Sunday, June 5, 2011

Light Jewels - Steampunk light catcher

Every now and then bits of my collection of found and given objects suggest a new piece to me. Recently Graham gave me a box of bits he had bought for $3 at a garage sale - it all looked pretty uninspiring until it was sorted. Two pieces caught my eye: a very dirty and rusted piece of light gauge rail track; and a very rusted and worn jewellers holding device (called a spare pair of hands?). On seeing these bits I knew they had to come together in piece as part of my Light Catcher Series.

Barry Smith © Light Jewels
So there you have it in the photo above - a new light catcher called Light Jewels - referencing the jewellers holding 'thingy'; and the fact that it creates rainbows of light. The bits took quite a bit of polishing to give them new life.


Barry Smith © Light Jewels - with a touch of Steampunk
As you can see from the photos above the piece has a some recycled switches, brass nuts etc - gives the piece a bit of an industrial or steampunkish look.

Barry Smith © Crystal with mountains
The crystal to catch the light is bound to the pincers of the jewellers thing by stirling silver wire with an ornate end - thought a photo with the mountains in the background was in order.

Barry Smith © Rainbows on the floor
Barry Smith © A scatter of rainbows
And it has lived up to its name - the photos above are all refracted light creating light jewels on the walls of the house from sunshine streaming in through the glass doors.

Barry Smith © A light jewel on the wall
The circular rainbow was reflected on a wall about 6 meters from where Light Jewels was sitting on the floor in the sunlight. The photo is untouched.

7 comments:

  1. Absolutely wonderful, Barry! I like the second photo of the light catcher better than the first - it looks so new and shiny there. The industrial/steampunk vibe is much better, in my humble opinion. I just got in from the flea market and I scored some chandelier prisms today... hmmmm.

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  2. Undoubtedly a very interesting object, I would experiment with it. Amazing.

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  3. Lovely rainbows Barry. You do most interesting work.

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  4. i knew this one was special when i spotted it over on fiona's blog! and what a rainbow! really, really fun!

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  5. This is a great piece, B! Whimsy with a tough edge to it, and so many possibilities for enjoyment!

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  6. OH!!! i always LOVE your light catchers!! they are so magical!

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  7. S,L, JM,V TT, LT - I think this is one of the better Light Catchers I have constructed, S - agree the darker photo gives it more mystery and punkishness. V - glad you were enticed to check it out - and yes L and TT - it can be played with so that is a bit of fun.Go well and create well. B

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Comments are welcomed - it is good to connect with fellow travellers.