rapidlyclosingwindow... #2 - breastplate

2023

Made for the Radical Jewelry Makeover project, coordinated by Susie Ganch and Kathleen Kennedy for Ethical Metalsmiths' 'innovative community mining project.'

A contiguous rectangular sheet of conjoined smaller individual rectangles of metal in two sizes, strung on black chain. The rectangle is in three colours; bronze and silver with occasional segments of gold (cut from from a gold-plated flat-linked bracelet). All parts are made from recycled jewellery – in the silver and bronze colours these are links from a former chain - so have a crimped effect which is evidence of the links being unfolded. These are of plated steel; plating metal unknown. The metal is magnetic, and one of the rectangles evidences a small amount of rust from the underlying steel surface. The metal segments are joined with different colours of small, welded chain links, made from recycled necklaces. Their interior metal is unknown, but they are plated in chrome, silver and gold.

This rectangle is held on the body with blackened steel chain lengths, made in a way that it will roughly hold its shape when worn.

Recycled plated mild steel, recycled non-precious chain, recycled steel chain, recycled silver-plated clasp

45 x 13 x 1cm