Incertitudes refer to a series of handmade jewels/articles that explore extempore metalsmithing and the inherent qualities of various metals. Embracing process-driven design, Incertitudes broadly pivot on an intuitive and spontaneous crafting informed on one hand by the physical characteristics of metals and, on the other, by accident, slapdash making, and even lack of skill. It explores plasticity, ductility, elasticity, abrasivity, hardness, resilience, plasticity, and stiffness in metals while it celebrates an improvised and playful approach to metalsmithing. In doing so, rudimentary aspects of working with metal (heating, melting, cutting, forging, folding, etc) are explored and interrogated in depth.

metal | hybrid | object

Incertitudes: cuts

By: Marinos Koutsomichalis

Materials:
Molybdenum steel, iron, aluminium

Dimensions:
Variable

Produced by:
Marinos Koutsomichalis

Produced at:
Y’ha-nthlei Studio, Heraklion GR

Produced in:
2024

A perfect incision cleanly cuts through the material leaving no residue or burrs; it keeps the shape intact visually and haptically and will only expose the resulting slit once pressure is applied to either sides of it. Even in this ideal case, however, the continuity of the material’s surface dramatically and irreversibly severed. Less ideal ways to cut through or to carve disrupt the material’s continuity in more pronounced manners, most often than not also producing substantial amounts of leftover material. There are many fashions in which a piece of metal can have its wholeness or the continuity of its surface disrupted. Among others:

cutting: employing saws, disks, cutters, scissors, etc
incising: mark/decorate employing numerous cuts
grinding: employing files, stones, burs, sandpaper, etc
drilling: penetrating through the metal mass
threading: shaping internal/external screw threads
lathing: employing a lathe and cutting tools
carving: shaping by means of removing material
subtractive fabrication: CNC, laser-cuting, etc
etching: removing material employing chemicals
scraping/chipping: removing small scrapes or chips

Incertitudes is primarily concerned with articles that are records of the very own making; that is, they foreground and celebrate cuts and discontinuities in their body.