Binoculars
Binoculars
Binoculars
Binoculars
Binoculars
Binoculars
Binoculars
Binoculars
Binoculars
Binoculars
Binoculars
Binoculars
Binoculars
Binoculars

Binoculars

Regular price $1,800.00
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Borrowing the visual language from early natural science instruments, this series of dining implements alludes to the time when humanity relied on direct observations of nature to understand the mystery of the relationships between the various elements in the natural world.

These pieces enable participants to step back in time and re-discover that sense of wonder, while playfully examining the micro and macro aspects of their food.

Each grouping of objects in the series is based on a specific type of apparatus: antique opera binoculars, map readers, telescope/microscope barrels, proportional drafting, and navigational chart dividers. Each antique piece is reassembled and retrofitted with other found and hand-fabricated elements to create an individually unique piece. A majority of the antique objects were found on the internet, some even coming from Europe and South America, while additional optical lenses were acquired from old surplus sources in the USA. Tools and techniques used in that transformation varied from object to object and material to material, but generally included turning or milling with precision heavy machine tools, sawing, filing, forming, and finishing with jeweler's and dental hand and light machine tools. The time involved in making each piece varied, with simpler ones taking less than a day, while some more complicated pieces required several days of creative problem-solving to resolve.

Limited edition from the series Spectacle, created in 2016. Each piece is signed and dated by the artist.

Vintage Opera Binoculars, optical lenses, brass, mother of pearl.

 

Specific Gravity offers unique items that are designed and fabricated by artists working in the studios of Brooklyn Metal Works or are part of our larger community, meeting our criteria of originality and quality of craft. Please keep in mind that each piece is individually made in a studio setting and features subtle variations in detail and finish from items photographed on our website.

Your purchases will ship as soon as possible and orders will receive a confirmation email when shipped.

If you would like to place an order for custom work please contact us. Also note that we offer gift cards for future shopping and special occasions. 

Thank you for supporting independent artists!

MEET THE ARTIST
Sergey Jivetin

With an extensive background in metalsmithing, jewelry design, and engineering, Sergey Jivetin uses the skill set of a master craftsman to transform ordinary materials into potent conveyors of meaning.  His practice introduces miniature elements into unexpected settings to examine humanity's convoluted relationship with nature. The disappearance of Aral Sea in Uzbekistan, one of the greatest ecological disasters of the 20th century, heightened Jivetin's sensitivity to the preciousness of natural resources and their management.

Since coming to the United States in 1994, his practice has expanded from wearable pieces of jewelry to include experimental flatware, scientific and medical apparatus, sculptural objects and site-specific installations.