| Materials | Ring. Kinetic ring and display. Meteor, sunstones, black onyx and stainless steel. |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | Ring: 2 x 1 x 1/5. Size 7.5. Stand: 1.5 x 1.5 |
Description
To explore the thematic of the UPENDED LIVES: JEWELRY IN THE AGE OF COVID exhibit, I created a new sculptural ring, a one-of-a-kind piece, entitled VERTIGO.
From the design to the handmade piece by piece fabrication, to stones and meteor cutting and setting, I did each step of realization in my studio. Every detail was taken into consideration both on an emotional and sensorial level, such as the choice of stones, of the meteor, the shapes, the colors, as well as the textures. I was inspired by the multi-sensory approach to design introduced by Delft. In this very particular and dramatic year, with the upheaval caused by the pandemic, and the worldwide distress, there was a strong feeling of an off-balance, a continuous sensation of worldwide Vertigo… The Earth was spinning much faster than ever in order to find a vaccine. We were all together searching for quick and effective solutions for our daily life and we were all creating new systems for our systems. At the same time, there was a feeling of strength and hope, hope for a change, hope for the advancement of sciences, hope for new discoveries, hope for a new way of living. For this sculptural ring, I tried to translate this mixed-up and overloaded emotions. First, to portray our strength as humanity, I juxtaposed stainless steel, which is a very strong industrial metal that does not tarnish, is hypoallergic, and is almost indestructible, with a million years old Meteor that crossed our galaxy to land on earth. Then the design of setting itself of this asymmetric dark Meteor with untouched borders evokes a tension, a stress, but also an hope, with the shining sunstones likes stars far away. The design of the ring also can be translated as a portray of a vertical panorama of the Milky Way after twilight. It’s definitely an era-specific piece that transform a dark period into a hope for humanity.
-Claudio Pino
