Arthur Seigneur, Stalactite (CHESTS, CABINETS, SHELVING 2021)

Stalactite is a Bookcase entirely recovered with rye straw. The woodworking which serves as the substrate has been manufactured by Melbourne companies Mortise and Tenon. The design and straw marquetry has been realised by Arthur Seigneur. The inspirations of this work come from my fascination with glistening caves, their slow accretion over time has been etched into my memory from childhood stories in France. In this piece, I have explored the idea of a slow accumulation and crystallisation over time. In the context of a library, this slow growth of glistening stone parallels the long accumulation of knowledge. Each book is a passion, an adventure, a lesson - that glistens as a memory etched on the wall. My work echoes this spectacle - the black dyed straw from some angles muted and quiet like a darkened cave, and the same piece from another angle explodes into light as if a petrified waterfall snaking its way around the books on its shelf.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.