How often are we drawn to the beauty and value of something only to discover darker truths that will question our attraction?
My journey with gold begins with the societal and environmental issues surrounding the process of gold mining. I have chosen to use jewelry and it’s cultural associations to raise awareness and illuminate some harsh truths about gold that are not normally considered during purchase, adornment or investment.
Charm bracelets are usually worn to delightfully commemorate milestones in a person’s life. One expects a whimsical tale, told through the symbology of adorable charms. My charm bracelets offer a look into gold’s dark historical chapters; the perils of the mining life and the enslavement and exploitation of indigenous peoples living near gold mines all over the world. A wedding band that symbolizes promise and commitment conflicts with the devastating environmental impact of mining the gold to make the ring.
Collages of gold’s molecular and crystalline structure become abstract expressions of beauty. These are framed within the unexpected context of Victorian photo album pages used to display precious sentimental pictures. The collages are also layered to “veil” images of a gold miner and a skeleton. These new contexts juxtapose the beautiful, innocent and valuable with the heartbreaking reality of gold processing.
How charming are the bracelets worn for “good fortune”? How can the golden talismans we buy ward off bad luck when evil is inherent in gold itself? At what point does a modern society agree that certain things are a waste of resources? What environmental damage can we live with? What human cost is acceptable?
