william
hardie

Mostly I’m drawn to the relationship between things: relationships between forms, materials, and processes, culture and context, and notions of functionality, and how these elements can work together (or oppose), shaping the way we view, or feel, about the things we interact with.

I’m often drawn to contradictions and ambiguity; historical v modern, common v luxury, machine v the manmade

The three groups of work I present here (Art and Design category) are not linked by one clear theme or one distinct style but all share an open and iterative approach.

My work often starts with play and experimentation with a particular material or form, and it is sometimes through chance that things develop towards a more coherent outcome

The cutlery Ingot sets for example were born of an examination of the fork alone. Using a band saw and slicing 2 dimensionally the profiles top down and on its side through square edged timber. The happy accident were an array of unusual and ambiguous shapes and forms surrounding the fork, at once a container for the fork and objects of interest in their own right. The final works are produced using modern water jet cutting techniques in raw stainless steel and marble. They also reference ancient social rituals; personal sets of cutlery were an essential item when travelling away from home until the end of the late seventeen century and became an important way to express wealth and social standing. Individual cutlery sets were commonly presented as bridal gifts including elaborate carry cases to be worn around the neck as a fashion accessory.