PPC Imaginarium
Company: 30Grid
Location: South Africa
Status: Sculpting, Molding, Casting for the 2018 PPC Imaginarium Jewelry category competition. Everything had to be made of cement.
Challenges: This was the first time that I have ever sculpted with polymer clay so that was my first challenge, but it was tons of fun and I quickly got the hang of it. I had to learn how to make silicone molds but the most challenging part was to remove the casting from the mold. I had worked very small and fine and this made it extremely difficult to get the cement castings out of the mold without any ears breaking.
Concept:
Topic of Conversation
I designed 4 brooches with the heads of 4 various (randomly chosen) endangered South African species. This was an awareness jewellery piece people can wear on their clothing. It will be a topic of conversation at any party, event or outing. I’d like to create a series of SA endangered species, so people can become aware of our precious and fragile animals and do something about it. The name and conservation status of each animal is engraved on a plaque which is recessed into the backing just below the animals head.
CR – critically endangered
EN - endangered
My inspiration for this project came from reading an interesting article on the internet about people in the Victorian people wanting to be closer to nature, so in order to accomplish that they decided to start wearing it. This way nature can always be close to them. It is believed that the industrial revolution was the cause of this avalanche of mass entomological and ornithological specimen cultivation. Birds such as the Passenger Pigeon became extinct and many other birds, insects and reptiles were getting very close to the same fate.
People who wore animals as fashion or jewelry in the early 1800's nearly caused extinction of some species - but 'mirroring' this issue, in today's climate, could promote awareness of almost extinct/ endangered animals.
Materials used (AMT Composites and PPC)
Mold: Moldstar and Ease Release 200
Casting Material: Fine PPC cement, Forton VF-774, water and a Super Plasticizer
