Derek McGarry – Share-wear February 2013
share·wear
/ˈSHe(ə)rˌwe(ə)r/
Noun
Computer aided design and manufacturing digital files that are available free of charge and distributed informally for evaluation, redevelopment or augmentation through creative commons channels such as Thingiverse.com and Shapeways.com.
Commencing in March 2013, Share-wear is a unique collaborative jewellery design project that is created by Irish designer Derek McGarry together with a growing network of participating designers. Based on the creative commons model, Share-wear sets out as a design exchange for anyone interested in making contemporary wearables. The aim of the Share-wear design collective is not only to produce a significant portfolio of innovative jewellery designs but, more importantly, to document the on-line collaborative design process.
During the 12 month project, the focus is to establish an on-line international forum where ideas, design work and prototypes are openly shared. Share-wear will harness the use of digital technology and analogue studio craft practices. Computer aided design (CAD) and computer aided manufacturing (CAM) files will be freely exchanged, re-imagined and reinterpreted to produce diverse collections of virtual and physical contemporary jewellery in a wide range of materials.
The objective is to promote Share-wear across the world through publication, exhibition, seminars, workshops…..etc. This project is not driven by commerce. Any proceeds from future sales of work should be shared within the Share-wear design community and/or used to offset project costs.
Share-wear begins as a small collection of Derek McGarry’s produced in plywood for the Inhorgenta jewellery exhibition in Germany in February 2013. What sets this idea apart is that McGarry deliberately sets out to freely give away copies of his digital jewellery computer aided design files for other designers to copy, augment, transform and exchange. Dropbox links to the first set of McGarry’s digital jewellery files will be found at:
https://sharewearblog.wordpress.com
Crucially, through online collaboration he expects his work to be further developed by designers who are prepared to reciprocate by sharing their jewellery creations. In this way, not only can the scale of the work be altered, individual components can be reworked or replaced before the redesigns are shared within the Share-wear network. The work can be produced in a wide variety of materials using online manufacturing service bureaus and academic research centres.
You might ask why would a designer give their design work away for free? McGarry explains that his main interest lies in working collaboratively with other designers to see how they might respond to his work. Through remodeling or hacking his design work will be further developed in a manner that McGarry cannot really anticipate. So although he freely gives away copies of the original digital jewellery design files he expects to get back new and improved versions of his initial Share-wear jewellery designs. McGarry will continue to build a Share-wear portfolio of both virtual and physical jewellery, and perhaps other related wearables, in a wide range of materials, colours and sizes.
McGarry feels the Share-wear concept creates an exciting dialogue around creativity in design. He says, although he has been using computer aided design and new technology tools in his craft studio practice for a quite a while he’s by no means an expert. He believes he has an awareness of what works and doesn’t work aesthetically and functionally but is always open to constructive suggestions.
‘The thought of other more proficient and knowledgable designers playing around with my design work is really exciting. Yes, you have to take a leap of faith but the Share-wear dividends should be very valuable. To have designers from other disciplines, such as aeronautical engineering or architecture amongst many others, redesign and influence my work, as well as making their own, should be such a thrill. Who knows where my Share-wear idea could take my jewellery designs but I’m extremely excited to find out. ‘
For more information contact:
Derek Garry: e: mcgarryd@ncad.ie
sharewearblog 