Alexandra Hopp
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This body of work was inspired by the subset of OCD called Bibliomania.
Although OCD has only recently come into the awareness of the general populace, there are historical examples (albeit lurking under an assortment of different names), each reflecting the time period in which they were categorized. One particular example is bibliomania, a form of hoarding in which the sufferer is compelled to hoard books and manuscripts.
Bibliomania was so pervasive amongst wealthy and titled personages in England in the Eighteenth Century that it was commonly known and referred to as “The British Malady”. One notable bibliomanic is Sir Thomas Phillips, (1792- 1872). His collection was so vast-- totaling over 160,000 books and manuscripts-- that by the end of his life, he was in debt, having squandered his fortune on books; he and his wife were reduced to living in three rooms as his enormous estate was completely filled with books. Interestingly, Sir Thomas Phillips did not deny that he had a problem, though he used the term “Vello- Maniac” to describe himself, rather than the more common “Bibliomaniac”.In fact, it had become quite fashionable at this time to suffer from “the English malady”, and as a matter of fact, signified “a very human essence, and to be a characteristic of genius, good birth, and good character”, as well as a side effect of too much learning. This outlook lessened or entirely removed the stigma of mental illness that existed in earlier times, and made it an acceptable eccentricity.
The making of the work was reflective of the malady, involving many books, chosen for content as well as appearance.
For the disc necklaces, each books pages were sorted according to text and image density (so that the necklace would change color according to the angle of view), sealed with acrylic, cut into circles (averaging about 3000 for each), and strung onto cord or wire, and finished with silk ribbon as the fastener. The Brooches and link necklaces were also made of books- the pages of individual books were torn from their bindings, glued together to form a solid mass, then that mass was cut and carved either into links for the necklaces, or into small blocks that were assembled and glued together, tetris- style for the brooches.
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Bibliomaniac’s Disc Necklace, Best Friends.
Paper (book pages), thread, sealant, silk ribbon, gold plated brass, gold leaf.
2018
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detail:
Bibliomaniac’s Disc Necklace, Best Friends.
Paper (book pages), thread, sealant, silk ribbon, gold plated brass, gold leaf.
2018
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Bibliomaniac’s Disc Necklace, Best Friends.
Paper (book pages), thread, sealant, silk ribbon, gold plated brass, gold leaf.
2018
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Bibliomaniac’s Disc Necklace: The First Man, World of Squash, Facts of Space.
Paper (book pages), thread, sealant, silk ribbon, gold plated brass, gold leaf.
2018
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Bibliomaniac’s Disc Necklace: The First Man, World of Squash, Facts of Space.
Paper (book pages), thread, sealant, silk ribbon, gold plated brass, gold leaf.
2018
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Bibliomaniac’s Disc Necklace: Atlas of the World’s Railways
Paper (book pages), thread, colored pencil, silk ribbon, gold plated brass, gold leaf.
2018
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Bibliomaniac’s Disc Necklace: Atlas of the World’s Railways
Paper (book pages), thread, colored pencil, silk ribbon, gold plated brass, gold leaf.
2018
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Bibliomaniac’s Disc Necklace: Atlas of the World’s Railways
Paper (book pages), thread, colored pencil, silk ribbon, gold plated brass, gold leaf.
2018
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Bibliomaniac’s Graduated Disc Necklace: Faust, The Double.
Paper (book pages), 24k gold leaf, acrylic sealant, gold plated brass, thread, silk ribbon.
2018
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Bibliomaniac’s Graduated Disc Necklace: Faust, The Double.
Bibliomaniac’s Graduated Disc Necklace: Faust, The Double.
Paper (book pages), 24k gold leaf, acrylic sealant, gold plated brass, thread, silk ribbon.
2018
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Abstract Knowledge Brooch.
Paper (book pages), glue,14k gold, acrylic sealant, steel.
2018
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Abstract Knowledge Brooch.
Paper (book pages), glue,14k gold, acrylic sealant, steel.
2018
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The Knowledge Squared Brooch
Paper (book pages), glue,14k gold, acrylic sealant, steel.
2018
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The Knowledge Squared Brooch
Paper (book pages), glue,14k gold, acrylic sealant, steel.
2018
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Hoarding Knowledge Brooch
Paper (book pages), glue,14k gold, acrylic sealant, steel.
2018
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Hoarding Knowledge Brooch
Paper (book pages), glue,14k gold, acrylic sealant, steel.
2018
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The Rose (Tribute to Jay DeFeo) Brooch.
Paper (book pages), glue,14k gold, acrylic sealant, steel.
2018
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The Rose (Tribute to Jay DeFeo) Brooch, The Rose 2(Tribute to Jay DeFeo) Brooch.
Paper (book pages), glue,14k gold, acrylic sealant, steel.
2018
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The Rose 2 (Tribute to Jay DeFeo) Brooch.
Paper (book pages), glue,14k gold, acrylic sealant, steel.
2018
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The Rose 2(Tribute to Jay DeFeo) Brooch.
Paper (book pages), glue,14k gold, acrylic sealant, steel.
2018
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Bibliomaniac’s Chain Number 3 – Orecchiette Edition: Paper Chain of Descending Size Links
materials: book pages, clear lacquer, 24 k gold leaf, thread, tubing.
2017
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detail, Bibliomaniac’s Chain Number 3 – Orecchiette Edition:Paper Chain of Descending Size Links
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detail, Bibliomaniac’s Chain Number 3 – Orecchiette Edition:Paper Chain of Descending Size Links
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Bibliomaniac’s* Chain Number 2 –
Paper Chain of Descending Size LinksBooks (published 1923- 1973): White Matte Pages [German Text], Off- White Glossy Pages with Tinted Color Plates, Pure White Pages with Black and White Photographs, Yellowed Pages of a Newsprint Consistency, and Nicotine- Stained Pages of a Dry and Crumbling Texture with Bi- Color Illustrations.
Glue: CRC Industrial Spray Adhesive, Elmer’s MultiPurpose Spray Adhesive, Mod Podge Matte Adhesive, Epoxy 330 Water Clear Bonding Molecular Connecter, Devcon 5 Minute Epoxy , and Alumilite Low Viscosity Super Light Liquid Casting Resin.
Sealants: Valspar Clear Flat Interior/ Exterior Premium Enamel, KrylonCrystal Clear Acrylic Coating, and NYX Nail Polish in Matte Clear.
Glued, Cut, Carved, Linked*Bibliomania is a Symptom of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Which Involves the Hoarding of Booksdimensions:
overall length 125 cm/ or approx 46 x 20 cm (laid out as if worn); largest link 26 x 38 mm/ smallest link 4 x 6 mm.materials: see title.
2014.
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Bibliomanic's paper chain2, detail
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Bibliomanic's paper chain2, detail
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Bibliomaniac’s Paper Chain Of Descending Size Links Comprised of Four Books (Respectively Chosen For Their Paper Quality: Bright White Glossy Pages, White Matte Pages [German Text], Ecru Matte Pages Interspersed with Glossy Color Plates, and Yellowed Pages of a Newsprint Consistency), Seven Types of Glue, and Three Types of Sealants, 2012
Books, Glue, Sealant.
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Bibliomaniac’s Paper Chain, detail.
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The habits of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and the practice of the goldsmith are strikingly similar: Both engage in repeated, ritualized activity ad infinitum, both are obsessed with notions of control and with miniscule details. The only difference is that the former is characterized as a disorder while the latter is seen as a certain temperament beneficial to the goldsmith.
This work physically manifests the habits and symptoms of OCD and makes evident what the hallmarks of OCD and the nature of goldsmithing are: obsessively detailed, repetitive activities on a minute scale. I use the traditional jewelry forms and visual vocabulary of the goldsmith, but in such profusion that their original functions are lost and they become an exploration of mania. Through a strategy of exaggeration this work manifests the characteristics of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in material form.
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Necklace Comprised of One Troy Ounce (Or, Alternatively, 31.1 Grams) of 14 Karat Gold, in the Form of 14 Karat Tags Culled from Commercially Produced Chains, With the Addition of Internal Rings to Make the Tags Fall Neatly.
materials: 14 karat gold, steel wire, gold tubing.
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alternate view, Necklace Comprised of One Troy Ounce (Or, Alternatively, 31.1 Grams) of 14 Karat Gold, in the Form of 14 Karat Tags Culled from Commercially Produced Chains, With the Addition of Internal Rings to Make the Tags Fall Neatly.
materials: 14 karat gold, steel wire, gold tubing. alternate view.
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detail, Necklace Comprised of One Troy Ounce (Or, Alternatively, 31.1 Grams) of 14 Karat Gold, in the Form of 14 Karat Tags Culled from Commercially Produced Chains, With the Addition of Internal Rings to Make the Tags Fall Neatly.
materials: 14 karat gold, steel wire, gold tubing.
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detail, Necklace Comprised of One Troy Ounce (Or, Alternatively, 31.1 Grams) of 14 Karat Gold, in the Form of 14 Karat Tags Culled from Commercially Produced Chains, With the Addition of Internal Rings to Make the Tags Fall Neatly.
materials: 14 karat gold, steel wire, gold tubing.
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Necklace Comprised of Two Hundred and Sixty-Three Commercially Produced Tags, Separated by Rings Culled From a Deconstructed Gold Filled Commercial Chain.
Materials: 14 karat gold, 14 k gold fill rings, steel wire, 14 k tubing.
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alternate view, Necklace Comprised of Two Hundred and Sixty-Three Commercially Produced Tags, Separated by Rings Culled From a Deconstructed Gold Filled Commercial Chain.
Materials: 14 karat gold, 14 k gold fill rings, steel wire, 14 k tubing.
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detail, Necklace Comprised of Two Hundred and Sixty-Three Commercially Produced Tags, Separated by Rings Culled From a Deconstructed Gold Filled Commercial Chain.
Materials: 14 karat gold, 14 k gold fill rings, steel wire, 14 k tubing.
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detail, Necklace Comprised of Two Hundred and Sixty-Three Commercially Produced Tags, Separated by Rings Culled From a Deconstructed Gold Filled Commercial Chain.
Materials: 14 karat gold, 14 k gold fill rings, steel wire, 14 k tubing.
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Necklace Comprised of Nine Hundred and Sixty-Three Commercially Produced Sterling Silver Posts That Have Been Hammered, Drilled, and Strung on Steel Wire.
materials: sterling silver posts, steel wire, sterling silver tubing.
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alternate view, Necklace Comprised of Nine Hundred and Sixty-Three Commercially Produced Sterling Silver Posts That Have Been Hammered, Drilled, and Strung on Steel Wire.
materials: sterling silver posts, steel wire, sterling silver tubing.
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detail, Necklace Comprised of Nine Hundred and Sixty-Three Commercially Produced Sterling Silver Posts That Have Been Hammered, Drilled, and Strung on Steel Wire.
materials: sterling silver posts, steel wire, sterling silver tubing.
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detail, Necklace Comprised of Nine Hundred and Sixty-Three Commercially Produced Sterling Silver Posts That Have Been Hammered, Drilled, and Strung on Steel Wire.
materials: sterling silver posts, steel wire, sterling silver tubing. detail,
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Necklace Comprised of One Hundred and Sixty-Nine 14 Karat Posts Riveted Together, With an Additional Post as Clasp Component, Totaling 170 Posts in Total.
materials: 14 karat gold posts, tubing, and wire.
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detail, Necklace Comprised of One Hundred and Sixty-Nine 14 Karat Posts Riveted Together, With an Additional Post as Clasp Component, Totaling 170 Posts in Total.
materials: 14 karat gold posts, tubing, and wire.
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Trichotillomania Chain.
Unbleached Muslin- Fifty Six Inch Long by One Inch Wide, Embroidered With the Artist’s Own Hair; The Loss of Which is Caused By the Condition Known as Trichotillomania, in Which the Sufferer is Compelled to Pull Out One’s Own Hair.
Hair Selection and Preparation: All Hairs Pulled out Are Collected, Sorted According to Length, and the Shorter Lengths Discarded. The Hairs Are Then Washed, Conditioned, And Dried. !!
The Number of Hairs used per Needle Averaged About Twenty (20) - Although as Few as Twelve (12) or as Many as Forty (40) Would be Used to create Diverse Effects. Each Needle Threaded With Hair Resulted in Less Than a Dozen Stitches, Due to the Length of Available Hair.
Materials: muslin, artist’s hair.
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detail, Trichotillomania chain.
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Ring in the Shape of the Caudate Nucleus Comprised of Multiple Types of Prong Settings in Three Different Types of Silver Alloys, of Which One Third Were Hand Fabricated, One Third Were Cast and the Remainder Were of Mass Manufacture, 2012
Nickel Silver, Sterling Silver, Sterling- Fine Silver Alloy
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Ring in the Shape of the Caudate Nucleus, Detail.
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Fifty Foot, Bi-Metal Chain, Each Link Representing One of the Twenty Six Letters of the English Alphabet Plus Punctuation (Each Represented in Their Own Material for Clarity), Detailing the Inner Monologue of the Trichotillomaniac, 2012
Brass, Copper.
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Trichotillomaniac’s Inner Monologue Chain
Fifty Foot Chain, Each Link Representing a Letter of the Alphabet Plus Punctuation.!
Alphabet : Brass Round, Square, Flat, Half-Round Stock: Ten Thousandths of an Inch (.010”) to Thirty- Five Thousandths of an Inch (.035”) Jump Ring Size: Two Millimeters (2 mm) to Five Millimeters Diameter (5 mm). !Jump Ring Shapes: Round, Oval, Pear.
Inches = Wire Thickness Millimeters = Ring Diameter
(A).015”x2mm(B).020”x2mm(C).020”x3mm(D).030”x2mm (E) .035”x2mm (F) .040” x 2mm (G) .030” x 5mm (H) .025” 2 mm (I) SQUARE .030” x 3mm (J) SQUARE .035” x 3mm (K) FLAT .040” x 2.4mm (L) .015” x 3mm (M) .025” x 2mm (N) . 025” x 3mm (O) .030” x 3mm (P) .035” x 3mm (Q) .040” x 4mm (R) .010” x 3mm OVAL (S) .035” x 4mm (T) .025” x 4mm OVAL (U) HALF-ROUND .045” x 4mm (V) .015” x 4mm OVAL (W) .020” x 5mm PEAR (X) .025” x 5mm (Y) .010” x 2mm (Z) .035” x 5mm
Punctuation: Copper: (.) .025”x 2mm, (‘) .020”x 2mm, (!) .025”x 4mm, Question Mark . 030 “x 4mm, () FLAT .040” x 2.4mm !!Drawn, Coiled, Cut (5/0 blade), Assembled, Soldered
Excerpts-"
“I Cannot Stop Pulling My Hair. I Can’t Help Myself. I Can’t Stop Myself. I Cannot Help Myself. I Cannot Stop Myself.” (and) “I am So Goddamned Tired of This Shit. No Matter What I Say, People never Understand, No Matter How Hard I Try to Explain. Why Can’t you Understand? This Is Beyond My Control. It’s Not a Matter of Willpower. I Most Certainly Do Not Lack Self Control. Fuck You. How Dare You Insinuate That This is a Personal Failing or Weakness. This Has Been a Constant Struggle For Me My Entire Life.” (and) “People Don’t Realize How Exhausting It Is. Pretending to Be Normal Is Totally Fucking Exhausting. I’m Worn Out From Acting ‘Normal’. I’m Sick of Having to Feign Normalcy.” (and) “I Can Say It’s Related to Tourette’s, That It’s a Part of the Brain Misfiring, That It May Be an Inherent Grooming Behavior Gone Haywire. I Can Go Into Excruciating Detail About OCD Research and the Science Behind It. In Short, I Tell Them It’s a Real Medical Condition. In Other Words, a Disease. It’s In the Fucking DSM. It’s Real. Inevitably, After All This, People Always Ask “Why Don’t You Just Stop?”.!
Materials: brass, copper.!
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Three Collars About Alignment:
Two Thousand, Seven Hundred and Twenty One (2,721) Commercially Manufactured Sterling Silver Earring Posts, (3/8”x .029”) Arranged in Such a Manner That All of the Carat Stamps (.925) Are Lined Up. It is Noteworthy to Mention That Although the Earring Posts Are Machine Made, They are Not All The Exact Same Length (There is a Plus or Minus Tolerance of Approximately .5 mm) Consequently Irregularities Occur in the Exterior Shapes.
Materials: sterling silver.
2013
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Three Collars About Alignment:
Two Thousand, Seven Hundred and Twenty One (2,721) Commercially Manufactured Sterling Silver Earring Posts, (3/8”x .029”) Arranged in Such a Manner That All of the Carat Stamps (.925) Are Lined Up. It is Noteworthy to Mention That Although the Earring Posts Are Machine Made, They are Not All The Exact Same Length (There is a Plus or Minus Tolerance of Approximately .5 mm) Consequently Irregularities Occur in the Exterior Shapes.
Materials: sterling silver.
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Three Collars About Alignment:
Two Thousand, Seven Hundred and Twenty One (2,721) Commercially Manufactured Sterling Silver Earring Posts, (3/8”x .029”) Arranged in Such a Manner That All of the Carat Stamps (.925) Are Lined Up. It is Noteworthy to Mention That Although the Earring Posts Are Machine Made, They are Not All The Exact Same Length (There is a Plus or Minus Tolerance of Approximately .5 mm) Consequently Irregularities Occur in the Exterior Shapes.
Materials: sterling silver.
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detail, Three collars.
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detail, Three Collars.
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Detail, Three Collars
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Shoulder-Perched Brooch Comprised of Various Thicknesses Ranging From Fifteen Thousandths of an Inch to Sixty Thousandths of an Inch, In Five Thousandths of an Inch Increments, Three Metals, And Various Mementos of Times Past and Loves Lost, As Represented by the Mundane Objects Set Inside, 2012
Copper, Brass, Nickel Silver, Buttons, Shells, Cast Object From Imported Japanese Candy.
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Shoulder-Perched Brooch, detail.
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Shoulder-Perched Brooch, detail.
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Three Hundred and Seventeen Cast Sterling Silver Basket Settings Arranged in Order of Best to Worst, Moving from Left to Right, Based on Four Criteria:
1) Completeness of Casting
2) Number of Prongs
3) Amount of Flashing (excess material)
4) Regularity of Texture
Arranged 8 Millimeters Apart Totaling 8 Feet in Length.
Fabricated (1 pc.), Molded (1 pc.), Wax Injected (563 pcs.), Sprued (351 pcs.), Cast, Filed (317pcs.), Sanded (297 pcs.) Polished (254 pcs.)
The Variations in Casting Are Dependent on the Process. An Original Basket Setting is Made, Then a Sprue (a.k.a. a Gate- in this Case, A Thirty Secondth of an inch (1/32) Brass Rod is Soldered On. Then a Flexible Rubber Mold is Made of the Setting. Then a Relatively Flexible Wax is Injected Into the Mold, Resulting in a Copy. This Process (the Wax Injection) is Repeated Hundreds of Times in Order to Acquire the Needed Amount of Settings. As There are Often Incomplete Injections, as Well as Casting Failures, One Must Make More Than the Desired Amount. Then the Wax Settings are Affixed to a Central Pole of Wax that Itself is Affixed to a Rubber Base. The Configuration of the Settings to the Central Pole is Commonly known as a Tree, as
It Resembles a Tree with Branches. Then a Flask- a Cylindrical Section of Steel is Inserted Into the Rubber Base So That It Completely Envelops the Tree. Then a Silica Based Plaster Is Poured Over the Wax Tree When is Then Kiln Fired for a Period of Eight Hours Increasing Gradually to a Temperature of Fourteen Hundred Degrees. This Process Burns Out All Traces of the Wax. The Flask is then Inserted Into a Centrifuge, and the Required Amount of Metal Heated With an Oxygen Acetylene Torch Until Molten. The Centrifuge Is Then Deployed, Forcing the Metal Into the Negative Space in the Mold Caused by the Burnt Out Wax. Then the Entire Flask is Quenched in Water, Boiling Off the Plaster. This Results in a Metal Copy of the Wax Tree. Then All of the Settings are Cut off Using a Two Ought (2/0) Sawblade, Filed, Sanded and Polished.Materials: sterling silver, wood, paint.
2013.
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detail, Three Hundred and Seventeen Cast Sterling Silver Basket Settings Arranged in Order of Best to Worst, Moving from Left to Right, Based on Four Criteria.
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detail, Three Hundred and Seventeen Cast Sterling Silver Basket Settings Arranged in Order of Best to Worst, Moving from Left to Right, Based on Four Criteria
