Out of the Ordinary

I was one of seven designer/makers commissioned to make work for the group show ‘Out of the Ordinary’, at the V&A, in conjunction with the Crafts Council. The exhibition highlighted makers and designers who push the boundaries of what craft is. My installation challenged traditional ways of showing contemporary craft, and also married craft with design, by presenting my conceptual ideas in multi media and consumable forms.

Rather than adorning the body with jewellery, I transformed the museum space with traces of the body, appealing to the senses of vision, taste and hearing. My installation consisted of five elements: sound, objects, lenticulars, film and chocolate masks.

A small film loop of my face was set into the wall at eye level. It recorded changes of expression as I talked, smiled, frowned. Fragments of these facial expressions were captured on chocolate lollipops in the shop: a frown, a wink or a smirk was sold as edible expressions. In the gallery space, hidden speakers transmitted the sounds of breathing, clearings one’s throat and swallowing. Glass balls suspended from the ceiling enveloped isolated body parts (a development from the Alexander McQueen pieces, see output 1). A group of lenticulars showed a model turning 360 degrees wearing some of the glass balls. As the viewer circles them the image changes and different things are revealed.

My initial process started with sketches, photographs and body casts; I then worked collaboratively with specialists to produce these objects. The lenticulars are illustrated and written about in the exhibition catalogue. Although not a new form, I used them in a new way.

The impact of the installation is based on the way that it pushes the boundaries of conceptual jewellery, craft practice and representation, using multi media and sensory design.

• Author
• http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites...