Self Portrait

In previous works I have explored craft and its value in contemporary culture under the assumption that crafted objects offer rest bite from the modern world through material richness and maker narrative. Self Portrait takes the notion of emotional value rooted in the marks of the maker and further explores the idea of embedding the physical form of the designer into the end piece. Through an abstracted surface, that only subtly hints at the form of a face, feelings of suffocation are evoked whilst the undulating surface entices physical interaction and exploration. The graphic exterior of Self Portrait is created by taking profile photos of my own face in various rotations, which are then stretched, squashed, mirrored, and finally lofted to construct a surface between them. Each slice of oak is then cut and shaped by hand using traditional spokeshaves and cabinet scrapers and assembled horizontally in corresponding order. The rich black of the final piece is developed using a traditional staining process in which acids react with the natural tannins of the Oak to produce a black surface that subtly varies in tone, with a wax finish applied to amplify the final depth of shade. Inside the cabinet is Oak in its natural colour, contrasting with black exterior.