Monica Findlay Portfolio Glasgow School of Art Graduate Collection 2021 ‘Traces’
Inspiration // Molymusk reliquary // NMS
The Monymusk Reliquary is a small house-shaped casket that was made of yew wood around 750 AD. The casket and lid are each carved from a solid piece of wood, and covered in thin bronze and silver plates. The silver plates are decorated with very faint interlacing animals and with bronze mounts featuring red enamel. One of two enameled hinge plates survive that would have attached a strap so that the Reliquary could be carried, possibly around the neck. It is thought that this artefact was ‘the Brechbennoch’ that was carried by Robert the Bruce’s army at the Battle of Bannockburn, making it one of Scotlands greatest treasures.
Reliquaries housed precious relics associated with Christian saints. The sacred function and intricately decorated pictish metal work stimulated my curiosity, in the National Museum Scotland. What missing artefacts did such an ornate piece once hold? This reliquery serves as inspiration for my box collection. As I work through designs, I try to incorporate labour intensive processes, mix metals, patterns, and play on the element of ‘something missing’ to extend that curiosity I experienced to the veiwer.
Monica Findlay // traces ring box 2 // lost wax cast silver, copper wirework
Finals // traces ring box 2 + chainmail box
// pressformed chain
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Metal Boxes feature wire details that reference the chain making process, allowing for a relationship between collections. rods of ‘jumprings’ form a robust base, laser welded as each point of connection reinforced with solder. I then used a mitre to file the corners exact and assembled the box on an etched detail base, finishing the structure with a final solder on the forge. the outer walls are lightly hammered then burnished to create a linear ‘mark making’ pattern when the jumprings catch the light. The silver lid is lost wax cast for an exact yet soft impression of the rings it shall hold. Matte white finish with burnished edges. Crack in center offers a glance at the contents. Materials: Oxidised copper, Silver Dimensions: 25mm x 90mm x 57mm
traces ring box // variation 2
Above: lost wax cast silver lid, oxidised copper base, forged silver ring - used to make impression. 28
chainmail box // final piece
Materials: Oxidised copper A transparent layer of crushed 1mm jumprings forms the walls of this box, texture dicovered during the chain making process. The ornate quality of the spirals wires when layered resonates with ancient inscription and lets just enough light through to allow a glimpse of the boxes contents - encouraging a closer look. On top sits a soft finish, roll printed lid, which has been pressformed and fitted with a wire bezel, allowing it to hug the frame of the base. Each point of cotact is laser welded for strength before reinforcing with solder.
left: pressformed circle cooling on the stakes // right: close up of the shadow cast on table // below left: final box // below right: print taken with sunlight.
Dimensions: 70mm diameter x 50mm height
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process // creating a tangible token of a memory.
photograph hour.
hed in the garden at golden
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variation 2 // chainmail box
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struck 2 //
metal form based on lightning struck tree // developing the relationship between early narra towards destinctive, organic shapes that are personal and considered.
ative work and recent box making, repeating the form for a chohesive final collection //
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struck 2 // metal variation
temporal effects, patina embossed base
test piece tying metalwork to early narrative work. I imagine my collection to be displayed in a row, decorating a table, therefore it is important that there is a repeat elements that allow them to flow. this piece is my first exploration of a more ‘organic’ form, using the fallen branches from struck as a stake to form the delicate brass walls.
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proposal // variation 3 of ‘chainmail box’
Materials: Heat coloured copper (treated with peanut oil for orange lustre) Dimensions: diameter 130mm x height 130mm assembled as chainmain and positioned with laserwelder.
// applicable samples
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struck 03 // two part box //
Another proposal for a box that incorporates my woodwork samples from ‘struck’. (above) This cracked branch serves as inspiration for a fragmented box that slots together with the tree itself. 1 half tree, the other half silver box. (base) hammered to mimic the texture of the bark, silver lip. (lid) satin finish silver, incorporates cast ingots as handle. I like the combination of wood and silver, a pershible material next to a permanent one, yet both with precious qualities. woodgrain tells a story of the past, silver preserves tokens of that story.
Materials: Fallen branch, ingots cast directly from tree, silver sheet. Dimensions: 90mm x 90mm x 40mm
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traces box // design proposal
Manufacture: Tapered box design combining samples shown. 1mm silver sheet to be pressfomed with links then folded to form ‘cone’ (this allows for minimal hammering so the pressformed links are still visible) then soldered to base. Neck of the vessel to be fitted with 3mm ‘jumpring rod’ (above) this shall act as the lip for the lid to rest on. The lid will be manufactured similar to the ‘chainmail box’: the lip is pressformed into rollprinted sheet, picking up linear detail of the jumprings, this indent guides the lid into position when placed on the base. A single silver wire is sweat soldered onto the tlid, creating a delicate destinction from the paper printed, oxidised finish.
Materials 1mm silver pressformed base 1mm oxidised silver lid multiple cast element from jumpring rods, formed into circle, as bezel for lid. dimensions: 80mm x 80mm x 80mm
‘tiny traces’ a single wire as ornament
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variation 2// ‘through the looking glass’ // design proposal
‘thro terial p artefac vessel the lid, Museu bling i The lea though
(below) ariel view Dimensions 100 x 80 x 80 mm Materials: Oxidised Copper vessel, leather cord.
ough the looking glass’ is a wearable vessel inspired by my research into the mapast. Reflecting on Scottish archaeology plays a crucial role in my practice as I use cts of the past to contextualise the relationship between object and memory. This references my archive investigation; the wearer can glance through an eyehole in , revealing an intricate pattern developed from the treasure hoards of the National um Scotland. The delicate wirework allows light to carry through the vessel, enait to serve as an obscured viewfinder, casting a new perspective on familiar objects. ather strap references the ‘Molymusk reliquary’ - a container for sacred relics, ht to be carried around the neck.
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chapter 4 // chains in boxes // tangible traces // heirlooms print // samples
// silver wirework
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Inspiration // materiality, authenticity // work in progress
‘Even the most perfect reproduction of a work of art is lacking in one element: its presence in time and space, its unique existence at the place where it happens to be. This unique existence of the work of art determined the history to which it was subject throughout the time of its existence. This includes the changes which it may have suffered in physical condition over the years as well as the various changes in its ownership. The traces of the first can be revealed only by chemical or physical analyzes which it is impossible to perform on a reproduction.’ (Walter Benjamin, 1935)
Many pieces in my collection are inspired by personal objects and the nostalgia evoked when interacting with them, however, it is not my intention that these sentimental narratives are explicit to the viewer. Instead, I aim to conjure up emotional intrigue through surface qualities and form. I feel boxes convey this, serving as ‘containers for memory’ with their associations to collecting, safe keeping. This collection is open to interpretation, material traces hint the objects ‘past’. This piece ventures into patina, exploring notions of authenticity. Patina has a quality that symbolises the transience of an object, the surface suggests the object has been altered by its surroundings and therefore tells a story of time. Sociologist Grant McCracken describes patina’s presence as a symbol of the object’s experience, noting: ‘as they come into contact with the elements and other objects in the world, their original surface takes on a surface of its own’ (Grant McCracken, 1988).
early sample // thinking about the sentimentality of objectsan essence of what once was there. Materials // grandmothers wedding ring, matchbox, copper shim
Dimensions: 105 x 75 x 25
work in progress for jewellery box // inspired by the proportions, and mechanism of my grandmothers matchbox collection.