Seaweed

The Seaweed Gatherer

The Seaweed Gatherer is an ongoing jewellery collection materialised from gathered Scottish seaweed. The collection began with Iona Turner's undergraduate degree show at The Glasgow School of Art in 2021.

The artist's process follows careful attention to, and immersion in, seaweed’s wild ecology. Following the cycles of the moon and rhythms of the tide, seaweed's shape shifts from its 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.

The artist's time in the seaweed’s world is limited by breath, though the experience endures as creative inspiration. After the tides recede the plant 'knotted wrack' may come away from the rock to be found ashore. Here, without live ecology to inhibit, is where the artist gathers seaweed. Having travelled near and far, the seaweed is in varying stages of decay and growth. These variations in detail become the work’s colour pallet and organic pattern. The project aims to honour seaweed’s ecological value, through fine detail processes as yet reserved for economically valuable precious metals. The collection holds holistic aspirations, conscious of presenting the meditative qualities of gathering.

The wearing of these neckpieces are intended to strengthen one's bond with the sea and its creatures.

Making process

Upon gathering, seaweed is taken to the artist’s workshop, where they are dried and worked with a jeweller's tools. There are no preservatives or treatments cast upon the seaweed. Organic hemp cord is included as a structural component. As this material is also biodegradable, this neckpiece could, if the wearer so desires, be returned to the sea, or earth, without any negative environmental impacts. The impact could be regenerative, as seaweed is an effective fertiliser.

Text submitted by the maker and edited by the Future Materials Bank. For information about reproducing (a part of) this text, please contact the maker.