Current Events Sim Luttin Exhibition Baked, Not Fried Past Events New Works My Pet Rock Through the Window Transitions Twice Bitten Sweet Dominance New, Used and Fused Portals and Night Vision Teresa Lane Nibbles Welcome to Gemrock Goodbye Robot Correlation Fever Opening Party An Exhibition of Jewellery June 22 - July 15, 2006 Correlation is the result of a continued exploration by gold and silversmith Elfrun Lach into the symbolism, materiality and historical use of coral. The jewellery pieces made for the exhibition come from an investigation into this precious material and these wearable works stand as a metaphor for growth and decay, strength and fragility. A natural material, coral has been highly prized throughout various cultures and periods, the oldest surviving finds are coral beads and artefacts from Neolithic burial sites dating back to 10,000BC. Red coral in particular has been considered precious by southern European cultures, and sometimes appears in medieval and renaissance paintings being worn or held by the infant Jesus. Lach creates contemporary offerings and interpretations of coral as well as including some real pieces of different corals in her work. She also has used a variety of other materials like felt, glass beads, wood, silver, porcelain and recycled plastics. By using these materials alongside coral, with all its associations, she offers up new objects of desire. Considering how humans have now endangered the very existence of coral by dredging the sea floor, Lach's jewellery pieces elevate humble materials to present a new preciousness in her works which evoke rather than mimic this material. She is currently continuing to explore these themes whilst undertaking a Masters in Fine Arts at RMIT, Melbourne.