Utility Art: Art doesn't not just have to be for please, it can also be for utility. I made this jewelry holder from shells, driftwood and a stone from the beaches of the west coast of Haida Gwaii. When I was roaming the beaches I started collecting and shells, I looked at the abalone and thought it would be cool to hang earings from the holes in the abalone shell. From there my jewelery holder took shape and I started collecting for this purpose. I used wood glue to glue the wood to the rock and shells to the wood. Wood glue works for EVERYTHING I have come to realize.
I love art that I can use because I appreciate it on a daily basis, not just when I pause for a moment to look at it. I often put my earings on in the morning and look at this piece and I remember where all the parts of it came from, it's nostalgic in a sense.
I think utility art can be a great thing for our students, because they can appreciate it every time they use it. It's not just something that gets put on the fridge or shelf for a couple of month and then in the garbage when the next great piece of artwork comes home and replaces it.
I made art (not for utility though) with shells from the island a few years ago...i had hanging hemp with shells glued on....they were kind of like little chimes...so this is a really cool...and practical piece of art!
ReplyDeleteI think you've captured the essence of creativity - to combine materials in new ways. It makes the piece more meaningful that you collected the materials yourself - each component of the finished piece obviously appealed to you even before you put it all together.
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