All pieces in this section are made for themes or excercises in the Ortweinschule's workshop and are chronologically sorted. The special line separates the five years higher school from two years artistic masterclass, which is above.
I apologize in advance for the varying mass of text. Also if you are using a mobile device, please change to desktop version to prevent confusing layout.
MIST!
Theme: Substance
SUBSTANCES
solid > liquid > gas > forgotten
Why „forgotten“?
The work
It is based on a big dustbin in Chartres, France, and shall draw attention to the mentioned aesthetic of a public dustbin.
By what?
Material: brass, bin bag
Accessoire(bag), idea, photos, setting: ©Sandra F. Hammer, 2012
(LAST BUT NOT LEAST - THE NAME!!!
Mist = German and can mean 2 things:
1, garbage
2, "Mist!" = "Damn!")
Spongy
Yes, you've seen right. Sponge cloths! =D
And again I did much more than was asked, causing a lot of trouble, but who cares? I'm happy with the result.
We had to make a necklace with a box lock. :-/ I hate making box locks. They're wonderful when done and working, but making them is horror to me.
AND AGAIN - I made a huge piece. >.<
No glue used. Sponge cloth pieces are fixed with wire frames. If you should wonder, I made paper templates first. And no, it's not meant to be symmetric, though the photo unfortunately doesn't
show how asymmetric it actually is.
You may see the snap of the lock at the front and the only hinge at the back. ;)
Material: brass, sponge cloths
Artwork, idea, photo, setting: ©Sandra F. Hammer, 2012
Tribute to Terhi Tolvanen
About the Person
02.11.1968
1989-1993
1993-1997
1997-1999
born in Helsinki, Finland
Silversmithery at Lahti Design Institute in Lahti, SF
Jewellery desing at Gerrit Rietveld Academy, Amsterdam, NL
2nd phase fine arts, Sandberg Institute, Amsterdam, NL
Her studies in the Netherlands had a big influence on her. She turned her back to the scandinavian cliche of reclusiveness and created works filled with joy of life, but never forgot about her
homeland in.
Mainly she works with natural materials like wood and stones, but also precious metals, fabric, yarn, shells and even foam material. Every now and then found objects and such of everyday life
find their way into her works. For her, jewellery doesn't always need to be made of classic jewellery materials.
Title (FIN):
Title (FIN):
Kind:
Material:
Size:
Year:
Sinä ja Takaisin
There and Back Again
necklace (string is fixing the decoration)
shell, stone, brass, iron, yarn
83mm
2011
Syntymypaivää
Birthday
brooch
wood, brass, steal, rubber band
126mm
2011
Story
There And Back Again
Not only Terhi Tolvanen goes abroad and comes back home again.
My first defining journey brought me to a cliche-bathing-place: Lignano, Italy.
The water was churned up, the hotel elevator broken, the beach overrun, but I was allowed to see the sea for the first time. This made everything elses unimportant, because I love the sea.
The shell I used is the most beautiful one I found on that beach by myeslf.
The brass wires, a tiny part of the uncountable masses of seaweed that constantly got caught between my toes.
The iron borings are anemones I found some bit further out when going snorkelling. Iron, because I almost crashed into a rusted warning sign when swimming back ashore.
The stone laid infront of our entry door at home, the day I found the shell again. In front of this door, far away from the blue, churned sea. Hundreds of kilometres and many years away. It remembered me of a tear – a tear I cried when arriving and leaving.
The light-blue-turquoise yarn, like the shimmering of the sea in the sunlight; never used until this piece of jewellery was created; is a relic from that year I was allowed to put my feet into the sea for the first time.
Birthday
The day of my 21st birthday I went for a walk with my mother on the Weinebene and discovered this outstanding branch among a pile of cut down dead trees.
This branch of all has an distinguishing feature dieser: crystallized resin. It seems like gemstones, in the wound of the bark. The silver-white wood is interveined by bite marks of all kinds of insects. This branch had been a haunt, until it died, too old for standing the last winter and its icy winds.
The resind and the peeled off bark bear witness to its agony. And nevertheless it could bring me joy in its death, on this day of my life. Only few minutes later Mother Nature thanked me for having found and rescued this jewel from the chaffcutter: one of the most beautiful sunsets of my life.
The wound brass wire, on the one hand, is a wordgame: Weinebene(vine-field), whereas the resin is blood and tears of the tree, so the crying("weinen" in German). On the other hand my roots are partly in southeast Styria, in the vulcano- and wine-region.
The strange rubber band which holds the longest wire has a meaning too: I would have never been able to catch this sunset if I hadn't; of what reason ever; had it with me. The screws of my camera had once more decided to unfix themselves. As I couldn't tighten them enough, I put the rubber band around the camera.
Signature Key Pendant
The task was making a hollow body as a key pendant. I decided on my short signature. An additional challenge to the anyway difficult task for some people.
Material: brass
Size: 50 x 24 x 6mm
Object, idea, photo, setting: ©Sandra F. Hammer, 2011
Signature ©Sandra F. Hammer
Gaia's Box
We had to make a box with a chased lid. That wasn't enough for me.
This box represents some of the biggest mysteries of planet Earth.
- The ancient sunken city of Atlantis(which is said to have been a huge source of life)
- therefore Atlantis is shaped like an embryo - the beginning of life.
- when opening the box, you will find the negative to be the Tree of Life before it starts to grow leafs. The state of life before it is actually born - but still there is something. Some sort of life that creates it.
I could have called it the "Box of Life". But I am part of the human race and our; humans'; source of life, our origin, is our planet. And this planet was represented by the mighty Goddess and Titan Gaia in greek mythology. She was the giver of life.
~~~~~~~
Technical information:
The enamelled plate is set into the lid like a stone and the whole box fits it's shape. So, it was more than difficult to make. Everything is copper. The colour is real and created by natural oxidation after just 2 days. No counter enamel used. Still no damage was caused to the enamel while setting the plate. Either I had luck or - Gaia's blessing. I don't know.
Note, copper and the technique of enamelling have been used by human culture for many thousands of years, making these a big part of what made us become what we are now.
Material: copper, enamel
Artwork, idea, photos, setting: ©Sandra F. Hammer, 2011
Bamboo
We had to make a bracelet with a special hinge-lock that won't lose the locking plug. I made my piece in a way the hinges become one with the bracelet and it can't be seen at first sight where
the actual lock is.
Material: brass
Artwork, idea, photo, setting: ©Sandra F. Hammer, 2011
Aurora Borealis
Solitaire ring with an interlocking frame as a filing and stone setting exercise. The ring band square drawn from a round wire which we had to file round afterwards.
The name of the ring derives from the shimmer of the stone.
Material: brass, chrysoprase
Ring, work, photo, setting of photo: ©Sandra F. Hammer, 2011
Green of Life
Yes, you saw it right! Cucumbers.
Theme was "Materie des Lebendigen, Materialien des Körperhaften"(= matters of the living, materials of the corporeal)
Oh yes. And now hear that and create something to it.
Well, the first thing that came to my mind - and it came right away when hearing the topic! - were cucumbers. And don't laugh. Cucumbers have an important part of my life, being part of my daily
breakfast. So I decided to research a bit and got to the process of culturing and shipping until they are finally eaten.
There are many preservatives involved. Hardly anyone mentions them, but just imagine how a cucumber travels thousands of kilometres through Europe for then landing in a store, where hundreds of
people touch it all over and throw it around. And it is still "fresh" and tasty after weeks in the fridge at home. JUST IMAGINE THAT! Cucumbers are amazing, aren't they?
So, these are handcut(with a knife!), dried under ward and handpainted with epoxy resin adhesive. They kept the colour, don't splinter and are even flexible at some rate.
All links are also entirely handmade from modified 1,2mm brass wire.
The main idea was the necklace but I also made a ring to it. The concept is quite flexible and can be transformed into various kinds of jewellery.
Material(again): cucumbers, epoxy resin adhesive, brass
Artwork, idea, photos, setting: ©Sandra F. Hammer!!!!!, 2011
Our physical and mental state affect our life. They affect how we act towards others, what we wear. In case of the second, colours are very important. But having found the right clothes, the
jewellery mostly doesn't fit. And once having found a piece of jewellery, the colour doesn't fit to everything either. So what would be, if we could decide on its colour ourselves?
The colour wheel is turn- and fixable without being taken out. But it can be replaced by a diffetent wheel of the kind.
Material: brass, enamel on copper
Size: ~6cm
Artwork, idee, arrangement, photos: ©Sandra F. Hammer, 2011
Ceremonial Armour of the Queen
In my own Empire I am the Queen...
Sandra F. Hammer
Theme: "Wrapped, wound, laid around the arm"
Material: brass, fabric
Artwork, idea, photos, setting: ©Sandra F. Hammer, 2011
Model: Sandra F. Hammer
Belt, pendant and tiara ©Sandra F. Hammer!!!
Bucklebuckle
Task: technique of soldering in, in form a buckle
Well, the "Bucklebuckle", as the name says, combines two kinds of buckles. There is nothing more behind it.
Material: brass, copper, leather
Artwork, idea, photos, setting: ©Sandra F. Hammer, 2010/11
Model: Sandra F. Hammer
Destinations
For the theme "Identity"; centrifugal casting work required; I grappled with my life up to now. Thereby I came to ralize that many places I visited, had a very formative influence on
me.
These destinations of my life, marked on a map of Europe and their beeline distances drawn starting from Graz, my home city, make the elements of the necklace. Graz, as said, forms the middle.
This middle is the wearer. I.
Each element is characterized by a structure; handcut in wax first; which represents something that I associate with this place.
Material: bronze, copper, cotton string
Artwork, idea, photos, setting: ©Sandra F. Hammer, 2010/11
Model: Sandra F. Hammer
Firefly
The task was simple: a brooch with a set stone.
And what did I idiot do? The only thing I had in mind whe being asked were fireflies because the radio in the workshop had played this song by Owl City some minutes before. Fortunately my teacher
hadn't heard it. But still I got myself into something I'd never expected.
Yes, this brooch really glows. ^^
(and it's only a single brooch, not 2. :| )
Material: copper, chrysoprase cabochon, LED
Artwork, idea, setting, photos: ©Sandra F. Hammer, 2010/11
Size: ~6cm from head to butt :)
Reference: from Wikipedia
LED sponsored by Matthias Richter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o~0~O~0~o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FINALS' PROJECT
This is my finals' project's (called "Matura" here in Austria) work in goldsmith's class.
We had to make a peace of jewellery for a portrait of the 20th century which we had to choose out of 6(all paintings). The task was to create it in a way that combines the style the portrait is
painted in and the modern aspects of design. It also had to represent the personality of the shown person (if known) and fit into the painting, as non of the persons wears jewellery.
There was one week time: monday 10th May 3pm to saturday 15th May 6pm, every day from 8am to 1pm and 3pm to 6pm, thursday was free, no other time than this was allowed to be used for it - ;) -
plus a folder had to be handed in. We even had to write down when and how long we went to the toilet!
Anyway - back to the art.
It is for the oil painting "Young Lady With Gloves" by Tamara de Lempicka(a Polish paintress), one of the mothers of Art Deco. Unfortunately it is not known, who this young girl
is.
The piece is to be worn only like this and will also fit on her. As Art Deco was a time where geometric forms met floral
ornaments and a time of glamour, I wanted to combine these aspects. The part on the left shoulder represents the playful drapery in a minimalized way and runs out into a simple collar, that ends
in a simple bezel setting with red coral cabochon, standing for the very red lips, which build a magnificent contrast to the green dress.
For the photo: as you see when you clicked the first link, I wanted to make the setting remind of the original work of Tamara.
Material: 925 Sterlingsilver, red coral cabochon.
Artwork, idea, equipment, makeup, setting, model: ©Sandra F. Hammer, 2010
Photos: ©Manfred Schmidt(one of my teachers) - with Nikon D80
Golden Gate Bridge
Theme in the workshop was "Jewellery and Architecture". My first thoughts were on the Golden Gate Bridge. It's one of the most famous pieces of architecture in the world.
The idea: There are a lot of earthquakes in the region it is built(San Francisco Bay/California). So what would be if the biggest earthquake in history destroyed the bridge? This deformed version
of bridge(it has more details in real but these shapes of the pillars will come to everybody's mind if asked quickly) is worn around the neck and shoulders. It perfectly fits my body.
Material: copper, steel wire
Artwork, idea photos, setting, model: ©Sandra F. Hammer, 2010
Lake-Cube
"Jewellery/Object for a fine arts work of the 20th or 21st century"
A very long title for a theme.
As long and extensive as the work of Gerhard Richter, a contemporary, austrian artist. His works include total abstraction, collages, assemblages and breathtaking photorealism.
Impressed by his workds, I felt the need to honour him.
"Abstraktes Bild - See"("Abstract Painting - Lake") was one of the paintings I was allowed to see with my own eyes. What it caused inside me is indescribable, as grandiose as the
technique behind it. Constructed from several "smeared" layers of paint put onto each other, Richter created a sensational depht effect that can only be seen on the huge original.
This depht effect, this ground of that lake in the moonlight can be seen in the hidden inside of my work, only visible through a gap. The cube itself, containing two chambers, has the colours of
the small dots that spread all across the original painting.
Material: copper, brass, glass
Box, idea, photos, setting: ©Sandra F. Hammer, 2009
Abstraktes Bild - See: ©Gerhard Richter, 1991
The Thing and its Hiding Place
Theme was "The Thing and its Hidingplace". My Thing is nothing but a little being, vulnerabe like a baby, which hides beneath the fur of its mother - which is my hair :)
Material: brass headband with iron element, 925 Sterlingsilver with magnet
Artwork, idea, photos, setting: ©Sandra F. Hammer, 2009
Breaded Ring
For the theme "Iss wos G'scheit's"("Eat something wise") I dealed with the topic fast food. As I have to assume that the actuator for the basic realisation of surface might stumble over my
website and thereby might lose some former illusions, I will spare details.
And yes, these are breadcumbs and flour. I didn't use eggs though to prevent the natural rotting process.
Material: brass(hollow ring), bredcumbs and flour, shellac, epoxy resin adhesive
Artwork: ©Sandra F. Hammer, 2009
Photo ring alone: ©Manfred Schmidt
Photo ring worn: ©Sandra F. Hammer, hand is mine.
Locket
The first locket I've made. Took me quite a time though.
And I couldn't decide for the colour of the background. >.< But I believe it shows very well how different one and the same piece can look, if you only change tiny bit about the
background.
Material: brass
Size: 3cm
Artwork, photos, setting: ©Sandra F. Hammer, 2008
Egyptian Pectoral
In 2008 my class took part in a competition called "Austria meets Egypt". I will spare the details of the competition here. :P
My piece is a kind of modern form of an Egyptian pectoral, but it still has old aspects in the concept.
Base is the image for the god Aton, invented by Pharao Echnaton who believed to be an incarnation of the god. The image is a sun with 14 radial rays ending in hands. They aren't running around
the whole sun though, but this image is very close to the radial patterns on ceremonial pectorals. They mostly were made of the finest drapery, coloured white, blue and red, with gold woven
in.
Mine resembles the "pure gold" and divinity of the sun.
For the technical aspect: The two equally shaped plates of each piece are fixed with 6-8 soldered small pipes for a better hold(I could have used wire though, but well, I didn't want the pieces
to be as flexible as a snake, did I?).
Between the pipes run two leather bands that end at the front, where two of the biggest pieces are stuck in each other like a guide rail. (hope you understand as my English isn't so good at
tecnical stuff yet) This allows me to open and close the piece, as I wouldn't get it over my head.
The bottom plates are a bit smaller at the shoulders, so it will lie perfectly. Unfortunately the pieces slid off a bit when taking this self-picture[mind that the term "selfie" didn't exist in
my country yet when this was made].
Material: 1mm brass plates, 1mm brass pipes, leather band
Weight: about 2kg
Artwork, idea, photo Pectoral flat: ©Sandra F. Hammer 2008 - sorry for the fingerprints
Photos Pectoral worn, setting: ©Sandra F. Hammer 2011
Model: Sandra F. Hammer
Aton-Sun and egyptian chariot from Google. Found back then and reused. No idea from which page they actually are. :-/
Ohrchidee
Theme: "On the ear"
My work is a game with the German words "Ohr" (=ear) and "Orchidee" (=orchid) - and maybe even - Idee (=idea). Because, the thought was that the brass-dust that is flying around in the workshop
one day will fall down somewhere onto something. It solidifies to something new. Like the fertilised seed of a flower becomes a new flower. Now, when the dust falls down onto an ear, a
brass-flower will grow there.
An orchid, because its shape is very much like a human ear(and mentioned wordplay). Actually it's just the half of a classic orchid flower. And it only fits my own right ear.
Material: brass
Artwork, idea: ©Sandra F. Hammer, 2007
Photos, setting: ©Sandra F. Hammer, 2010
Model: Sandra F. Hammer
Childhood Memories
Theme in the workshop was "Feelings". I decided on "Security", in detail "Childhood Memories"
This is a big cushion that is worn around the neck and is closed by two of the buttons.
The buttons represent my most important stuffed animals. In addition there is a thick brass wire inside the cushion which is keeping its form. This doesn't affect the comfortable feeling while
wearing it at all.
Material: brass, cotton, wadding
Artwork, idea, setting: ©Sandra F. Hammer, 2007
Photos: ©Manfred Schmidt
Stay-Tab-Bracelet
You all might know these opening-things on cans.. The bracelet includes 96 of them.
This was a pice for my jewellery class in 3rd year. Theme: From the refuse container
Material: brass and - well - what already mentioned.
Artwork, photos, setting, idea: ©Sandra F. Hammer, 2006
Tinicle-Necklet
The theme was "4 Seasons".
I took winter.
One of the typical phenomenons in winter are icicles. But those on my necklet are tinicles. And they all have names and personality, as producing them caused its problems..
Original concept was a bit different, but in the end I had to decide on this version.
Material: pewter(or tin, as it is called in mining), plastic beads, yarn, brass clasp
Artwork, idea: ©Sandra F. Hammer, 2006
Photo: ©Manfred Schmidt
Catapult
Theme in the workshop was "Flexible Object". The idea behind my work was focused on the mass of doves around my home. To get "rid of them", I designed this little catapult-ring. And it really
works - only the spring doesn't live that long. But it can be exchanged.
Material: brass, biro spring
Artwork, idea: ©Sandra F. Hammer, 2006
Photo: ©Manfred Schmidt
Erosion Hole
Theme in the workshop was "Politure / Structure".
This brooch resembles an erosion hole. For all who don't know what it is: If water(of a river or the sea) takes stones into a hole of another stone, after some years they will have drilled a
hole. Normally the rough structure is on the surface of the big stone and the stones inside the whole as well as the hole are kinda polished. I exchanged these two facts. So - the big stone is
polished, the hole and the stones inside are rough.
Material: brass, copper
Size: about 9cm diameter
Artwork, idea: ©Sandra F. Hammer, 2006
Photo: ©Manfred Schmidt
Focus
Theme was "Rhythm", to which we had to create an object made of brass- and copper-wire. I decided on the focussing of the human eye.
Material: brass, copper
Size: 4 x 6,7 x 4,5cm
Artwork, idea: ©Sandra F. Hammer, 2005
Photo: ©Sandra F. Hammer, 2011 (on the original photo made by my teacher, the object was placed wrong. :| )
Vegetables
For jewellery class, 2nd year - actually the 1st, because in 1st class we're taking turns. We just had to make a bracelet. I wanted to keep it simple. And as I had this vegetable-mania at this
moment, it turned out to be this.
For those who don't recognize the vegetables(there are always tired people hanging around here *shrug*): tomatoes, bell peppers, peas, pumpkins.
In addition I also made a pea-pendant to it.
Material: brass, copper
Artwork, idea: ©Sandra F. Hammer, 2005
Photo: ©Manfred Schmidt