology. Following the cycles of the moon and rhythms of the tide, seaweeds shapeshift from their submerged to storm-cast state. Submerged Knotted Wrack (Ascophyllum nodosum) stands tall; holdfasts cling tightly to intertidal rock; stem-like fronds perform an elegant dance of protection and nutrition for many creatures of the sea. Human time in seaweed’s sub-marine world is limited by breath, though the experience endures as creative inspiration. After the storm and tides recede Knotted Wrack may come away from the rock to be found ashore – storm-cast. Here, without live ecology to inhibit, is where seaweed is gathered, having travelled near and far in varying stages of decay; such variations in detail become the work’s colour pallet and organic pattern. Clusters of abundance mimic nature’s sub-marine growth patterns created, in honour of seaweed’s ecological value, through fine detail processes as yet reserved for economically valuable precious metals. The collection holds holistic aspirations, conscious of betraying the meditative qualities of gathering. Any necessary accompanying materials, the combined conduit through which the body bonds with the seaweed, are selected with the intention of reducing synthetic consumption while enhancing conceptual significance. Natural metal patina is chosen to invoke patterns of sprawled Paint-Weed (Lithophyllum incrustans) formations.

By becoming familiar with seaweeds and the ecosystem in which they exist, our relationships to these non-human species provides a catalyst for wearable works.