Pretty sure....

That every type of glue hates me now.

Acrylic earrings.

Fancy photographs

I spent a good chunk of yesterday taking photographs for fellow students for portfolio fodder and managed to take a few decent shots of some works in progress...behold!

Earring/nose cuff trio

More work on the plugs, though one got melted so I get to start that one all over again. Part of the cheek/nose cuff has been worked on, so there's at least some progress going on. Sorry for the blurry photographs, but they give an idea of what's been going on.

Production series, front and back so far...

I'm chugging along on the production series...here's some pictures to see what I've done.

Pin fronts

Pin backs

Earring trio in process...

I've got the plugs made for my earring trio. In a perfect world I would have made a cylinder first then cut the two plugs from it to make sure they were exact but I'm working with what I've got left right now. All things considered they are pretty even size wise. Now to shine 'em up and put the facings on them!

More work on the mask, so much still to do but it's coming along. Also at the same time I'm working on finishing more enamel pins and a production series. Woooo, stress.

Production templates laid out...

I've got the templates laid out and partially cut out, hopefully by the end of the weekend they'll be completely sawn out and ready for enamelling.

Production sample!

For my production project I will be making 5 brooches as a series playing on simple enamel color but layering texture through over and under firing enamels and then etching patterns into the surface with glass etching cream.

Here is an idea of the shape, though the bottom is a bit burned, oops!

More work on the mask...

I've put in more time on the mask, it's a bit frustrating because after nearly 3 hours I can't see a ton of difference. Still, I'll keep chipping away at it.

Blank Statement Pin, 2013.

Here is the main piece from my Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship work. "Blank Statement"   is comprised of multiple layers of enameled copper, utilizing the champleve technique, and layers of bronze and brass.

Mask basics

For my chasing and repousse project I'm exploring the realities and feelings associated with personality disorders and anxiety, specifically de-personalization and feelings of detachment and a lack of a sense of individual self.

To explore these ideas I have chosen to make a two layered mask, the bottom is a photo etched champleve enameled layer, the top or outer layer will be a chassed piece. The imagery is taken from a self portrait taken with a broken flatbed scanner several years ago.

Here is the enameled layer, just done being etched. I have to do some basic forming and sawing on it then add the glass!

Here is the chasing and repousse layer in progress, this will need more forming and then sawing out areas and finishing. The two pieces will then slot together.

Mask from the back.

Mask from the front

I suppose my biggest question is how to mount this so it can be worn. My professor suggested carving acrylic to make earpieces, which would work functionally, I'm just not sure how to incorporate that so that it looks like it is meant to be a part of the work.

Potential images for etching.

Here are two different images I've been working on for possible etchings to be used on various projects during the semester. These have been manipulated from either advertising copy and a self portrait I took with a broken flat bed scanner a few years ago. These images have been distilled to pure black and white images to work with PNP paper, probably one of my favorite resists for etching.

Tool making!

Rocking out some chasing and repousse tools for the semester.

First project: base image for photo eching.

Copyright Robin Connell, 2013.

This photograph was taken with a near broken flat bed scanner, The slow speed of the scanner scanning at a very high resolution (and the fact it was barely working) created some interesting distortions in the image. For photo etching I need to work with a completely black and white image, so I will need to manipulate it to make it black and white. Once manipulated I will be able to print it out on PNP paper and then etch the image into copper. The final result will be enameled in the champleve technique.

First project, enamel and chased mask, mechanical concerns.

The mask will be two layers, one a photo etching with champleve enamel so I need to make sure that the movement of the second layer doesn't put an undue stress on the enamel layer. Instead of having a spring or hinge mechanism my professor came up with a great idea to have the layers slide, using slots like a stereoscope viewing device. The best part of having this versus a hinge will allow the mask and narrative to be expanded on later.



As you can see in this image there are two wire slots on the viewer that hold stereoscope cards. The mask itself will use a similar idea but be solid tabs.

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Another example of a stereoscope machine showing how the card is held.

New semester!

It's hard to believe that's already the fourth week of the semester but things are starting to really kick into gear. First project out is a chasing/repousse project, while this semester has no theme we still have to choose a narrative for our first project. I'm settling on less of a direct narrative (i.e. a written story) than exploring personality disorders and existential crises. My plan is to make a multilayerd mask that uses both chasing and repousse techniques and incorporates my studies into champleve enameling over the summer. Stay tuned as I will be posting references and sketches soon!

End of semester zaniness...

Another semester down, still need to put some finishing touches on my last project but hopefully soon there will be pictures up. Even though this semester was frustrating and a bit crazy, I learned a ton. My favorite project was the silver eyebrows that I made. There was something really satisfying about making some smaller pieces that were quite whimsical in their function and somewhat impractical. It also gave me a chance to really explore adding texture to sheet metal and creating a work that while fabricated feels a bit more like a wax cast piece.

Here is another very low-res image of the eyebrow:

Some exciting things coming down the pipeline. I was awarded an Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship to explore the link between propaganda and enameling from late may through mid-august. Whether it was for religious propaganda in the Middle Ages to die stamped Soviet pins and medals in the 20th century, the ability to add bold color to metal provides an interesting way to disseminate ideas via jewelry and other precious objects.

While I may need to set up a separate blog to document the work I'll be doing over the summer I thought I would take some time to post some references here. The references run the gamut from actual enamel examples to outsider artists that influence me.

Considering that the term Propaganda stems from the Catholic Church it should be no surprise that enamels were frequently applied to religious relics. Enamels used this way functioned similarly to the stained glass windows found in churches throughout Europe, on one level helping to teach biblical stories to illiterate masses and on  another level to provide a sense of mystical awe.

Also here are some great examples of how bold color with emotionally loaded imagery can present propaganda in a insidious, oddly subtle way. By wearing a medals such as these the wearer is not just indicating an achievement but is transmitting notions of the greatness of the state.

15th century religious triptych. 

St. Gregory the Great. Enamel plaque, Jacques I Laudin.

Order of Victory, Soviet Union.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_Victory

The only Soviet Medal to be made by a jeweler and not manufactured in a factory.  

Order of the Badge of Honour, Soviet Union.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Badge_of_Honor

Let's Fulfill the Plan of Great Works, Gustav Klutsis.

Postcard for the All Union Spartikiada Sporting Event, Gustav Klutsis.

Pamiati Pogibshikh Vozhdei, Gustav Klutsis.

Work in progress for kinetic project.

Current work in progress, 2013. There is some great texture going on here, but the picture is pretty low res so it's hard to see right now. Of course I'll put up better pictures once it's finished!

Further references for body modification theme...

Glass Eye, German, circa 1872-1930.

Hard (Haptic or Scleral) Contacts, circa 1940's.  These early contacts were meant to rest on the white portion (sclera) of the eye. While these were not intended to modify the body, certainly wearing hard contacts would have had some effect on how the eyelid looked opened or closed.

Kasey McMahon, Bird Cage Dress.

Antique Partial Dentures, date unknown. 

Erhardt's Mouth Speculum, circa 1884.

Advertisement for Erhardt's Mouth Speculum. 

Wooden  Elbow Splint, circa Civil War.

Spermatorrhea Ring, circa late Victorian to Early Edwardian Era. Back when masturbation was not only considered a sin but believed to be the cause of a number of illnesses people would place these devices around the genitals to prevent self stimulation. Often times these were used voluntarily.  

Body modification and you!

Lately I've been thinking about jewelry based body modification, specifically body modification that is non-invasive. Items such as corsets, splints and quack medicine items like the Victorian nasal rectificateur have been used to mold the human shape for either recuperative purposes or to obtain a fashionable (if unnatural) shape. I'm currently designing a few pieces meant to contort the body, in the mean time here are some of the current references I've been looking at.

Una Burke.

Una Burke, Retreat, 2012.

French Nasal Rectificateur. A quack medical device from around the turn of the last century. It was meant to be worn to change the shape of the nose, making it more pleasing visually. Needless to say, it didn't work.

Victorian to Edwardian Wrist Splint. 

Victorian Summer Corset, circa 1890-1900.

Victorian Neck Brace.

Victorian Corset, drawing, circa 1878.

Ring, first cast project, fall 2012.

Ring, sterling silver, 2012.