Old Masters
Old Masters
Sandra Romito (Christies old master department) gave me a cotton bag with nails. She explained that they came from old master paintings after the frames had been removed for examination and conservation. She thought I might have a use for them. I saw, almost immediately, what they could become. I’m used to thinking in this way: for many years, part of my practice has been to work with metal detecting finds, making jewellery and small objects from them (the collection is called Newfoundland).
Landscape: 6 x 3 x 21cm ; Religious: 21 x 3 x 9cm.
Pictures by Ornan Rotem.
Landscape:
Landscape is represented by bushes, trees and thickets made from silver, gold and diamonds. The horsehair could be read as grass or perhaps a horse in the landscape. While I was working, I saw on my desk a piece of coral, from a vintage necklace, it had a similar shape to the top of the nails – I decided this could stand in for the FAKE painting (that must occasionally sneak in?).
Materials: iron nails, 18k gold, silver, diamond beads, horse hair, stainless steel, binding wire, coral; stand: stained wood, bronze plate, 18k gold leaf.
Religious:
From left to right:
Yellow baroque pearl representing a cloud beneath the Virgin Mary ascending.
A golden halo.
An altar cloth made from silver.
A gold crucifix.
The FAKE.
The Holy Spirit represented by silver feathers.
An oxidised silver crown of thorns.
Materials: iron nails, 18k gold, silver, stainless steel, binding wire, coral, yellow baroque pearl; stand: stained wood, bronze plate, 18k gold leaf.