Looking at objects that have some sort of personal connection to us- be it physical, psychological or emotional. The objects we carry with us throughout or life gather and hold memories and information that become significant (or don’t)- and in turn may become our most valuable possessions. Our objects can link us to a place or space in holding a sense of nostalgia and belonging.
The object I investigated was a blue anodised aluminium ring bought for me by my grandad- from y Galeri caerfili, an art gallery in Caerphilly. This place is personally significant as it holds many memories of time spent with my grandad- who inspired me to pursue an education and career in art. Throughout my childhood my grandad would take me to various galleries, introducing me to the owners (of whom many were his ex students from his teaching days), telling me about the artwork on display, commenting on lighting and shade, technique and the lives of the artists. He is something of a fountain on infinite knowledge when it comes to the art world. This particular ring emphasised out relationship as granddaughter and grandfather- holding memories of time spent together and information he passed onto me.
Unfortunately this ring snapped a few months back- no longer wearable, but its meaning is still pertinent to me.
I decided to experiment with this ring in mind- inspired by “larger than life” sculptures of everyday objects by Claes Oldenburg- designing a larger structure that resembles a ring, made of tin foil (similar material to anodised aluminium). During the process of creating this ring like structure, I realised i needed to change the foundations of the structure somewhat in order to increase its ability to stand on its own as an object. My process involved the following:
Cutting up strips on tinfoil, which were then folded over to form a thicker strip.
Weaving together these strips to create a larger rectangle, which had the ability to stand on its on when placed in a cylindrical form.
The final piece resembles a large ring, but the aesthetic appearance resembles many windows/mirrors that distort the surrounding environment the object is placed in.
After creating this structure, and realising the appearance of the variety of mirrors reflecting the light and colours of its immediate environment; i began to play with locational settings. Taking the object on a “journey” to various places, photographing the effects reflecting off of its walls. These ever changing reflections are like drawings of the surrounding environment- which reminded me of the original nostalgic memory holding qualities of my blue ring. The memories we attach to our personal belongings are, in a sense, drawings of our lives, and our most cherished memories. These objects become symbols of our life journeys, each resembling a space in place or time.
Developing this idea further, the reflections mirrored in the object are always distorted; they are reflections of the immediate environment, but they are also not that particular place. They are multiple versions of a place- which led me to contemplate ideas of multiple dimensions in space and time. The locations we hold and deem personal to us- are exactly that- personal thoughts. They are a “version” of a place- no one else’s experience of that place will ever be the same. Due to the personal nature of our perceptions- our psychogeographies will always be distorted representations.
Developing my ideas further again, i looked at other objects that are made from similar material structures- which led me to Coca Cola cans.
Painting a piece of A4 paper with kemtex colours inks in a design resembling a horizon (from previous projects). I then pressed this design firstly onto a piece of fabric to test the outcome using a heat press- and then onto the inside of the coke can. After this, i cut the can into ten strips of varying widths- before shaping them into rings.
The colours are very similar to the original ring- blues reflecting light, giving the impression of changing colours when placed in direct sunlight. The above photographs illustrate the reflections they create when placed in the sun- a water-like effect, creating quite ethereal patterns.
Caitlin Noble 