Making Tracks:Tyre Belt and Cassette Buckle (2nd album)

Up-cycling is the practice of taking  something that is disposable and transforming it into something of greater use and value.
To all Changeroom followers i must add that Change Room will soon be changing from "Recycled dsign concepts" to "Up-cycled design concepts" to present a more concise accuracy towards the cause.This is my second attempt at transforming an old cassette tape and transforming it into a belt buckle.
The aim was to once again produce a piece of jewellery, preserve it in resin and in doing so enhance the physical appearance so as to alter the way in which the object is viewed.
Another aspect is that the art object buckle appears to be in a way something that is identifiable within our society, however  by combining more than one material the narrative changes to a point where it maintains its own sense of individuality.

Reviewing the works of French artist Marcel duchamp, i noted a simmilarity in his works stance, that felt similar to my own work.
In Bicycle wheel, Duchamps first ready made, he simply selected pre fabricated items and by calling them art he subverted established notions of the artists craft and the viewers aesthetic experience.

It feels as if their is a connection whereby the process of upcycling takes place in a simmilar manner, however their is a slight difference in my own approach as i feel i still need to alter the materilas physical perceptions to some degree with the intention of creating additional aesthetic value.

Reflecting on the process of the current buckle, this being the centre point of the discussion, certain things have materialised through trial and error.
I painted the face and tape reels using a mix of red and yellow paint, to blend into a rich sunset orange.By using paint i felt it may  suggest a relationship that graffiti culture has with music culture.I dont see this as a relevant connection now, although it was  with intention  to make the face more appealling so as to lure the viewer within closer reach of the identifiable object, as well as enhance its content visually.

I used a layer of clear resin to encapsulate the face and mechanisims, and then concluded their was an additional layer, on the sides of the buckle that became exposed. This opened further sculptural possibillities. With this in mind i had a collection of scale model figurines which i added to the sides. This may have added  multidimensional quallities in viewing the piece, and the manner inwhich it is percieved.
Now that one is able to view the piece from the front and sides, it may stand independantly as  a sculpture without the notion of it being jewellery necessarilly relating to the body.

 For the last layer i used pigmented black Resin to seal off the brass buckle components, I wanted to finish the piece with a uniformed neatness.
Ive once again  used a  worn black rubber mountain bike tyre, It is a material that is  easilly accessible, and by using a tyre opposed to an ordinary leather belt, my intentions are to uphold the phillosopy of re-using.
The belt works well against the orange face of the buckle creating a stark contrast.

Viewing the over all piece i am intrigued by the way which in the buckle has evolved, technically as well as artistically.
Some important factors that need to be adressed are, signature or branding options.
Including my brand name, as well as details of where the object was found and the date may be good ways of creating additional value within its altered identity.