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The Wunderkammer (also known as Kunstkammer) is a predecessor to the modern museum and held encyclopaedic collections of objects and animals whose categorical boundaries were yet to be defined as real or fake.  One such animal was the Wopertinger, later identified as a fictional animal, and is said to have inhabited the alpine forests in Bavaria.  The Wopertinger is thought to have been inspired by sightings of wild rabbits infected with a virus that produced the growth of antler-like tumours in various places on the rabbit’s head and body.

In 1857 Gabriel Kaltermarckt advised Christian 1st of Saxony that three types of items were indispensible in forming a Wunderkammer, or art collection – firstly, sculptures and paintings, secondly, curious items from home or abroad and thirdly, antlers, horns, claws, feathers and other things belonging to strange and curious animals.
This is the inspiration behind Monster Zoo, a collection of contemporary jewellery and wearable curiosities created by Justine Austen who is the second recipient in the KickArts 2009 Hatch Program.

Justine’s creations are monsters that, like Wopletingers, need to be displayed and categorised to give validity to the creatures that lurk in people’s imaginations.  They are the monsters that inhabit the nooks and crannies of our every day life giving form and meaning to unexplained occurrences (like who or what turns the light off in the refrigerator) and making the fear of monsters something to be embraced, celebrated and worn with pride.

Working as a contemporary Jeweller and miniature sculpture artist Justine, who graduated from Gold and Silversmithing with Honours from Monash University, creates exhibition pieces, commissions and a number of limited production ranges sold through various galleries nationally. Her work demonstrates a sense of history, a story, a hidden aspect that can be discovered and is often accompanied with humour.  She tries to inspire a gentle smile, a reminiscence, a hidden meaning, a double entendre.  
Justine is fascinated with the way people communicate using body adornment and the identity they can create for themselves through a piece of jewellery.  She particularly enjoys the way each piece develops new meanings, other than those she has attached, through the wearer and the viewer of the piece once it has left her hands.  

Balancing somewhere between fine art and pop, Justine’s creations seem quirky, playful, absurd and offbeat.  The transformation of somewhat random objects and materials into new works dictates the technique, depending on the piece and the envisioned outcome.  Her style is graphic, using a simple and strong visual iconographic language that she has developed, drawing on historical and modern references.
Monster Zoo opens at KickArts on Friday April 17 in Gallery 2.  The doors open at 6.00pm and to avoid a clash with the opening of This is Cassowary Country at Cairns Regional Gallery, formalities for the evening will commence at 7.15pm.  The exhibition runs until Saturday June 6.  Entry is free and everybody is welcome.

Ref :KickArts