More about Shards, 2017
'The Sir John Soane Museum, facing Lincoln’s Inn Fields in London is an ‘eccentric 19th-century collector's home, packed with classical sculpture, paintings and curiosities’. It is a place that I visit at least once a year as it gives an insight into the world of a fascinating architect and collector. Visiting the museum can be an overwhelming experience, packed as it is with an eclectic mix of artefacts, paintings and architectural models. It’s very easy to miss hidden gems, hence the need to revisit regularly. One object that caught my eye on the last visit was a silver lidded tureen, a gift to Sir John Soane. Apart from its pleasing design, the reflections of the rest of the room in its surface caused a slightly disturbing sensation, fracturing the reflection in to a myriad of shards.
The image stayed with me and I was reminded of it when looking through some Wedgwood catalogue drawings. Like the silver tureen, the ceramics had employed strong classical references.
I decided to use the form as the starting point for my design, and create a simplified triangular ‘sliver’ representing the reflection of the contents of the room, arranging them to create a dynamic and energetic vase.
I spent many hours creating numerous iterations of the design using Rhino 3D CAD software. Once satisfied with the design on screen, the data was sent to a bureau specialising in Additive Manufacturing and the piece was manufactured using the latest Selective Laser Sintering technology. It was then hand finished.
The use of these new tools allows me to create objects that were previously impossible to manufacture and enables me to inhabit an exciting grey area somewhere between craft, design and art.'
- Michael Eden, 2017 More Works for Sale
