108 Meditations in Saffron

Object NameBeaded Sculpture

Artist David K. Chatt (American, b. 1960)

Made FromGlass Beads, Found Objects

Date2006

TechniqueWoven

SizeVariable; Display Board H: 7.5 cm, W: 116 cm, D: 38.5 cm

Accession Number2010.4.125

Curatorial Area(s)

Postwar and Contemporary

Exhibitions

CA+D Reopening 2020

Life on a String: 35 Centuries of the Glass Bead

Fusion [A New Century of Glass]

Interpretive Notes

Web Text

A parakeet bell, a Tootsie Roll wrapper, a syringe: the story of “Meditations in Saffron” begins in 2006 when David Chatt started walking through different Seattle neighborhoods. Initially, he was irked by the sight of the discarded things people left behind, but through the meditative process of beading, he came to see these objects not as trash, but rather as traces of human life.

Place Made

United States, WA, Seattle

Physical DescriptionBeaded Sculpture, “108 Meditations in Saffron”. Red-orange glass beads found objects; woven. The artwork consists of 108 found objects that have been covered in individual threaded nets of red-orange glass beads. The objects are arranged by the artist in a specific configuration that may be square (white background) or rectangular (black background). Complete list of found objects, per the artist, is as follows: bottle cap, flip top cap as would be found on an inhaler, electric wire cap, pencil, construction debris, pacifier grip, bottle cap, washer, hang tag, construction debris, pencil, nail with plastic collar, soda can pull, lens from glasses, cap, paddle lock, reflector, soda can pull, pull sleeve from lid of plastic bottle, bladder from squeaky toy, cap, holder for a mini blind valance, hospital ID bracelet, golf tee, cap, hook used to hold retail item on wire display rack, motel room key identifier, foam from inside a hair curler, half of plastic Easter egg, wiffle ball, address book, guitar pick, battery cover for cell phone, liquor bottle, bottle cap, ring that holds cap to bottle, champagnes cork holder, Lego brick, section of hardware cloth, construction debris, cap, feather in circular plastic container that has the artist's signature etched on top, nail with plastic grip, needle cover from syringe, plastic flower, syringe, rubber ring, plastic disc, perhaps from a toy, cap from hardware bottle (small nails?), flip top from plastic candy dispenser, red glass bead on nail, cone shaped cap from top of tube, red felt ring, C-clamp, ammunition cartridge for cap-gun, plant identity tag holder, push pin, rail road yard debris, ticket, foam pad, folded Tootsie-Pop wrapper, pacifier, American flag decal, hair holder, "Try-Me” sample button from adult toy, dental floss wand, tasting spoon, hair clip, shower curtain ring, plastic bead, balloon, wine cork, finger cod, orange plastic triangle cap, ring that holds cap to bottle, disposable knife, container for disposable ear plugs, key, plastic ball, broken auto light, lip balm, plum pit, rolled up orange tape, ammunition cartridge for cap gun, unidentifiable debris, pencil eraser, clip on book marker, paper clip, electrical cap, wood tasting spoon, zipper pull, gum packaging, broken end of tooth brush, cigar mouth piece, rubber label, marble, unidentified detritus, crushed pencil, pull off ring for plastic cap, parakeet bell, cap with keeper attachment, felt tip marker cap, spray tip from aerosol can, eye drop dispenser, construction debris, quarter, ear plug, and a bobby pin.
Provenance

Provenance Remark

Provenance information not currently available online. Please check back in the coming weeks.