Laser cut Corten steel Piwakawaka silhouettes, with powder coat render. Wired by Registered electrician.
910 (t) x 360 (w) x 360 (d) mm
$6,700
Perhaps more commonplace than many of us would prefer, the orange traffic cone can also be seen as a marker, or a line of interaction with the natural world. Yet, so often as we push forward, it is the power from within nature that pushes back. These works, based on the humble traffic cone, are strongly influenced by my design background. In returning the objects function back through the design process, they morph from a utilitarian cone or hazard symbol - to a sculptural form - back to a utility once more as a lighting device.
Using the silhouette of the Piwakawaka (Fantail), a utilitarian object ‘the traffic cone’ is subverted from warning marker to beacon of light. Through this transformation into a light source, these cones become projectors of natural rhythms. Within this, is a redefinition of the senses, especially when compared to the initial rigidity of the shape of the object. These sculptural pieces call for a different set of receptors. Those that look for the frequency that connects us to a knowing - that there is a woven, natural texture that exists within the urban world.
We are drawn to follow the directional light that the Piwakawaka shines forth - as we navigate the urban world - almost in a dream like state of obedience. As such, we risk becoming constrained by that which is man-made, struggling to connect to the natural vibrations resonating all around. These sculptures push back against the ‘stay in your lane’ mentality, or obeying the constraints of urban flow, and encourage a call for a more connected and conscious reading of all natural rhythms.
