School of Design Silversmithing & Jewellery

Holly Loire Cunningham

Photography by Shannon Tofts.

My craft is influenced by the Victorian era, including jewellery, fashion, architecture and modes of communication, particularly mourning jewellery and the attention to detail it displays. My designs are often in the form of brooches, where the reverse is as important as the front. The brooches are ambiguous, wearable art, to adorn the wearer’s clothing. I encourage owners of these pieces to engage with them in ways personal to each individual; to find their own narrative. My work is created using silver, gold and, sometimes, copper. I also use gemstones to accentuate designs, animated through etching, enamelling and varied stone settings.

My collection is a series of brooches that are inspired by my own personal journey, Glasgow Cathedral and the Necropolis and, as stated above, my appreciation of aspects of the Victorian Era. Using my own images I have created a narrative between my photography and my pieces.

Contact
hollyloire@hotmail.com
@hollyloire
A Conversation With The Past
Photography by Shannon Tofts.

This brooch resembles the outer aesthetic of Glasgow Cathedral. The buildings body has an instant connection to the copper of the brooch and the green patina on the surface of the piece speaks of the roof. This photograph lead me to base my collection on the building and the grounds.

Materials: Gold, Silver, Copper.

Location: Glasgow Cathedral, Scotland.

The Necropolis is a graveyard housing hundreds of graves and here are some that stood out to me. In amongst grey tomb stones, the white of these caught my eye. They speak of my brooch as it has an elegant, white finish.

Materials: Silver, Opals.

Location: Necropolis. Glasgow, Scotland.

These beautiful columns found inside Glasgow Cathedral were so majestic. I wanted a piece that directly reflected them. The columns I’ve created and stone I chose, to me talks directly of this image.

Materials: Silver, Aqua Chalcedony.

Location: Glasgow Cathedral, Scotland.

 

Within the cathedral there were a multitude of stain glass windows. I felt drawn to this one because of its non symmetrical quality. I wanted my piece to reflect this. The strips of silver also have an intricate pattern etched onto them, a nod to the detail in the windows.

Materials: Silver.

Location: Glasgow Cathedral, Scotland.

This piece speaks of this photograph, from the beautiful graves and the intricate detailing on them to the sky line above with the clouds floating. The frame of the brooch is woven around two separate parts. One solid and detailed and one open.

Materials: Silver, Copper.

Location: Necropolis. Glasgow, Scotland.

This grave stone has natural markings left by the elements over time. My piece has been created to resemble the organic pattern flowing down the stone.

Materials: Silver, Copper.

Location: Necropolis. Glasgow, Scotland.

The texture on the body of this brooch represents the aged graves and the bark of the tree in this captured moment. The sparse twigs reaching out into the open sky resembles the open space at the top of the piece.

Materials: Gold, Silver, Copper.

Location: Necropolis. Glasgow, Scotland.