Metalsmith Magazine -

A NEW ETHICS OF MATERIALS:
Collective Material Impact

We cannot untether material use from social and environmental contexts. Metal mining in particular has a significant footprint. Before I unwrap a fresh sheet of sterling silver in my studio, it is laden with its own history. It was extracted from the ground, sent to a refiner, rolled into sheet, packaged, and shipped to me. This singular sheet of silver has affected human lives other than my own prior to landing on my bench. These implications are often damaging politically, socially, and environmentally.