Kelsey Coon, Student Work, Memento Assignment

Wood (piano keys), Gold Leaf, Gloss gel medium to attach and seal.
Measures 4" x 3.5" x  3/4"

For this project we were required to pick a memory and make a nonrepresentational sculpture, a memento to keep with us no matter where we go. I chose a memory to create a memento for my trip to Turkey from the 2011 summer. 

We were limited to using three materials,.  I used: wood, gold leaf and gloss gel medium. 

I cut and sanded six wood piano keys to create a bowl shape, glued the pieces together and gold leafed the concave shape. I coated the entire sculpture in gloss gel medium to seal it and create a sheen. 

Wood Piano Keys:
The piano keys represent the continuous stream of music I heard while on my travels and the whirling dervishes that I saw dancing;  their large garments fanned out in a circular shape when the danced. 

The bowl shape is a symbol for the vaulted domes in the mosques we visited, the shape of the chai (tea) cups we drank out of three to four times a day and bowls of lentil soup - my favorite Turkish cuisine. 

Gold Leaf:
The gold leaf is significant because of the visual, historic richness of gold leaf accents used in the architecture and on objects. 

Gloss Gel Medium:
I used this materials to bind and seal the piece and to enhance the sensual qualities of the wood and gold. My experience in Turkey was one that touched all my senses.