Enslavement Bracelet by Jane Rainwater, ©2005. 10 karat gold charm bracelet.
Click on the picture for a larger view.
Charm bracelets are usually worn to delightfully commemorate milestones in a person’s life. One expects a whimsical tale, told through the symbology of adorable charms. My charm bracelets offer a look into gold’s dark historical chapters; the perils of the mining life and the enslavement and exploitation of indigenous peoples living near gold mines all over the world.
How charming are the bracelets worn for “good fortune”? How can the golden talismans we buy ward off bad luck when evil is inherent in gold itself? At what point does a modern society agree that certain things (like a noose chram!) are a waste of resources? What environmental damage can we live with? What human cost is acceptable?
No comments:
Post a Comment