50.0

2013 / Pewter, Silver, Gold, Bronze, PVC

The technique developed is an interpretation of the process of sand casting. Conventional molds are used to create the lettering necessary on the medals (‘GRAND PRIX’ and ‘Vancouver, March 2013, Men’s Epee’). These letters are covered with loose sand, air is blown into the sand to make an unpredictable shape, and liquid pewter is poured into the resulting cavity. When poured into the sand, molten pewter has strong surface tension, creating a pronounced meniscus edge around the perimeter of the pour and at the locations where it interacts with lettering. The last step in the process is a nod to the iconography of athletic medals: plating the pewter pieces with a layer of gold, silver, or bronze.

Photography by Robert Keziere