Research Methods

Intro to Social Research 9/7

There are four main areas in which we collect research data from: authorities, cultural beliefs, personal/sensory experiences, and social research. There are two main types of research, both qualitative and quantitative. Quantitative research involves experiments, surveys, questions/observations, and numeric information while qualitative research is much more immersive in the sense that you are conducting field research and interviewing individuals through different interviewing methods. Qualitative research is what I’m leaning towards for this midterm investigation, that way I can immerse myself in the jewelry field and learn from experts that hold the skills and knowledge necessary to progress in this research journey. It’s best to get data from people who have experience in the field as well as people who would potentially buy jewelry, that way you can get a feel for the problems they’re facing/what they are looking for.

Arts Based Research 9/12

When I explain a certain process or technique to someone, it intrigues them and makes them have a deeper understanding and appreciation for the work. For example, when I made a jewelry series cast from bronze, people were shocked by the time and steps that go into it. This is an example of my work evoking and exploring a meta cognitive experience, as it invites the viewer to engage and ask questions. It makes me feel educated in what I am doing on a day to day to basis. I like the idea of conducting research through some sort of visual journal to document my process. The genre for art based research I am interested in is visual mixed media and multiple art forms.

This inquiry zine involves my two disciplines of study, metal-smithing and jewelry as well as entrepreneurship and innovation. I want to create jewelry that brings awareness to a world issue that hopefully offers some sort of solution or support. Two of the pages involve environmental concerns, I’m interested in capturing organic materials in time through techniques such casting. Our world is changing and dying, and this is something to pay attention to. Other concerns include world hunger, lies we have been told about our history, agriculture and water storage, feminism, and the fast fashion industry.

Research Proposal 9/26

Research Inquiry

A. I want to investigate our overflowing landfills and climate change through fine jewelry

B. Is the jewelry industry generally sustainable? What are the most harmful materials in our landfills/what material does the worst damage to the environment?

C. My business minor will help me build a brand for myself with a mission.

Purpose Statement

D. I want to create a collection of fine jewelry that utilized found objects/trash that I find daily. It will be in the form of an art project

E. I can use my knowledge of jewelry and aesthetics as well as my business minor to build a brand for myself with a mission.

F. My project will bring awareness to dire issues like climate change and landfills, which I believe to be valuable .

Expected Results

G. I expect to learn ways that I can have a sustainable jewelry practice.

H. Sustainable jewelry brand, climate change awareness, inspiring others to have a sustainable jewelry practice.

Investigation and concerns

I. I will be utilizing qualitative research methods such as interviews, observations, and field research.

- key words: jewelry, metal-smithing, climate change, repurpose, recycle, sustainable

J. I am going to be working closely with Haley Bates who is the head of metals at CSU. Tara Donovan is a big inspiration for this project as she uses mundane objects to create giant sculptures. Emily Frances Barrett is another artist from London who repurposes trash and found objects in her work.

K. I want to melt down recycled silver into sheet that I can work with from scratch. Most metal sheet from big distributors isn’t made sustainably.

Analysis and Interpretation

L. I think I would like to make a visual presentation to report my results.

M. I think I will know how successful my research is based on the amount of information I collect and if the audience understands my vision.

Connecting to Contemporary Art 9/28

I have been researching Barbara Paganin—a metalsmith from Italy. She pieces found materials and other elements together to tell a story. For my midterm investigation, I plan to bring awareness to global warming by creating a piece of jewelry made from recycled metals and found objects. Paganin responds to Duncum’s principles seduction and intertextuality. The conglomeration of materials and motifs invites the viewer to investigate further. The variation of materiality seduces the audience along with the overall arrangement of these motifs. The layout of each element makes you hop from one to the next, mesmerizing anyone who takes a glance. There is also intertextuality here, as the materials seem to be linked together in some way. Although each motif is different from one another, they come together to tell a story and give more context to the overall design. The ideology she is challenging is the notion that death is scary and a horrific thing. Most of Paganin’s pieces are momento pieces so she is shedding light on someone who has passed, adorning them with precious metals, gemstones, and other found materials. I am inspired by the collage aspect of her pieces and the way all the elements come together to give deeper context, which is something I hope to achieve in my project.

Midterm Investigation - Artist Statement

For my midterm investigation, I am interested in ways I can cultivate wearable jewelry made from found or “trash” materials. Landfills are a prominent issue in our country, with around 146 million tons of municipal solid waste sitting in the environment in 2018, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA 2018). The toxins seep into the ground effecting our groundwater, and are released in the air to emit greenhouse gases which directly attribute to climate change. There has been an increase in environmental consciousness in recent years, however what most people don’t know is that many things that they recycle also end up in the landfill. The landfill issue has reached a scale that the human race can’t control, there is simply no place for it to go except for our direct environment.

The reason I wanted to create wearable jewelry created from junk is to not only to bring awareness to the landfill crisis and have a sustainable jewelry practice of my own, but to also critique the lack of sustainability within the jewelry industry, specifically in material mining. Precious metals and gemstones used in traditional jewelry are mined from the earth; mining directly impacts the environment by inducing loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, and contamination of surface water, groundwater, soil, and air (Moraes et al, 2017). While metals are a main component in jewelry making, I believe we can reduce our footprint by using scraps or even melting them down to recycle into new metal sheet. As far as gemstones, they are unnecessary to create a beautiful piece of jewelry and can be replaced with found objects.

Experimentation & Documentation

To begin my investigation, I am experimenting with this angel decoration my roommate was going to throw away. I was drawn to the prominent wood grain, so I decided to keep it. I am planning to repurpose this wood by turning it into a brooch. I am interested in the way the qualities of the wood interact with the metal. I cut a shape in the wood that I think best accentuates the grain and a corresponding brass base plate. I drilled matching holes in both the wood and metal so I am able to attach the two together with rivets.

This is another brooch that I am working on that is created from metal scrap and cardboard. I dug through the studios metal scrap bin and found a piece of copper with a unique texture. I cut it into the shape I wanted in relation to the shape of the cardboard. From there, I added a brooch finding to the back of the piece and secured the two materials with rivets.

Compare and Contrast:

When looking at Barbara Paganin’s work in comparison to my own, there are some similarities and differences. We both utilize found objects and materials to inform the overall design of our work, and we also use similar techniques like soldering and riveting. We are both alluding to something more than the materiality and objects alone; my work focuses on bringing awareness to environmental issues while her work is dedicated to loved ones who have passed away. Our works differ in terms of content and what the pieces are trying to say. We are also different in regards to overall formal design elements, she uses a dark patina in her pieces to give an antique look, while my work is more centered around the materiality itself.

Conclusion:

In this experiment, I affirmed my belief that you don’t need precious metals and gemstones to create beautiful jewelry. I also found that the material or found object informs the design of the overall piece. These findings will help me further explore my inquiry as I start to incorporate other techniques such as casting and stone setting. My research on landfills as well as the lack of sustainability in the jewelry will help me be more conscious when choosing materials and designing a full jewelry collection.

References:

Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). National Overview: Facts and Figures on Materials, Wastes and Recycling. EPA. Retrieved October 16, 2022, from https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/national-overview-facts-and-figures-materials

Moraes, C., Carrigan, M., Bosangit, C. et al. Understanding Ethical Luxury Consumption

Through Practice Theories: A Study of Fine Jewellery Purchases. J Bus Ethics 145,

525–543 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2893-9

Powerpoint Presentation:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/12ce-IWfFv4JYT61y_QGMq9b9pqBnhNghplgBtNoDkZQ/edit

Final Research Proposal: