Girotondo and Tutti Giù Per Terra

Giro-giro-tondo                           Round and round

Casca il mondo                           The world falls down

Casca la terra                             The Earth falls down

Tutti giù per terra                        And we all fall down!

 

Identity is a puzzle constructed over a lifetime from fragments of where we come from, who we are, and who we become.

 

"Girotondo" is the first piece I made nearly entirely with found objects, and for me it marks the true beginning of my jewellery art practice, to the extent that its imagery forms an integral part of my "branding". The vintage tin in both pieces was donated to me by the man I consider to be my jewellery "father", Robert Ebendorf, pioneer of the American studio jewellery movement.

 

For many long-term immigrants like me, the shaping of our identity goes through constant evolution, often including phases of denying and reappraising our own cultural heritage while assimilating the culture, language and mannerisms of our new homes. "Girotondo" and its companion piece "Tutti giù per terra" are named after lines in the centuries-old Italian nursery rhyme Girotondo (equivalent of the British "Ring A Ring O' Roses" and with similarities to many other sung-in-a-circle songs around the world). The found and repurposed objects also come with their own personal heritage, constantly blending their own history and identity into mine as a person and jewellery artist. The silver charms, one (the coffee grinder) belonging to my mother and the other (Disney's character Goofy) a memento of my First Communion, are still the most traditional childhood gifts, passed down from generation to generation to trace our history and accompany us into our future.

 

The two rings were selected for the 2017 edition of the Legnica International Jewellery Competition, with the theme "Identity".

 

      

"GIROTONDO" - RING (jar lid, vintage tin, silver charm, copper sheet and adhesive, paper, glue, fabric, steel wire)

 

      

 

"TUTTI GIÙ PER TERRA" - RING (jar lid, old kettle whistle, silver charm, vintage tin, copper, stainless steel wire, glue, plastic bead)

 

A note on construction: staying true to the sung-in-a-circle nature of the nursery rhyme they are based on, both pieces are constructed with an easy-open mechanism jar lid, meaning the top can rotate on its base. The coffee grinder charm mimics the idea of that movement and so does the lever mechanism which holds the Goofy charm, allowing him not only to spin and drag on the ground horizontally but also to tumble.