Golder than gold (a response to The West Yorkshire Hoard) April 2019

(From top to bottom)

No. 1- = 86% gold, 8% silver, 6% copper                                     No. 1+ = 90% gold, 6% silver, 3% copper Primary material: Gold Completeness: Complete 

No. 2- = 77% gold, 17% silver, and 6% copper                          No. 2+ =81% gold, 15% silver, 4% copper  Primary material: Gold Completeness: Complete 

No. 3- = 85% gold, 11% silver, 4% copper                                  No. 3+ = 89% gold, 9% silver, 2% copper  Primary material: Gold Completeness: Complete 

No. 4- = 75% gold, 22% silver, 4% copper                                  No. 4+ =79% gold, 19% silver, 2% copper  Primary material: Gold Completeness: Complete 

No. 5- = 88% gold, 6% silver, 6% copper                                    No. 5+ = 92% gold, 4% silver, 3% copper Primary material: Gold Completeness: Complete 

No. 6- = 89% gold, 7% silver, 4% copper                                     No. 6+= 91% gold, 5% silver, 4% copper  Primary material: Gold Completeness: Complete 

All material percentage and breakdown information taken from the Portables Antiques Scheme’s scientific analysis of The West Yorkshire Hoard – https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/391699 & https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/459594

Golder than gold, is a 6 pair collage piece which focuses on the gold purity aspect of the 6 gold objects within this hoard.  Using the Portable Antiquity Schemes’ material breakdown of each object, the gold quality is determined by how much gold, silver and copper is present as per its scientific material analysis. Each pair shows the most and the least amount of gold, alongside the silver and copper percentage that also makes up each gold object. Challenging our concept of something that is termed and looks so wholly gold.  The collage bases are photographs of fool’s gold with gold, silver and copper card representing each percentage of their scientific analysis breakdown. 

Material: Collage – April 2019 

Size: 19cm(w) x 19.5cm(l)  x 12 – framed in pairs – 6 

Exhibited: Deconstructing the West Yorkshire Hoard | Studio G.09, School of Fine Art, Art History, Cultural Studies, Leeds University – July 2019

Solo exhibition – To earmark | Project Space, School of Fine Art, Art History, Cultural Studies, Leeds University – July 2019