Thesaurus

Coccolithophorid

Science

Coccolithophorid
Pierced brooch
Sterling silver

Karin Beaumont, 2008

Cocco Cone Argentina
Sterling silver

Karin Beaumont, 2008

Karin Beaumont plays with visual alliteration to reveal her aesthetic response to the threatened species, Coccolithophorid. Abstracting, repeating and varying its shapes and textures, she composes artworks you can wear. These artworks offer ways we can physically connect with the impact we are having on our world.

Cocco Pins
Powder-coated copper

Karin Beaumont, 2008

Coccolithophorids are calcareous plankton. The shells of these plankton formed sedimentary layers that created the 'White Cliffs of Dover'. These plankton exist in our oceans today. However, like many marine plankton, their existence is threatened by climate change due to excess carbon dioxide acidifying our oceans. The acid erodes the calcareous scales of these plankton. The intricate patterns and configurations of these scales inspired my recent jewellery works.

Dr Karin Beaumont

Artist-scientist
Tasmania, 2008

Oceanides

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