Boite, Caisse, Housse

The idea behind this project was to create a piece of artwork, then create a form of packaging or container specifically designed to protect and display it. I chose to use horse chestnut shells as my starting point, as there were lots of them in the streets in Nantes at the time, and I had also been looking at natural types of container when we were given the brief to help me think of how containers are designed for the contents they have. I found the shape of the horse chestnut cases very attractive, and also how they protect the horse chestnut yet are very fragile themselves very interesting (the spines are there to deter predators and absorb shock, but they also break off very easily, especially as the shells dry out).  Studying the horse chestnuts and other similar forms led me to develop a series of ideas for a piece to make.

 When I had some firm ideas in my head, I started to make some maquettes in plastecine to work out the best approach, then began my work in stoneware. I wanted the pieces to convey the idea behind the chestnut shells, rather than resemble them precisely. The first piece I made; which I hope to fire then sand soon, is based more on the asian chestnut shell's I found in the Jardin des Plantes, the spines are very thin and irregularly placed so I tried to give that sense to the piece. I had to limit the amount of spined I could attach however, as they became very fragile as they dried and made attaching more a risky business. The second piece is more akin to the chestnuts found everywhere in Ireland, the spines are far less dense and have a thicker base. They were much easier to attach as they were far less fragile, and the piece manages to support itself. I am waiting for it to become a little drier to pare down the points so they are more convex, like the chestnut spines themselves. I am also experimenting with dipping some of the shells in layers of slip before firing them. I have no idea whether it will work or not, and they will be very fragile as well as too small, but I think they could be very beautiful.

Now I have also begun to approach how to package the pieces once they are fired. Cushioning will be a big feature as they will be very fragile, even after firing, but they will also need support. I have been experimenting with different types of materials to create a casing that will work. I am very excited about the end product, as it will turn out something like the opposite to my starting point- with the spikes on the interior instead of the exterior, not something I thought of when I first got the idea!