COLORADO GRILLS - TOPOGRAPHIES OF TASTE

THIS SET IN THE TOPOGRAPHIES OF TASTE SERIES REPRESENTS COLORADO, MY CURRENT HOME AND THE BASE OF MY METALSMITHING STUDIES IN FORT COLLINS. UNLIKE THE OTHER ENTRIES IN THE SERIES THAT DRAW PRIMARILY FROM REGIONAL JEWELRY STYLES, THIS PIECE TRANSLATES THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT ITSELF INTO A WEARABLE FORMAT, DIRECTLY CAPTURING FAMILIAR LANDSCAPES. THE SET WAS MADE USING THE LOST-WAX CASTING PROCESS. THE FABRICATION OF THIS SET RELIES HEAVILY ON SPECIALIZED SURFACE TREATMENTS TO CONSTRUCT A COHESIVE SCENE ACROSS THE UPPER AND LOWER TEETH. FOR THE TOP PIECE, I HAND-SAWED THE UPPER EDGE INTO A JAGGED MOUNTAIN SKYLINE. TO ACHIEVE THE MATTE WHITE EFFECT, I REPEATEDLY HEATED AND COOLED THE METAL, A TECHNIQUE THAT DRAWS A LAYER OF FINE SILVER TO THE SURFACE. THIS PROCESS PHYSICALLY ALTERS THE COMPOSITION TO VISUALLY MIMIC SNOW-CAPPED PEAKS. FOR THE LOWER SET, I UTILIZED A DIAMOND BIT TO CARVE A DENSE, FROSTY TEXTURE DIRECTLY INTO THE METAL, REPRESENTING THE ROUGH SURFACE OF A FROZEN LAKE. WHEN THE MOUTH IS CLOSED, THE UPPER AND LOWER PIECES INTERACT TO FORM A COMPLETE, MINIATURE WINTER LANDSCAPE THAT IS NOTORIOUS IN COLORADO.