5/12/2018 - VITRINE ASSEMBLY

Once I had cut and pinned the sides of my vitrine and they were left overnight to dry, the next step was to slide in my glass frames to check it all fitted together.

I had drilled a series of large holes into the top section of the box, above the waterline. This was to mirror the air holes put on live cargo boxes for long distance transport, and for me highlighted the globalization of trade and export of our natural world. The fact that an entire cross-section of ocean can be minimised, 'packaged' and contained in such a way highlights the unrealistic sense of mankind's ambitition to exploit and control forces of nature and the resources associated with them. It also hints at a metamorphosis from this seemingly pictoral sce
ne into something alive and requiring oxygen and more importantly, care and stewardship.


I then removed the glass and glued and pinned the case together, securing with ratchet straps to hold eventhing in place properly After waiting all day for the case to dry I then went and retrieved it from the workshop.

My idea was to prepare a 'fragile' stencil for the sides furthering the 'packaged' transitional nature of the piece and enhancing the interplay between our human need for borders and control against the uncontainable nature of the world we are placed within. But also a literal reference to the fragility of the glass and ply structure.

The fact that the entire oil rig was signed, sealed and delivered in ocean water with a label of 'Fragile, Handle With Care' calls into question the tenuous understanding by which we embark in the use of such technologies. The oil rig can provide great rewards to modern day life, but also is a flimsy pact of upkeep and constant risk if not properly handled and maintained.

The box was modular in design in that the lid could be screwed on and off to allow removal and rearrangement of the glass panes at will. I liked this not only as it allowed the work to be disassembled for lighter transit, but also gave me the future possibility of removing the glass, stripping back the paint and then recreating the piece with entirely new contents. This for me was important as it would make the product itself multifunctional and increase its usefulnes and longevity to me as an art object, allowing for a potential future repainting with a whole new concept.