Department of Public Works Brooch

Boris Bally, Department of Public Works Brooch, 1994, aluminum, resins, glass beads, and pigments, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Zack Peabody, 2000.62.3A-C
Copied Boris Bally, Department of Public Works Brooch, 1994, aluminum, resins, glass beads, and pigments, overall: 1 344 3412 in. (4.512.11.4 cm) A (brooch): 1 344 3412 in. (4.512.11.3 cm) B (clasp): 1438 in. (.71.0 cm) diam. C (clasp): 1438 in. (.71.0 cm) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Zack Peabody, 2000.62.3A-C

Artwork Details

Title
Department of Public Works Brooch
Artist
Date
1994
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
overall: 1 344 3412 in. (4.512.11.4 cm) A (brooch): 1 344 3412 in. (4.512.11.3 cm) B (clasp): 1438 in. (.71.0 cm) diam. C (clasp): 1438 in. (.71.0 cm) diam.
Credit Line
Gift of Zack Peabody
Mediums Description
aluminum, resins, glass beads, and pigments
Classifications
Object Number
2000.62.3A-C

Artwork Description

Boris Bally believes that “[our] resources on this planet are finite,” and that “the best test of an artist is how well we [sic] can use what we have . . .” These brooches are doubly recycled, made from the scraps of abandoned traffic signs that he has used in his larger sculptures. By treating the traffic signs as he would gold or silver, Bally allows them to “transcend their dirty roots” and become objects of beauty rather than symbols of authority. The titles underscore Bally’s ideas by reminding us of the source of his materials.