Metronome Wings
“The contrast between metal structural form and natural feather, together with the repetitive and whimsical movements of fragile wings, provokes the imagination and evolves the intimate relationship between work and viewer/wearer.”
Intrigued by machines and their movements, mechanical structure has become the most crucial formal language throughout my body of work. Mechanical structure as a form fascinates me in two aspects. First, structural form can achieve complexity yet simplicity at once because of the ingrained logic behind it.
Additionally, mechanical forms involve movement that is not random, but rather is designed or devised, and thus can be interactive. Working in particular with mechanical movements that interact with and involve viewers allows me to give vitality to objects. My wearable/kinetic works are intended to exist between jewelry and sculpture. They stand independently while their close connection to the body creates an intimate relationship with the viewer.
MEASURE RING WHEEL
This series originate from my fascination with geared wheels and is intended to create a kinetic ring that functions as a small-scale measuring tool.
These kinetic rings are designed and fabricated with precisely calculated gears and wheels. When the wearer rolls the primary wheel along a surface it measures length, which then can be read by the two hands on the top dial. Similar to the movement of a clock, the shorter hand indicates ten centimeters, the longer hand is used for one centimeter, while the tick marks on the wheel allow the length to also be measured in millimeters.These are kinetic rings, small sculptures, measuring tools and simply, enjoyable toys.
The parts of the ring were created in different ways: the gears were originally machined and reproduced by casting, some other elements were first made by rapid prototyping and then cast, while other parts were fabricated by hand. The tick marks and numbers were engraved by laser.
Kinetic Rings with Wings - As nature has been an inspiration to so many artists, the machine was my inspiration, growing up in a soil-less megacity. Perceiving the machine as a replacement or extension of nature, or mechanical form as a way of understanding nature, is the fundamental idea beneath my series of kinetic jewelry and sculpture, Wings. Flapping wings on the tip of a finger or the end of a ticking metronome pendulum evokes emotional connections similar to those that I find from birds, insects, or humans in the mechanized world.
Mechanical structure also fascinates me as a formal language. It is form for purpose rather than for a subjective reason, which ironically is the most fundamental rule of natural forms, so it achieves pure and coherent form even through the most complicated mechanism. It is also an ultimate abstraction achieved through perfection. My kinetic work is born as a machine yet exists solely for itself. It then earns its wildness and lives untamed as I desire myself.
Dukno Yoon, a metalsmith and jeweler from Kansas creates spectacular rings, bracelets, metronomes, and other machines that mimic the movements of flying birds.
Dukno Yoon received a MFA in metalsmithing and jewelry at Miami University in Ohio and a BFA at Kookmin University in Seoul, Korea. Yoon explores movements and mechanical structure as form to create small kinetic sculptures and wearable form.
His artwork has been exhibited in Korea, Japan, Australia and the United States. His career as a metal artist/designer also includes costume production of crowns, armor and metal masks for several TV shows by major broadcasting companies in Korea.
He has also received several international awards and federal grants in Korea and has been featured and included in numerous publications. He is currently an Assistant Professor and the Area Coordinator of metalsmithing and jewelry at Kansas State University.
Dukno Yoon
