Chronos

Nan Lopata

850E6215-1490-472D-89D3-E151E2A7ECEF

Nan Lopata Metalsmith
Springfield, VA, United States
2023

3.5 x 2x ..25 inches

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Photo credit: Nancy Yonahiro

I often start with a castoff piece of enamel or silver that just seems like it might have a story to tell. This torch fired enamel was plucked from a box in a moment of boredom and sat on the side of my bench for about 6 months. Some of my favorite found objects came out to play with it- thrift store fur, broken car reflector, flea market watch face, deer antler tip.

I think of my work as narrative; I like to look at objects and imagine what sort of story they could tell. The natural elements- fur, antler-combined with the industrial element- the watch face- create a a thematic tension that I find interesting. The theme of time seems to be popping up a lot lately in my stories. As events unfold in our human journey, time seems to have taken on a new urgency.

Bio
I think of my work as a search for the secrets of rusty things. A walk by the side of a river or a railroad track yields artifacts and images I use to create jewelry with an urban tribal vibe. I take found objects and semiprecious stones and transform them into pieces that reference ancient adornments and the idea of the modern talisman.

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