Wednesday, April 02, 2014

Fashion:Victim

I have finally finished my Alexander McQueen tribute piece, "Fashion:Victim" which comprises of the two spherical 'handbags' made from steel spheres which I found in a burnt-out factory in Kent some years ago. The first sphere, I've shown already, "The Illusion of Freedom Buys The Power of Destruction" and is based on his life and his love of falconry and features a porcelain falcon-head by Lisa Stevens:

Fashion:Victim - In Memoriam ALMcQ  - 86

Fashion:Victim - In Memoriam ALMcQ - 94

The second sphere, "Before The Fall", is about the time immediately before his untimely death and is a collaboration between me, wax-carver, Carol Docherty and stone-setter, Inness Thomson:

Fashion:Victim - In Memoriam ALMcQ  - 152

Fashion:Victim - In Memoriam ALMcQ - 156

Fashion:Victim - In Memoriam ALMcQ - 155

I love the way that these look when hung together:

Fashion:Victim - In Memoriam ALMcQ - 158

They have been away for photography and will be sent off to the ACJ ICONS exhibition tomorrow.

For those of you who are interested, the burnt-out factory from whence the original spheres came looked like this:

Accidental Gehry 8

And the spheres looked like this:

Balls

I have absolutely no idea what these would have been used for.



Today, I set about using up some of the spare elements from this piece.  I got my orders of gemstone flowers just about right but had enough to make a pendant and earring trio:

A Flowering - Earrings Trio and Pendants - 3

There will be more pieces to follow as I have a small bag of spare silver "raptor claws" from the first sphere.



The last couple of weeks have been badly-managed by me in some ways, in that I have had three different stone-dealers through the workshops in very rapid succession, which always leads to me spending money, albeit money to be recouped at a later date. Due to a commission, I had a very specific shopping list in mind, but I also bought a few other things for my own interest:

Gemstones From Brazil - 1

Some Brazilian gemstones in unusual cuts.

Sapphire Cabochons

Sapphire cabochons.

Aquamarine Cab

Aquamarine Cabochon

Cambodian Zircons

Cambodian spinels

Natural Spinel Crystals - 2

Natural Zircon crystals

Pale Citrine Flat/Facet - 1

Pale Citrine Flat/Facet - 3

A very unusually-cut flat and clear citrine (which may end up paired with the zircon crystals).

If you are wondering why I have bought so many blue stones, it is because of me starting work on a commission for another of my cocktail rings, "(It's The Time) Of April Snows":

(It's The Time) Of April Snows - WIP - 8

Made from corroded iron gas-pipe, steel box-girder and silver and to fit an enormous amethyst:

(It's The Time) Of April Snows - WIP - 1

(It's The Time) Of April Snows - WIP - 9

(It's The Time) Of April Snows - WIP - 4



Off on holiday on Friday. Can't wait!

One final note... I think I have discovered the ugliest public "artwork" in the world:

Reception for Ugly Blobs

This is outside the BT headquarters in Glasgow.