Jewels for teeth: from grillz to this work of art created for Vogue Italia
when you think dental jewelry, also called grillz, the first visual reference that emerges is the gold and diamond covered smiles of rappers, most recently Rihanna and ASAP Rocky, Rosalia, Steven on the cover of Vogue Italia in 2017 by Madonna Shot by Klein, rapper Nelly’s for those in the ’90s, when people who didn’t want all-jewelry teeth opted for glitter over teeth, a trend that’s back in vogue today. These jewels actually have an ancient history that is very much rooted in aesthetics above all royal families, and we find carin westerlundauthor of the artwork published in the June issue vogue italy on page 151, who told us she was inspired by the use of gold in ancient Rome and Etruscan artifacts from thousands of years earlier to create a piece of jewelery with nail technology Alex Feller, Tooth ornaments are genuine handcrafted creations that date back to the royal era and represent a luxury statement accessory, because being able to personalize your teeth with precious gems is something fit for royalty, or for rappers at the peak of the music business. Through Karin’s practical and theoretical explanation, we understand how the jewel was born and its primary sources of inspiration.
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Vogue Italia, February 2017 Steven Klein
What are the technical steps in making tooth jewelry and how long does it take to make gold grillz?
«Many routes were distributed in one 10 days deadline» Explains the author of Grillz to describe the long and complicated process, which involves the same steps a dental technician does to make corrective aligners behind a dental jewelry «It is usually necessary to make a mold of the teeth to make a grillz happens to be a model, but she wasn’t available for this shoot, so I made a cast of my teeth, which are large and straight (and therefore easy enough to fit over the other teeth), and then placed them in one of three Cast on the models in the photo shoot that are most suitable for you, namely Ylang. After modeling the teeth, Alex and I made the actual grids with nail art knowledge and tools. On the day of the shoot, I used an expanding paste to fit and fix them in Ylang’s mouth, and I even had to cut them a bit.» nail artist Alex Feller He delves into the technical aspect: «Working on this project with Karin allowed me to better explore the possibility of applying the nail technology to other research. We created a new protocol with molds and gels to make it more measured, then we had Karin’s images printed in HD with foil backgrounds, this grillz was definitely born from the idea of making a teeth makeup more than a jewel ».
BTS Photos Courtesy of Carin Westerlund
The inspiration behind Karin’s tooth jewelry also touches on Etruscan, Roman and Italian artistic history.
«The inspiration certainly comes from the actual grillage, but also from the charm of the miniature religious statues and the details of the artistic restoration. The first dental gems were found among the Etruscans more than 2,000 years ago., with human or animal teeth tied with gold thread. The service is inspired by Rome, Renaissance art and Art Restoration, so both the gold and the saints have a clear origin. The gold forms a halo around the saints and angels on the grid, the leather faces cut from various paintings and frescoes from the same area of origin, choosing characters with naïve or pious expressions, such asFresco by Giotto Used on both dental veneers and bodypaint from Brett Lloyd’s Service Story, styled by Riccardo Maria Chiacchio.»
BTS Photos Courtesy of Carin Westerlund
BTS Photos Courtesy of Carin Westerlund
This creation between prosthetic makeup and dental technology definitely adapts the creative concept of Eddie Plinn, the originator of the Golden Age of Hip Hop Dentistry, as explained in the illustrated book. gold face, and marks a new role of tooth jewelry in history, using it as a vehicle for ancient art, which could be perpetuated thanks to the images, as well as itself in a new way. Constitutes an aesthetic statement to express. “Today, modern technology offers unlimited freedom to play with your smile, and it continues to grow. It is possible 3D print almost all types of custom tooth jewelry, thus becoming more accessible, also thanks to the Internet where you can find almost everything, all you need is a little time and creativity» concludes Westlund.