I've created this group so that I may share with you the progress of my project, My Father's Teeth.
In this group I hope to share the processes I will be using through images, writing and maybe even video here and there!

Introduction

My Father’s Teeth is a series I’d like to start working on in early September. The project will consist of 6 rings made from silver with bone and crystal settings. The series is an investigation into prescribed value, both monetary and sentimental, and the relationship between parent and child. I intend to sculpt the wax positives of the ring bands myself however, this project will require me to out source the casting and finishing of the silver as well as the setting of the teeth and crystal. In addition to this there is the cost of the coloured casting crystal and mould making supplies. For time and labor of the out sourcing and material cost, being awarded the full amount for this grant would greatly contribute to the success of this project.

Formal Specifications:

This project is a series of rings. In this series there will be three sets of two rings with identical silver bands each one holding either a tooth or a crystal replica of the tooth.

Three different kinds of teeth will be used for this series, all of which have come from my father in one way or another.

1 Bull Moose Molar

1 Bear Eye Tooth

1 Child Molar

The crystal teeth will be kiln cast using wax positives made from the original teeth and plaster silica moulds.

The ring bands will be custom made in silver using lost wax.

Personal Meaning

This series was conceived as a contemplation of the relationship I have with my father; how idiosyncrasies and character traits are passed down from old to young.

Being the daughter of an avid hunter and fisherman, I’ve always been exposed to the practice of hunting and preparing wild animals for personal consumption. In some ways, this has desensitized me to things like the skinning and butchering of prey, but I also feel it has given me a greater appreciation for the animal itself. My involvement in these undertakings has given me a curiosity of the parts of animals that may otherwise be over looked.

By juxtaposing the crystal castings with their original tooth counterparts, the formal qualities they possess begin to come to light, while their functional purpose of mastication wanes.  While the two objects, tooth and crystal replica, starkly differ in colour, optical qualities, texture, weight and even smell, they are fundamentally linked and one is unmistakably the product of the other.