Sight Unseen Rachel Lichtenstein

30 May – 9 June 2012

Sight Unseen coincided with the publication of Rachel Lichtenstein’s book Diamond Street: the Hidden World of Hatton Garden (Hamish Hamilton).

Hatton Garden is one of the most secret streets in England, home to a deeply private working community of diamond and jewellery dealers, brokers and makers. Long connected to the area through family ties, artist and writer Rachel Lichtenstein undertakes an exploration of Hatton Garden, with its ancient priories, diamond workshops, underground vaults and subterranean rivers.

In Sight Unseen, a site-specific installation, Rachel Lichtenstein distilled her research experience to re-imagine materials and artefacts. Velvet, gold, water and found objects formed a multi-layered homage to the craftspeople who operate in the Hatton Garden area: that secret ‘fold in the map’.

SPECIAL EVENT: 31 May: Rachel Lichtenstein in conversation with Iain Sinclair discussing Clerkenwell, Farringdon and the mysteries of Hatton Garden.

 

Rachel Lichtenstein

Site Unseen, 2012

Installation view

Rachel Lichtenstein

Site Unseen, 2012

Installation view

Rachel Lichtenstein

Site Unseen, 2012

Installation view

Rachel Lichtenstein

Fleet Water, 2012

Black wood, glass front, LED lights, vibration speaker with audio from Fleet River trip jewellery box, Victorian glass bottles, Fleet water 130 x 35 x 35 cm

Rachel Lichtenstain

A Watchmaker, 2012

Black wood, glass front, LED lights cabinet, Victorian jewellery boxes, artefacts: from left to right –Torah Scroll, watchface, watch oil in cork case, box of findings, ivory tag. 100 x 35 x 35 cm

Rachel Lichtenstein

Gediliah Lichtenstein, 2012

Black wood, glass front, LED lights cabinet, Victorian jewellery boxes, artefacts: from left to right – watchmaker’s sanding wheel, bangle box with phial, Edwardian watch finding, Gedaliah’s loupe 100 x 30 x 27 cm

Rachel Lichtenstein

Jeweller's Bench, 2012

Black wood, glass front, LED lights, vibration speaker with audio from interview with Dave Harris, 90-year-old diamond dealer - handmade wooden miniature jewellery bench with tools 130 x 35 x 35 cm

Rachel Lichtenstein

Velvet Books, 2012

250 facsimile books wrapped in midnight blue silk velvet 174 x 100 x 20 cm

Rachel Lichtenstein

Velvet Books, 2012

Detail