Jaydan Moore is a metalsmith and printmaker living and working in the USA. He is motivated by how an object moves through the world, changing in meaning as it is passed down, and how it is cherished as its significance grows. This history of objects has led to his continued exploration of heirlooms, imagining how their previous owners may have affected these objects. Revealing evidence of wear by the dings, scratches and patination that can be read on its surface, he believes that the past still lives within the new object. That nothing is lost, only given a new history.
What was the inspiration for your Steinbeisser pieces?
My inspiration was pretty simple for my Steinbeisser series, play and find ways to make these objects fun to eat with. I only hoped that the chefs wouldn’t have to struggle with using the utensils. I hoped that how the pieces came together would make the sharing of these utensils with the other guests enjoyable and ways to start a conversation.
Describe your work in 3 words!
Commemorative. Detailed. Considered.
What kind of materials do you use and where do you get them from?
The pieces I made for the show were all from a second-hand shop here in Richmond, VA. What was so great about working with this second-hand shop was the owner had hundreds of pounds of the plated utensils. I was able to scour through so much to find as many different styles to use for the dinner.
Which conscious lifestyle choices are you making and are you considering any new ones?
The lifestyle choices that I am currently working on is to spend a bit more time playing in my studio and exploring more life outside of the studio. I’m trying to take time to explore new ideas and see what kind of things emerge.
What have you rebelled against in the past and what are you rebelling against now?
I think my first real rebellion was wanting to stop using newly milled materials. I was pretty tired of how filled the world is and tired of contributing to that type of society. I think this was an inner struggle as much as a rebellion of what was going on in society. I come from a very traditional style of making. I always felt that making the material itself has importance in fabricating the final piece. So to decide to use found materials was tough for me, but in the end there is so much history and inherent value that felt so potent to my work to let my past craft tradition go a bit.