Bruin Jewelry
Steadman
  • Jewelry 1
    • Class Summary
    • Wire Pendant
    • Coin Medallion
    • Ring with a Bezel Set Stone
    • Multi-layer (unit construction) Project
    • Lost Wax Ring
    • Key Project
  • Jewelry 2
    • Class summary
    • Jewelry 2 Coin Medallions
    • Production Project
    • Production Gift Project
    • Altered Mold Project
    • Alternate Wax Project
    • Lost Wax Ring
    • Ring with a Bezel Set Stone
    • Oil Based Clay Project
    • Lampwork Bead Project
    • Forming Project/Vessels
    • Fused Glass Project
    • Set Faceted Stoned Project
    • Wire Wrapping
    • Enamel Project
    • Personal Project
    • Thematic Jewelry Project
  • Demos
    • Cold Connections
    • Ring Band Demos
    • Knotts
    • Pliers and Wire Work
    • Wax Related Demos >
      • Making a Wax Ring
      • Design Transfer to a Wax Ring
      • Metal Choice
      • Spruing a Ring
      • Sprue Removal
      • Wax Tools
      • Polishing Wax, for Casting
      • Alternative wax process
      • Wax Injector
    • Sanding, Grinding, Filing, Polishing
    • Soldering Demos
    • Stone Tools
    • Stone Setting
    • Bezel Demos
    • Drills
  • Documents
    • Disclosure Document
    • Grading Policy Rationale
  • Photo Gallery
  • Setting Up Your Own Shop
    • Jewelry Suppliers I use
    • Wax and Casting Shop
    • Bench Shop

Key Project

The Over Arching Concept:
Make a key using any jewelry making techniques you have learned this semester in class to make a key that represents you in someway.

A Key is an object with deep metaphorical possibilities.
Keys are used to lock things, obviously, but why are the things being locked? Some things are locked in and some things are locked out. This may seem like semantics, and in reality is, but it makes a huge metaphorical distinction.

Locking things in:
Culture is a great metaphorical example. Lets say you were born in a country other than the United States of America. The US has an uncanny ability to easy away somebody's previous culture and Americanize them. That is why it has been called "the great melting pot". One may wish to retain ones culture and locking it your heart with a key is a great concept. I know you can't really lock things in your heart but if you built a key that represented your culture, then when you look at it, it could solidify that culture in your heart and mind. You could then assimilate into the American culture without losing your genealogical culture.

Locking things out:
Lets say clowns scare you. You could build a key of a scary clown and know that when you cary it that clowns can't hurt you.

Look at the following keys and try to decide how they might represent the person who made them, literally or metaphorically.