Crafting Enterprise meets Made in the Middle
Will and Dauvit Alexander
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Three Post-Apocalyptic Cocktail Rings, 2010. Found, corroded iron; silver; natural and synthetic gemstones. Photo credit: Neilson Photography. -
Hymn To Amun Ra, 2013. Brake-pad from a Cessna jet; Kevlar and steel bullet-proof vest material; rare-earth magnets; 3D printed nylon; silver; blue topaz; citrine; enamel. Photo credit: Neilson Photogrpahy. -
V, 2015. Corroded iron table leg; corroded iron washer; silver; handmade glass taxidermy eye; peridot; quartz; tsavorite garnets; enamel. Photo credit: Neilson Photography. -
Will's artwork inspired by the work of Dauvit Alexander, 2017. Pencil and oil pastel on paper. Photo credit: Helen Tomkins
Who has influenced you and your work?
My work is influenced by a variety of people in a number of spheres. Politically, I’m most influenced by my maternal grandfather and by my mother, both of whom were very working-class liberals in the best sense of the world. My grandfather in particular – an ex-merchant seaman – was a true liberal in that nothing bothered him except unfairness. In terms of themes, I am drawn to a lot of musicians, in particular classic Heavy Metal (Black Sabbath, Judas Priest…), David Bowie, twentieth-century composers like Fausto Romitelli or Olivier Messiaen. Materials-wise, I was introduced to the idea of working in iron by Rob Jackson and encouraged to do so by Bob Ebendorf, whom I met at a course many years ago and who gave me the courage to be more true to my feelings for materials. I also love the classic “fine jewellers” such as Fulco Verdura, Andrew Grima and John Donald.
Do you have any favourite artists or designers?
I love the British pop-artists and surrealists. Britain is the only place where Surrealism is still alive and kicking and has even become part of the mainstream. I’m also a big fan of British modernism (Barbara Hepworth, Lucienne Day) and the brutalist architects. I think that from a period of around 1948 – 1972, Britain was a powerhouse of design but it also fitted in with a certain dark aesthetic which was prevalent in literature and film, both of which have been huge influences – I love Stanley Kubrick and Ridley Scott, for example.
What medium do you most like working in?
I am a jeweller, so I like to work in classic jewellery materials such as gemstones and precious metals but pairing them with unlikely materials such as rusted, corroded iron. Any rusted steel found in a derelict factory is game for being material that I would work with. Old tools. Chain.
Website: http://www.justified-sinner.com
Social media: https://www.instagram.com/justified_sinner/
