The Story Behind: The Wreath with Todd Turner
The 'Wreath’ is an extraordinary new work by Todd Turner.
Comprised of twenty-five individual elements and an articulated ‘torque’ locking clasp, the neckpiece is entirely handmade in blackened Corinthian bronze with an astonishing 243.23 carats of raw uncut natural Nigerian emeralds.
Both the Wreath and the Goddess earrings, made for the recent 'Pressure & Time' exhibition, are deeply poetic works that are rich in symbolism and inspired by Romantic era poetry, Classical Antiquity and even a Renaissance Era painting.
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Now that the final works are complete, we sat down with Todd who was able to shed some light on the conceptual and practical journeys that went into making them.
1. What first drew you to the idea of making a wreath for Pressure & Time? Was there a moment or image that sparked it?
It was seeing the natural emeralds for the first time. I was so inspired by their rawness, that I started laying-out a composition for the wreath immediately. There was no sketching, no notes, nothing – only working directly with the emeralds themselves. I laid-out the first draft within minutes of handling the stones. It was astonishing. I felt as if I was working with a material which was very much alive, and a material which was intimately connected to history and time. Throughout every decision in the making process of the ‘Wreath’ I wanted to keep that source of vitality alive.
Raw uncut natural Nigerian emeralds prior to setting in the Wreath. Photography: Kim Low.
2. When you began sketching or imagining the form, did you have a vision for what you wanted it to express?
Over the last five years, I’ve been writing poems about the life of the poet, John Keats. So, naturally, I’ve been utterly absorbed by Keats’s odes. The ‘Wreath’ is a direct link to the image of the ‘green altar’ in Keats’s ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn’. I remember recalling the image, and saying it to myself, like a mantra, when I started to lay-out the composition for the first time. The ‘green altar’ symbolises artistic sacrifice, and represents the timeless aspect of art contrasted with human mortality. However, my ‘green altar’ - the ‘Wreath’ - focuses more on the eternal cycle of life, hope and renewal.
3. Does the wreath connect to any recurring themes in your work or personal history?
I see the ‘Wreath’ as a poetic form. Poets, and certain jewellers, think of their work as a vessel or a container. Poems, like jewels, are carriers and bearers of feelings and emotion. The urn, like the wreath, is a highly poetic and potent object to pour artistic expression into - or upon. I connect to my own work as a poet and goldsmith in this way; one jewel, one poem at a time.
3. You've chosen blackened Corinthian bronze. Why this metal and treatment, and what makes it right for the emeralds, and the shape and construction of the necklace?
Corinthian bronze is a metal alloy from classical antiquity (8th century BCE to 5th century AD). Its composition was once a mystery, but we now know it as a patinated alloy of copper with a small but varying percentage of silver and gold. It was prized for its ability to create a dark, lustrous patina.
Left: Cameo of the Roman emperor Tiberius wearing a laurel wreath (Kunsthistorisches Museum).
Right: The Wreath, Todd Turner. Model: Angie Cueva. Photography: Kim Low.
Thematically speaking, it was only fitting that I would use Corinthian bronze for a contemporary wreath. To my mind, it was a rather Keatsian decision, and there was certainly going to be no other backdrop for green then black, since the ‘Wreath’ is a symbol of the cycle of life and renewal.
Also, confirming the decision to use a dark metal was inspired by the work of the poet Sylvia Plath, who often contrasted black and green in her poems. I’ve always loved her lines from The Bell Jar, ‘I wanted to crawl between those lines of print, the way you crawl through a fence, and go and sleep under that big green fig-tree.’ Artists are often in conversation with their contemporaries, and this was certainly the case for me here.
4. You’ve spoken before about responsibility to tradition. How does that come into play here?
When I talk about tradition, I am talking about technique. As a jeweller, I am first and foremost, a maker, am I not? Jewellers need design as they do technique. Yet, it’s all too easy to avoid learning traditional techniques these days. With jewellery, unlike other visual arts, technique can be created on-screen. But the act of creativity to me is being wedlocked in the grip of some dogged perfection. The art is within the tool, and a good artist has a feel for their materials. Maker or artist alike, it’s about being in service to the material. Metaphorically speaking, it’s a case of give me a hammer & anvil and I’ll show you the world.
5. Can you walk us through the first steps of constructing the wreath? What happens before anything even resembles a circle?
Naturally, in a jewel of such magnitude, there’s a lot of labour, work and rework, at every stage of the making process. Firstly, the settings were created by moulding sheets of wax around each and every emerald. This allowed for a tight and accurate fit. There was a lot of fine-tuning, of course, as each emerald presented its own unique problem to resolve. Essentially, I wanted the settings to resemble seed pods. I also wanted the settings to be minimal in appearance without jeopardising the strength and integrity of the wreath at large. The composition went through a myriad of changes before - and after - the wax settings were cast into Corinthian bronze. In the end, I was working the composition directly onto the bust to locate the perfect position for each and every emerald. Position was paramount for the function and balance of the design. The wreath has a special feature which allows it to open and close like wings, and this was created by the lateral movement of the torque locking clasp. Also, it was imperative it would be comfortable to wear. I wanted it to have the weft and warp of fabric, so small numbers of emeralds were pinned and articulated, as a group, on both sides to provide greater wearability and movement. Once the nuances of each setting were resolved, and the mechanics of the composition were determined, the wreath finally began to take-on its given form. It was somewhat of a miracle that it was ready in time for ‘Pressure and Time’. The exhibition title certainly lived up to its name.
6. What is deceptively difficult about a piece like this? Were there any challenges the viewer would never guess? Was there then a moment in the process where the piece ‘turns the corner’ and starts to feel alive?
There were many difficulties - but the overall devising and revising of the composition itself, together with the positioning of every emerald was deceptively difficult. I’m reminded of W.B. Yeats, who said, ‘If it does not seem a moment’s thought, our stitching and unstitching has been naught.’ And there was definitely a moment when the work had turned a corner and started to feel alive. I distinctly remember holding the first blackened Corinthian bronze setting between my thumb and forefinger –and when I clicked the emerald into place, I felt something lift in me. It was as if my heart had taken its first breath in months. I could see the whole work for the first time.
The blackened Corinthian bronze setting for the Wreath.
7. Onto the earrings: how did the earrings evolve out of the wreath/vice versa? Were they planned from the beginning, or did the form suggest itself as you worked?
Goddess Earrings, Todd Turner.
The earrings are an entity unto themselves. I see them as a symbol of feminine strength. However, there is a cross-fertilisation of themes between the ‘Goddess’ earrings and the ‘Wreath’.
The design of the earrings and the wreath pay homage to ancient mythology, which is another Keatsian influence. The earrings' 'arrow' is a symbolic reference to Cupid and Artemis while the shell-shaped motif references Botticelli’s 'The Birth of Venus'.
Botticelli's Birth of Venus.
8. What do you hope someone sees or feels when they encounter this work for the first time?
A moment of awe and wonder.
9. Are there any other significant aspects of making these beautiful oeuvres, that you'd like people to know?
Yes, I would Iike people to know that both works are made entirely by hand, which is an act of devotion, in service to the jewel. Please know that your interest supports ‘Courtesy of the Artist’ who support many Australian artists, and in this instance, the work of a goldsmith and poet who makes everything by hand – and whose third book of poetry, Breathwork, is set to be published in May 2026.
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