California Gold Uniformity of Granulation

Bracelet fabricated from recycled tin can; 10k gold; brass detail; plastic core. 2006

1.5 cm depth x 27 cm diameter

Collection of Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA

ARTIST STATEMENT:
This bracelet is an ironic commentary on the use of gold granulation for contemporary jewelry. Gold granulation carries a message about “value” through the use of intrinsically valuable material and an archaic technique. 

Today, a more familiar sense of value is created through brand name products. The name promises to enhance the consumer’s life by association with the product. Buying a premium brand of oatmeal labeled with “Uniformity of Granulation” (as displayed on the bracelet) identifies the buyer as part of an elite group; those who can afford “uniformity.” I can afford quality, therefore I am elite. In a society so transitory and hyper-marketed one may wonder who we really are. Is our only sense of value defined by our material culture?