At some point in our life we all experience the loss of a loved one and as a result of that loss, we inherit objects. Whether they become cherished or a burden these objects infest our space and consume our lives. The object becomes a keepsake/ memorial, due to the sentimentality we bestow upon them. We become devoted to the object. Keepsakes allow us to access feelings of nostalgia, and past memories resurface whenever we are longing.
I am creating utilitarian objects through the traditional methods of metalsmithing and craft, although the objects I make are not entirely conventional. I combine metal forms with used clothing that acts as a covering for the object. The cloth then becomes preserved through the process of electroforming, which creates a thick layer of copper over the surface; plating it. These functional objects have a connection with the familiar and suggest the body even when it is not present. I affect the surfaces to appear worn, to reflect the trace of past lives and memories.
These remade objects become a surrogate for the people we miss. They can provide us with relief and comfort in a time of grief. “The possession of these relics is, paradoxically, a means of letting go of our old ‘self’. By keeping these vestiges of our past they enable us to move forward into the future. An abrupt final farewell to someone can seem unbearable and unthinkable. The relic/fetish enables us to come to terms with our past and can facilitate a gradual acceptance of this ‘loss’."1
1 Smith-Windsor, Jennifer. "The Absence and Presence: Disembodied Clothing as
Relic." Fibre Quarterly 6 . 2 (2010).
