Fashion:Victim

I have finally finished my Alexander McQueen tribute piece, "Fashion:Victim" which comprises of the two spherical 'handbags' made from steel spheres which I found in a burnt-out factory in Kent some years ago. The first sphere, I've shown already, "The Illusion of Freedom Buys The Power of Destruction" and is based on his life and his love of falconry and features a porcelain falcon-head by Lisa Stevens:

The second sphere, "Before The Fall", is about the time immediately before his untimely death and is a collaboration between me, wax-carver, Carol Docherty and stone-setter, Inness Thomson:

Fashion:Victim - In Memoriam ALMcQ - 152

Fashion:Victim - In Memoriam ALMcQ - 156

Fashion:Victim - In Memoriam ALMcQ - 155

I love the way that these look when hung together:

Fashion:Victim - In Memoriam ALMcQ - 158

They have been away for photography and will be sent off to the ACJ ICONS exhibition tomorrow.

For those of you who are interested, the burnt-out factory from whence the original spheres came looked like this:

And the spheres looked like this:

I have absolutely no idea what these would have been used for.

Today, I set about using up some of the spare elements from this piece. I got my orders of gemstone flowers just about right but had enough to make a pendant and earring trio:

A Flowering - Earrings Trio and Pendants - 3

There will be more pieces to follow as I have a small bag of spare silver "raptor claws" from the first sphere.

The last couple of weeks have been badly-managed by me in some ways, in that I have had three different stone-dealers through the workshops in very rapid succession, which always leads to me spending money, albeit money to be recouped at a later date. Due to a commission, I had a very specific shopping list in mind, but I also bought a few other things for my own interest:

Some Brazilian gemstones in unusual cuts.

Sapphire cabochons.

Aquamarine Cabochon

Cambodian spinels

Natural Zircon crystals

A very unusually-cut flat and clear citrine (which may end up paired with the zircon crystals).

If you are wondering why I have bought so many blue stones, it is because of me starting work on a commission for another of my cocktail rings, "(It's The Time) Of April Snows":

(It's The Time) Of April Snows - WIP - 8

Made from corroded iron gas-pipe, steel box-girder and silver and to fit an enormous amethyst:

(It's The Time) Of April Snows - WIP - 1

(It's The Time) Of April Snows - WIP - 9

(It's The Time) Of April Snows - WIP - 4

Off on holiday on Friday. Can't wait!

One final note... I think I have discovered the ugliest public "artwork" in the world:

This is outside the BT headquarters in Glasgow.

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Comment by The Justified Sinner on April 3, 2014 at 1:22am: I see what you mean...

It reminded me of a TV show too, a horrifying UK production which gave me nightmares, called "The Stone Tape". In keeping with a lot of experimental TV for children in the 1960s and 70s Britain, it was not afraid to tackle dark, apocalyptic themes.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069316/

It was written by one of my Science Fiction heroes, Nigel Kneale, who also wrote "Quatermass" and the unbelievably prescient 1968 "Year of the Sex Olympics", both of which are also deepy disturbing dystopian visions.

Comment by Brigitte Martin on April 2, 2014 at 4:15pm: Maybe the creator of these sculptures was French? They remind me of a TV series I did't particularly care for when I was a kid: http://www.barbapapa.fr/

Personally, I have always preferred and been a huge WOMBLES fan, and growing up I used to watch them religiously. I wonder what's happened to that TV series, but I digress.... :-)