final piece

the type for this was chosen because of it's similarity to the typography associated with roman cultures, i was originally going to encorporate the etruscan language in a hybrid type yet it did not suit and was unpleasing to the eye... i also reduced the size of the type as well as changes the lighting, a lot of work went into the editing of this piece... i worked from the pixels of the piece to give an extremely detailed quality

rolling pin fossil

i wanted a certain authenticity for the piece and decided to photoshope shells crustations and bones into the pin to make it look as if it had been there for ages ... the emphisis on bones shells and crustations originates from the etruscans themselves , a civilisation originationg from byzanthium or more commonly known constantinople and the long forgotten Troy (Virgil). the etruscans were a hybrid mongral civilisation predating the romans, mainly constructed out of exiled greeks and macedonians and other cultures to the right of italy touching the mediteranian. these would have all teaveled by sea to get to italy and therefore earn to need to contain sea forms

i have also incorporated an etruscan sigil as a homage to their fine culture

 the shells make up the main body of the piece as well as the handles ... can you be handling that ?

final piece

i experimented with many shapes and forms and variations for my final piece

 

puttin skeletons in the plaster to make it look like a tomb for a baker

but eventually came up with a simple piece , not background to take away from

 

rolling pin gettin mouldy take 2

i began this process by making the mould out of clay , presssing into it. rolling it smooth and then indenting into it to give a rough texture as if it had been taken from an excavational dig.. it was then plaster cast to give a 3d relief look

i decided not to dry the piece as the wet plaster had a much more interesting coulour and look to it

i experimented with different locations and backgrounds for the piece

rolling out the red carpet

How to present how to present the piece is the big decision .. whther to have it in a case like a museum or an exhibition or like a god to a pagan culture

after much experimentation and research i found artist andreas schiegers's work , i was inspired by the images below to create an excavational piece of my own

rolling pin - fossil

wanting to create a weathered look for my next piece
the rolling pin dates back to the etruscans , a civilisation at their pinacle in the 9c BC

so why not create a piece that honours its long history

Rolling Pin - rolling through the ages

having an idea based on the pink floyd album cover

the idea is to recreate this iconic image with iconic chefs/bakers and cooking celebrities over the years... from the likes of deliah smith to dorina and rachel allen .. nigella lawson , even a sly jamie oliver or heston b

a second concept could have an etruscan clothed model progressing to a pin up or modern day character all with different pins

a lawyer with a Pin stripe suit and pin briefcase etc

a fashion line with pin related clothing

Rolling pin - optical illus-pins

working with the iconic 'we want you' uncle sam imagery

i created a series of PIN-ception images where they'd be constructed entirely out of pins

i overlayed them then onto images such as above

rolling pin -pin up

in a rambo meets the irish mammy i had an idea of a mix of the cliche 60's irish woman mixed with rambo esq attire as the poster child for a selection of '' we want you " posters

this originated from a pin up girl uncle sam hyrid i had sketched , yet wasn't happy with

mould take 2

 i cut a flat border for around the pin that was then to be vacuum moulded. the mould was done on a smooth and glossed plastic to ease the removal process.

these worked much better than previous experiments yet i still didn't like what i was producing

i also experimented with baked swiss rolls , unable to use these plastic moulds in the oven i opted for cooked gus similar in shape.

rolling pin - moulds

 

i created a series of moulds based on the simple cylindrical no handle rolling pin. i opted for this shape as it was the most sturdy out of all the forms. i experimented with sugar , making all forms of sweets and taffy.. i also used traditional associateions such as water to make ice, compacted salts, yeasts, doughs, chocolate .. all goods you would use in baking.

however i found the form uninteresting to say the least and wanted to use the handle cylinder instead .. the design problem was a major factor in this. as after much trial and error i came up with a fresh design for the mould.

Rolling Pin

in classic stereotype my first instinct to ROLL with with my object is to wok with things you role out and stretch. Edible materials such as dough and sweets.
These were cheaply available and a homemade touch added a certain uniqueness to the products i was working with :)

  i always find there's something magical about that first step in cooking or even baking, the journey you're about to endure to even the explosion of flavour you get to treat yourself with. sure there are recipes there but who says they have to be followed. is it not better to experiment and explore what ur imagination can develope and create. i want to recreate a pinch of this in my pieces :)

BRIEF 2 - Celebration of Everyday Objects

our next brief requires us bring a bitta jizz to the banal aspects of everyday objects, i was given the amazing rolling pin !!
Originating from the 9th century bc with the etruscans at the peek of their civilisation. there have been many variations of the rolling piin since then from wooden to ceramic to metal and rubber. the essence of the pin never changes. It is always a cylinder, this is the bare essence of the rolling pin.