Found Parts

Over a year ago, some students decided to perform what they believed to be "guerilla art". For me, it was an annoyance and a huge pain in the ass to remove. An old television with the wood casing, possibly from the early 70's, had faux vines and plants weaving in an out of broken areas and sat in the middle of our main gallery. The lack of imagination irritated me. Ok, it was because I was the person that would have to clean up their half-baked idea. I still don't know who did it!

I decided to add my touches to the "piece". Printed papers of sardonic views on the fantasies of secretaries portrayed by our media culture, frustration about the giant television sitting in the middle of main gallery, and tape wrapping the television to "bind" the damn thing. I guess I'm still irritated by the act.

Eventually, I decided to take it apart. I found all sorts of neat do-dads inside. I wasn't sure what I would make of them. There was so much inside that I wanted to take but to remove the items would have destroyed them.

I was able to salvage a handful of pieces. It wasn't until last night I found a purpose for a few of them. Inspired by the pieces from Melanie Brooks' ceramics, some of those salvaged do-dads found a home within a necklace. Melanie's pieces contain impressions into clay by the use of hardware, tools and toy train parts. The focal piece feels like an old factory window looking into what housed the machines that created the parts I had salvaged. Her orange square connectors matched an orange television tube so perfectly. Very cool ceramics.

Then, I found a chain I had stashed away. A great gunmetal chain that has an industrial or bike chain look. I wish I could remember where I bought it.

I can't decide if I want to re-do the whole piece. The stones were put in because I have a difficult time creating jewelry without some gemstone beads. I keep thinking they are out of place in this necklace but then I feel that the stones somewhat represent the origin of the television pieces.

"...Man against Nature. Nature against Man..."