Failing to Serve, 2022

featured in Glasgow school of art’s Degree show 2022

Multimedia installation - scrap wood, scrap fabric swatches, ceramics, aluminium, cement, pewter and half a broken chair.

Failing to serve looks to highlight the inherent contradiction when displaying functional objects in a gallery setting. Both scenes revolve around the items present, which collectively serve their absent owner to fulfil a single action. Each element’s visual outcome has been dictated by its function however, inevitably as art objects, their end result leans more to their outwards appearance. What might be recognised as an imperfection from a craft perspective, may add to the object’s success in art setting.

Craft is an essential part of the exhibit. The time, money and material used all inform the process of making, therefore dictating the character of each object. This relationship allows the ‘mistakes’ to become integral to the work.

An everyday object’s worth is often neglected, both in art and domestic spaces. It is hard to value that which we view as solely something to serve us, too often knowing very little about its making or previous activity. Through focusing on functional items, I hope to highlight their significance. Providing a greater appreciation and understanding of the material things that make up our lives is an essential step towards a brighter ecological future.

An everyday object’s worth is often neglected, both in art and domestic spaces. It is hard to value that which we view as solely something to serve us, too often knowing very little about its making or previous activity. Through focusing on functional items, I hope to highlight their significance. Providing a greater appreciation and understanding of the material things that make up our lives is an essential step towards a brighter ecological future.

Failing to serve questions what an objects purpose is in life. Is it its intended single function, assigned at making, or does it change depending on the setting and the other objects around it? Does function reside within the object itself or does it belong within the user’s interaction with it? This holds a parallel to art objects in general. Is the meaning of an artwork static and decided by the maker or is it dynamic and determined by each person who views it?