Investigating salt through art jewellery

[摘要] ENGLISH SUMMARY: This thesis is a materialist investigation of salt as a vibrant material within the practice of art jewellery. My art jewellery practice, with salt as main material, serves as the basis of this art practice-based research study. I place emphasis on the vital materiality within matter, focusing on salt as catalyst within my practice and theory. Through detailed analysis of my practice, and of the primary role of salt as vibrant matter therein, I aim to investigate how a materialist perspective can generate an interdisciplinary approach within the practice of art jewellery. Salt was the catalyst that changed my practice to an interdisciplinary one, situated between art jewellery, alchemy, metallurgy and chemistry. As such my practice questions themes of wearability, appropriate materials and durability within jewellery practices. In general this study aims to contribute to the discipline of art jewellery by motivating the use of edible, mineral and bodily matter in order to transcend the boundaries and definitions of contemporary jewellery. Furthermore this study aims to create awareness of the significance of salt as a living matter that is able to cause effects within human and non-human matter.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University