Tamsin Leighton-Boyce: Trace

I used to be a...

Objects made from recycled materials are often seen as ‘eccentric’ or ‘folksy’ rather than celebrated for their ingenuity and potential. Or they are elevated to ‘Art ‘ status because they are defined by their ‘recycling’. Paradoxically, much of the precious metals used in jewellery have been melted down and recycled somewhere down the line, but this is not often advertised.

I am interested in the environmental and aesthetic culture of re-using materials, and in how that has and will continue to develop. My exploration of recycled steel cans within my Jewellery has led me to explore the notion of trace. How much of the original material do we desire or need to see? How much do we want to be, or want to be seen to be, aware? By disguising or revealing the surface or form; by sign, symbol or association, we choose the trace we leave.

Tamsin Leighton-Boyce- January 2011