Catherine Sutherland Art and Design
Ecology Action Centre, 2705 Fern Lane,Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3K 4L3
www.ecologyaction.ca a n e c o l o g y a c t i o n c e n t r e p u b l i c a t i o n w w w . e c o l o g y a c t i o n . c av o l . 2 8 : 3 f a l l 2 0 1 0
Catherine Sutherland: Changing the Way We Look at Jewelry By Michelle Brunet
While Catherine Sutherland was waiting for the bus in Halifax she noticed the shattered bus stop shelter footsteps away, perhaps the doing of a frustrated passerby the night before. Catherine picked up a cube of glass from the refuse and placed it in one of the hollow silver cubes she had forged. Thus began her Bustop jewellery line, just one example of her endeavors to repurpose waste and create works of beauty. Catherine moved to Halifax in 2002 to begin her art studies at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD). Before coming to Nova Scotia, she was a commercial fisherman on the West Coast, where she spent the majority of her days out at sea. Catherine was inspired by the natural wonders of the marine environment. “The light on the ocean, not wanting to go to sleep at night because the beauty was endless, she says, “that nature provides pretty much anything that one needs.” Inspired by her accomplished NSCAD professors, Catherine’s interests veered towards metallurgy and jewellery as part of her desire to wed her artistic inclinations with her love for nature. During her studies, she extensively researched the mining industry and how the mainstream extraction of precious metals led to huge wastes of energy and water, an abundance of toxic chemicals leaching into wilderness environments and the exploitation of indigenous populations. Catherine decided then she was going to create jewellery differently.As a member of Ethical Metalsmiths, a group of metal workers, jewellers and artists committed to knowing where their metal comes from and using sustainable materials, Catherine makes her jewellery from ethically-sourced materials. She purchases metals from United Precious Metals and Hoover & Strong, two American companies that sell recycled scrap metal. Catherine rarely uses gemstones besides bus shelter glass. When she does, she purchases stones from Columbia Gemstones based in Vancouver, Washington. This company markets fairly-traded gemstones that are mined legally and sustainably by workers with healthy working conditions who are justly compensated. Not only is Catherine’s process of making jewellery unique, so are the pieces themselves. She has cast organic materials, such as twigs molded in bronze to form a nest-shaped ring, and created shapes, such as fiddlehead pendants, to represent Point Pleasant Park. Her Point Pleasant collection is dedicated to all Haligonians with a deep connection to the park, connections she recognized after Hurricane Juan when she observed the city’s sadness for the destruction of the park’s numerous tree stands. Currently, Catherine is in the minority when it comes to producing and selling jewellery made from sustainable materials. She hopes that, just as eco-friendly clothing made of organic cotton and hemp has caught on, consumers will start to look at charms in the same way. Although Catherine focuses on jewellery, she also expresses her concern for the environment through painting. A handpainted coat with an image of a cougar, a dreamy oil canvas of a forest trail and a depiction of Mother Earth in acrylic are just part of her repertoire. One particularly poignant painting, called “Of No Consequence,” depicts a river of red blood with corpses afloat. It symbolizes the genocide in Rwanda and the interconnectedness of war, murder, oppressed children, environmental degradation and an unfair trade of gold. “Art is a tool for me; a way for me to be more socially active with environmental issues,” Catherine says, adding that nature is her main driving force more than the artistic process; if there are other ways for her to raise awareness she is willing to redirect her efforts. Now living and working from her studio in Vancouver, Catherine’s works are available in small shops across the country, including the Ladyluck Boutique in Halifax and the Northern Sun Gallery in Mahone Bay. The Halifax Farmers market was where she first started selling jewellery and she misses its community atmosphere. “You can show up and they’ll find a spot for you - even if you have to sit on the steps.” Catherine hopes that someone will look at her pieces and understand the story of where and what they came from. She also hopes that we will follow in her footsteps. “We can make anything in a way that isn’t harmful to the environment, once we put our minds to it,” she says.
To view examples of Catherine’s naturally inspired and sustainable works of art, visit www.fineartstudioonline.com/catherinesutherland and Facebook.com/Catherine Sutherland Art and Design
Michelle Brunet is a freelance writer from Halifax.
