Tom Golland

Metal in Marble

In the past, with less access to technology, the act of imitating materials was considered an art form. During the era of Ancient Egypt, material imitation was applied to sacred, symbolic objects heavily linked to the afterlife. Before the computer and digital camera were invented, highly regarded schools all over Europe practiced and taught the art of hand painting marble on to almost any surface. Nowadays, with advancements in technology it is possible to wrap a realistic image of almost anything onto a surface in order to imitate another material. Often in contemporary design and manufacture, imitation materials are used to ensure affordability for designs. These imitation designs are often deemed inferior in comparison to their real material counterparts, even if they are a like for like visual copy. Within this project, I have aimed to apply the idea of creativity and reinterpretation to the act of imitation.