SoFA celebrates artist Robert Baines’ new exhibit with opening reception

For someone who is not an art school student, it may be hard to imagine that being a professional gold and metalsmith artist is a wise career move. And it’s not, unless the idea of spending all day indulging in the creative process and showing the resulting work in major capitals all over the world sounds appealing. \nThat’s exactly what Robert Baines was doing Friday at his opening reception lecture for the SoFA Gallery’s “Field of Vision: Contemporary Jewelry and Holloware” exhibition. The artist has been a lecturer at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia since 1980 and has shown his work in contemporary art museums in Amsterdam, Sydney and Munich, among others. And while Bloomington isn’t a world capital, it often plays host to internationally-known art. \nIntroduced as a living treasure of Australia, Baines gave a slideshow lecture featuring some of his and others’ work and discussed their techniques and methodology. The lecture provided modern examples of an ancient art: his own pieces, made of silver and wire and painted with bright colors; students’ pieces, made of gold and diamonds; and other pieces with contemporary and urban themes provided examples of the complex creative process that tend to be overlooked when viewing a final product. \n“Jewelry is a celebration of life for the maker of the piece, but it’s also a transformation of that process,” Baines said. “It’s something that transcends its creation and resonates for the wearer.”\nBaines’ lecture also featured non-wearable pieces like bowls and simple sculptures. His explanations of their form and process prompted the audience to re-evaluate their understanding of such physical structures, as pieces that become usable, functional applications in everyday life have emerged from a creative and often historical vision. \n“There is a worship involved in making,” Baines said. “It’s a spiritual engagement. The act of creating is an outward expression of some inward condition or need. The materials and references may change, but everywhere you go you’ll see the same thing: human beings like to make things.”\nBaines’ work, along with that of 16 other American and international metalsmithing artists, can be seen at the SoFA Gallery’s “Field of Vision” exhibit until Nov. 17.