Precious Past

Precious Past
A union of two materials once symbols of wealth and progress: sterling silver and fordite – layered automotive paint from the Ford factories in Detroit.
Fordite was formed over decades as layers of sprayed paint built up in car plant spray booths and later hardened. Today this material is regarded as an industrial fossil – colorful, rare, steeped in history.
In the 1960s and 70s, cars and precious metals were status symbols and objects of desire. By 2023, that vision is fractured: climate change, social shifts, and changing values put those dreams into perspective.
What remains? The silver – enduring, valuable.
And the memory: Precious Past.


Kunstring „Precious Past“ aus Sterling-Silber mit Fordite, handgefertigte Ring-Skulptur aus dem Atelier Artinrings.

Precious Past (2023)

Details

Precious Past (2023)
Materials: sterling silver, Fordite (layered automotive enamel).
Finish: smooth, layered, revealing traces of time.

Kunstring „Precious Past“ aus Sterling-Silber mit Fordite, handgefertigte Ring-Skulptur aus dem Atelier Artinrings.

Precious Past (2023)

Concept

“Precious Past” reflects on how ideals of wealth and progress evolve.
Silver endures; Fordite remembers.
A reminder that beauty and value are never fixed – they change with us.

Kunstring „Precious Past“ aus Sterling-Silber mit Fordite, handgefertigte Ring-Skulptur aus dem Atelier Artinrings.

Precious Past (2023)

Contexte / Statut

Single work, created in 2023 at the Artinrings atelier in Dudelange (LU).
Submitted to the Luxembourg Art Prize 2023 and awarded a Certificate of Artistic Quality.

Sold (2025).
Private collection.
Sale price: €750.