SOUNDPIECES was the first line of jewellery I created. Before I started working with sound waves directly I was working with other motifs of music culture in order to record history. It started in 1999 when I decided to cast the 45 adaptor in silver and wear it as a necklace.
'Soundpieces' has definitely taken a back seat to 'Soundwave'. It is a collection which is full of untapped potential. It will require work put into order. However I am waiting for the day I get a chance to relaunch it.
I'm not sure when I defined it as a collection but this is one of the many artist statements that accompanied it.
Soundpieces is a line of jewellery that uses motifs inspired by contemporary music culture. Its purpose is to communicate tradition, record history, promote unity, and give individuals a way of expressing their identity.
Cultures are precious, helping us define ourselves and shaping our relationship with others. Members of a society rely on symbols to structure their thoughts, express their values and form their identity. These cultural markers provide the limits of their customs and traditions.
Soundpieces uses the traditional goldsmithing techniques of casting, wax carving and hand fabrication to remove objects from their original environment redefining what makes them precious. Viewing forms out of context provides the object with a venue for further study. Questioning its placement solidifies an object in time and records its relevance to society today. The subtleness of these pieces allows the wearer to communicate commitment towards their culture. The recognition of these objects creates a bond between the wearer and the admirer, helping people to connect on a more intimate level.
With the racing pace of today's technology many musical mediums are quickly rendered obsolete. These pieces make reference to the impermanence of our society and define a culture using a visual language. Combining these symbols with precious metal transforms them from disposable objects into cultural artifacts, they will not be forgotten and will continue to arouse interest, trigger a memory or become a learning experience. Creating tribute to these mediums preserves them for years to come. Future generations can study these pieces, their design process and materials to draw a conclusion of the values present in today’s society.
Custom Soundwave Dog Tag
Milo's first words
It is always a special treat when clients are able to make it into the recording studio. While not a necessity it allows me to monitor the recording process and offer some tips on how to achieve the most aesthetically pleasing sound wave.
For the piece above I had the pleasure of welcoming baby Milo and his Mom to the studio. This custom men's dog tag was created for his father. Milo needed little instruction as he sat on the floor and began chewing on the mic. As I often do I stepped out of the room to give my clients some privacy and make them feel a little more relaxed. However this time I couldn't help peaking in to witness this little guy make his first recording. He was a bit shy at first but within five minutes we had tons of material and the perfect sound wave for his father to wear with pride.
It excites me most to think that one day baby Milo will be all grown up and be able to see his first sound wave. If he's lucky his father might pass this piece of jewellery onto him. I might be biased but in my opinion this is way better then a pair of bronzed baby booties.
