Rocks

I have been working with the imagery from old biscuit tins and tin trays for a few years now and I enjoy being able to use a material with which I am familiar and that is traditionally associated with jewellery – metal – but that also has the ability to tell a graphic story through words and pictures.

About a year ago, I started researching how I might be able to determine what is printed rather than relying on finding the image I want or working with what images I have available. The technique of sublimation involves using heat to embed a printed image onto metal that has been coated with a plastic surface. It is a great technique to use as I can do it in my studio and I don’t have to employ industry, which would involve printing in the thousands rather than individual images. I buy the pre-coated metal (I use steel but the technique is more commonly used on Aluminium), print the images on my printer, which is loaded with sublimation inks and use an A4 sized heat press, that I purchased, to embed the image.

I’ve used the technique to create oversized fake versions of traditional styles of jewellery. It’s kind of an homage to one of the initial tenets of Contemporary jewellery which was to react against the use of precious materials. These works are also an alternative to the real thing at a time when the real thing may no longer be affordable.