A SPIRITED MARRIAGE OF ARTIST AND TOOLS
Hammer and Hand is a dynamic collective of artists who make unique jewellery, accessories and beautiful things from metal. Each member of the collective presents a story, distilled, melted, remade and hammered into glorious usable pieces that you can own, should you so desire. (And desire you will.) Members take turns manning the retail space and using the on-site workshop. Peruse the store and have a chat to whoever’s on duty – it’s a great chance to meet an artist and find out more about their work.Local blacksmith Ben Beames, for example, sells small works here (when he’s not too busy making steel furniture for MONA, that is). Other than metal, available products include stainless-steel utensils, handcrafted leather accessories, sculptures, art cards and even medieval shields for the warlord within. Jewellery here is also made from materials like leather, plastic and even sea kelp. Take local jeweller and collective member Ella Knight, who recycles found objects – such as colourful retro kitchenware – into funky pop-inspired pieces. Artistic influences are wide and varied but common themes of natural elements and gleanings from local society infuse this authentic and uniquely Tasmanian art space. The rustic back workshop is a well-loved, well-used zone that provides a peek at some fascinating tools and equipment, and a glimpse into the working processes of the collective members. At Hammer and Hand, you’re invited in, not just to look around and spend some cash, but to participate, albeit in a voyeuristic fashion, in the spirited marriage of artist and tools.
