in 2018, i was beginning a new project questioning what ‘desirable’ or ‘valuable’ could mean to me and in our material culture.
just as our relationship with human beings, our perception of things may evolve, change and take another direction. how is this possible?
according to hans peter hahn (german professor for ethnology), there is no stability in the human-thing relationship and the meanings once attributed may develop over time, especially in the context of shared social interactions: monuments or objects have been substituted or removed because people felt that they were no longer desired and appreciated.[1] this shows that concepts and their related physical manifestations accompany us through various moments of life– those from the past as well as for the new ones.
in my earlier works, i drew inspiration from our countless everyday gestures and the traces we leave (repairing the impact – series). now, i consciously have begun to work with retained, simple gestures. i make use of the techniques of mass production, such as moulding objects using casting and thermoforming techniques. the outcome is consequently a break with my previous artistic practice, a certain radicalness in my way of making. i realise the repetition of existing models and utilise them for individual expression. my earlier works ultimately become models for these forms. by reducing them to a single material, i consider them anew, as if they have been emptied of their original meaning.
the materiality of things and its correspondent meaning(s) are consequently part of this transformation. it is the shift of perception towards a new evaluation.
the french writer, philosopher and art historian florence de mèredieu concludes in her book “material and immaterial history of modern art“ that the mere presence of matter is a confrontation. she asserts this by borrowing the words of french literary theorist, essayist, philosopher, critic and semiotician roland barthes: “the stubbornness of material”[2]: even if a painter aims to give sense to the painted image by means of what it represents or through the way colour is applied, the pencil and the paint used are not neutral. they can in no way be ignored and remain things and substances. nothing can undo their obstinacy of just “being there”.
since the beginning of the 20th century, physicians have discussed the subjective and dynamic nature of reality and consider that it is depending upon how it is observed or measured. relativity and quantum mechanics provide theories that demonstrate how reality is not absolute.[3]
the influence of these scientific concepts extended to how materials are perceived and used in art and reflected the recognition that materiality is not fixed but can be transformed by context and perception.
i have observed that inexpensive, despised materials particularly suitable for my undertaking -as in this context the message prevails the price. the viscosity of the unnoble aluminium, its sometimes-uncontrollable mass when poured into the negative mould, the possibility of not being able to predict the result… all this is very present; the unexpected can hence only be included in the work.
in the book “materiality and society“, the british sociologist tim dant reflects on the fact that material itself has an impact on the relationship between humans and things. he seeks to grasp the nature of materiality as a form that we can related to at an abstract or theoretical level.[4] materiality enables us to engage in diverse interactions, whether directly (for example as an extension of our bodies by way of tools), or indirectly (by way of interpersonal communication and behaviour), involving sensorial and affective aspects.
dant cites the french phenomenological philosopher maurice merleau-ponty: the body is “that by which there are objects”[5] and our experience with materiality starts from the perspective: as we take things into our hands to have a better look at them. merleau-ponty calls this a “kinaesthetic situation”.[6]
based on this idea, tim ingold’s concept of “correspondence” in creative processes describes the ongoing flow between our sensory engagement with materials in the process of life. as our body and senses respond to what captures our attention, artefacts and thoughts emerge naturally, without being predetermined outcomes. according to ingold, the maker is positioned between the anticipation of imagination and the resistance of materials, working within an interconnected environment.[7]
exploring multiple perspectives, fragmented realities, and the impermanence of perception,my new way of working remains a subjective activity, the body being an intermediary between worlds. through this silent research “from the inside out”, the new pieces of jewellery ultimately contain marks of the original piece, traces of transformation, as well as a form that has been blurred in its recognizability, only to reinvent itself again.
the french psychoanalyst and psychiatrist serge tisseron argues that our experiences with material do not only happen on a sensory level, but that things provide a bridge between the inner psychic life of the individual and the outer social life of the surrounding world.[8]
i can see that these dissolved forms from my making process contrast with the expectations one would consider as jewellery. nevertheless, i try to develop an enthusiasm for this incompleteness, the absence, and to deal with it somehow. i feel drawn to the inner, negative parts of my objects, to the damaged or ‘faded’ fragments. they allow emotional values to resonate in a mysterious way. i start to invent innovative technical approaches, seize the opportunity to put a new artistic vocabulary into practice. i intensify the notion of reproduction by repeating the casting, changing the moulds, deepening empty areas, or filling them with liquid material. consistency of the casting or deliberate exaggeration of the act of copying? the only constant in this way of working seems to be the alteration that happens over and over again. by reproducing the objects and moulding them several times, various fragments are created that nevertheless have a common ‘memory’. the idea of exploring how something changes through action and time is present. the marks of the original piece are fixed somewhere in the material, like a souvenir that is recalled but is perhaps not always recognisable or even remains in the subconscious.
“things (and materials) do not have a memory of their own, but it can be made. they carry memories which we have invested in them; then, they are reminding objects”, writes aleida assmann, german researcher and professor of english and literary studies with a focus on cultural anthropology and cultural and communicative memory.[9] dealing with memory and how it is represented has been her subject for research for many years. “forgetting and remembering are not clear-cut concepts: we forget more than we remember and thus the major part [of memory] is lost”, she concludes in her book “forms of forgetting”[10]. remembering is demanding and confronting, as it happens to resist forgetting.
i could complete that in my current works, my ‘bas-reliefs’ (cast aluminium in sand) and plastic ‘veils’ (thermoforming technique) are like tactile photographs, reminders of my previous works. in order for them to emerge from their isolation as objects, to become jewellery, and feel like they belong to a body, i mainly use colourful, precious metal alloys (in contrast to cool aluminium), sensitive shades of colour that are created by chance in the crucible. the surfaces of the metals then change as they are worn and come to life.
finally, in the article “nos objets quotidiens”, serge tisseron shares his conviction that, above all, “objects are used for assimilating the experiences of the world. hence, they are mediators between subjectivity and socialisation (…) considering that objects may connect us to ourselves and to others (…)” [11]
references:
[1] some recent examples from 2020, in the context of civil protests against racism and police violence in the united states and the european union: the 17th century british slave trader edward colston was dumped into bristol harbour; in antwerp, belgian king leopold ii was burned and ultimately removed; in the united states, more than a dozen statues have been toppled, including several confederate figures.
[2] translated from: de mèredieu, florence: histoire matérielle et immatérielle de l’art moderne, paris: bordas cultures, 1994, p.377.
[3] perception can change instantly due to relativistic effects (einstein’s special relativity, 1905), quantum superpositions (e.g., schrödinger’s cat thought experiment), or the observer effect (heisenberg’s uncertainty principle), highlighting the dynamic nature of reality.
[4] dant, tim: materiality and society, berkshire and new york: open university press, 2005, p.8.
[5]dant, materiality and society, p.91, referring to merleau-ponty, m.: phenomenology of perception, london: routledge, 1962, p.92.
[6] merleau-ponty, phenomenology of perception, p.303.
casting the silence
in 2018, i was beginning a new project questioning what ‘desirable’ or ‘valuable’ could mean to me and in our material culture.
just as our relationship with human beings, our perception of things may evolve, change and take another direction. how is this possible?
according to hans peter hahn (german professor for ethnology), there is no stability in the human-thing relationship and the meanings once attributed may develop over time, especially in the context of shared social interactions: monuments or objects have been substituted or removed because people felt that they were no longer desired and appreciated.[1] this shows that concepts and their related physical manifestations accompany us through various moments of life– those from the past as well as for the new ones.
in my earlier works, i drew inspiration from our countless everyday gestures and the traces we leave (repairing the impact – series). now, i consciously have begun to work with retained, simple gestures. i make use of the techniques of mass production, such as moulding objects using casting and thermoforming techniques. the outcome is consequently a break with my previous artistic practice, a certain radicalness in my way of making. i realise the repetition of existing models and utilise them for individual expression. my earlier works ultimately become models for these forms. by reducing them to a single material, i consider them anew, as if they have been emptied of their original meaning.
the materiality of things and its correspondent meaning(s) are consequently part of this transformation. it is the shift of perception towards a new evaluation.
the french writer, philosopher and art historian florence de mèredieu concludes in her book “material and immaterial history of modern art“ that the mere presence of matter is a confrontation. she asserts this by borrowing the words of french literary theorist, essayist, philosopher, critic and semiotician roland barthes: “the stubbornness of material”[2]: even if a painter aims to give sense to the painted image by means of what it represents or through the way colour is applied, the pencil and the paint used are not neutral. they can in no way be ignored and remain things and substances. nothing can undo their obstinacy of just “being there”.
since the beginning of the 20th century, physicians have discussed the subjective and dynamic nature of reality and consider that it is depending upon how it is observed or measured. relativity and quantum mechanics provide theories that demonstrate how reality is not absolute.[3]
the influence of these scientific concepts extended to how materials are perceived and used in art and reflected the recognition that materiality is not fixed but can be transformed by context and perception.
i have observed that inexpensive, despised materials particularly suitable for my undertaking -as in this context the message prevails the price. the viscosity of the unnoble aluminium, its sometimes-uncontrollable mass when poured into the negative mould, the possibility of not being able to predict the result… all this is very present; the unexpected can hence only be included in the work.
in the book “materiality and society“, the british sociologist tim dant reflects on the fact that material itself has an impact on the relationship between humans and things. he seeks to grasp the nature of materiality as a form that we can related to at an abstract or theoretical level.[4] materiality enables us to engage in diverse interactions, whether directly (for example as an extension of our bodies by way of tools), or indirectly (by way of interpersonal communication and behaviour), involving sensorial and affective aspects.
dant cites the french phenomenological philosopher maurice merleau-ponty: the body is “that by which there are objects”[5] and our experience with materiality starts from the perspective: as we take things into our hands to have a better look at them. merleau-ponty calls this a “kinaesthetic situation”.[6]
based on this idea, tim ingold’s concept of “correspondence” in creative processes describes the ongoing flow between our sensory engagement with materials in the process of life. as our body and senses respond to what captures our attention, artefacts and thoughts emerge naturally, without being predetermined outcomes. according to ingold, the maker is positioned between the anticipation of imagination and the resistance of materials, working within an interconnected environment.[7]
exploring multiple perspectives, fragmented realities, and the impermanence of perception, my new way of working remains a subjective activity, the body being an intermediary between worlds. through this silent research “from the inside out”, the new pieces of jewellery ultimately contain marks of the original piece, traces of transformation, as well as a form that has been blurred in its recognizability, only to reinvent itself again.
the french psychoanalyst and psychiatrist serge tisseron argues that our experiences with material do not only happen on a sensory level, but that things provide a bridge between the inner psychic life of the individual and the outer social life of the surrounding world.[8]
i can see that these dissolved forms from my making process contrast with the expectations one would consider as jewellery. nevertheless, i try to develop an enthusiasm for this incompleteness, the absence, and to deal with it somehow. i feel drawn to the inner, negative parts of my objects, to the damaged or ‘faded’ fragments. they allow emotional values to resonate in a mysterious way. i start to invent innovative technical approaches, seize the opportunity to put a new artistic vocabulary into practice. i intensify the notion of reproduction by repeating the casting, changing the moulds, deepening empty areas, or filling them with liquid material. consistency of the casting or deliberate exaggeration of the act of copying? the only constant in this way of working seems to be the alteration that happens over and over again. by reproducing the objects and moulding them several times, various fragments are created that nevertheless have a common ‘memory’. the idea of exploring how something changes through action and time is present. the marks of the original piece are fixed somewhere in the material, like a souvenir that is recalled but is perhaps not always recognisable or even remains in the subconscious.
“things (and materials) do not have a memory of their own, but it can be made. they carry memories which we have invested in them; then, they are reminding objects”, writes aleida assmann, german researcher and professor of english and literary studies with a focus on cultural anthropology and cultural and communicative memory.[9] dealing with memory and how it is represented has been her subject for research for many years. “forgetting and remembering are not clear-cut concepts: we forget more than we remember and thus the major part [of memory] is lost”, she concludes in her book “forms of forgetting”[10]. remembering is demanding and confronting, as it happens to resist forgetting.
i could complete that in my current works, my ‘bas-reliefs’ (cast aluminium in sand) and plastic ‘veils’ (thermoforming technique) are like tactile photographs, reminders of my previous works. in order for them to emerge from their isolation as objects, to become jewellery, and feel like they belong to a body, i mainly use colourful, precious metal alloys (in contrast to cool aluminium), sensitive shades of colour that are created by chance in the crucible. the surfaces of the metals then change as they are worn and come to life.
finally, in the article “nos objets quotidiens”, serge tisseron shares his conviction that, above all, “objects are used for assimilating the experiences of the world. hence, they are mediators between subjectivity and socialisation (…) considering that objects may connect us to ourselves and to others (…)” [11]
references:
[1] some recent examples from 2020, in the context of civil protests against racism and police violence in the united states and the european union: the 17th century british slave trader edward colston was dumped into bristol harbour; in antwerp, belgian king leopold ii was burned and ultimately removed; in the united states, more than a dozen statues have been toppled, including several confederate figures.
[2] translated from: de mèredieu, florence: histoire matérielle et immatérielle de l’art moderne, paris: bordas cultures, 1994, p.377.
[3] perception can change instantly due to relativistic effects (einstein’s special relativity, 1905), quantum superpositions (e.g., schrödinger’s cat thought experiment), or the observer effect (heisenberg’s uncertainty principle), highlighting the dynamic nature of reality.
[4] dant, tim: materiality and society, berkshire and new york: open university press, 2005, p.8.
[5] dant, materiality and society, p.91, referring to merleau-ponty, m.: phenomenology of perception, london: routledge, 1962, p.92.
[6] merleau-ponty, phenomenology of perception, p.303.
[7] lectures (accessed 29.11.2021) by prof. dr. tim ingold (chair of social anthropology at university of aberdeen) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=occokqmhtg4 (training the senses)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygne72-4zyo (thinking through making)
[8] dant, tim: materiality and society, berkshire and new york: open university press, 2005, p.63.
[9] erll; nünnig (eds.): cultural memory studies, 2008, p.111.
[10] assmann, aleida : formen des vergessens, wallstein verlag, göttingen, 2016, p.67
[11] i translated this citation from the following article: tisseron, serge: hermès, la revue, paris, 1999/3 (n° 25), p. 57-66. http://documents.irevues.inist.fr/bitstream/handle/2042/14974/hermes_1999_25_57.pdf?sequence=1 (accessed 29.11.2021)