PV1402

The Perishable Pieces reflect on consumer culture; their shapes reference archetypal collectors’ items, and their ephemeral quality is achieved through the material they are made of. Waste flowers, salvaged from London’s flower markets or acquired as unsellable waste from private growers and sellers, are captured within a mixture of natural ingredients including shellac – a natural polyester resin produced by parasitic lac insects that forge certain trees in India and Thailand. The Perishable Vases’ limited lifespan relies on the habitat they are placed in. Whether it is a shelf in a house, a plinth in a gallery or a pedestal in a park, the object becomes united with its environment. As the temperature and humidity increase, the piece begins to melt, swell, fall and shrink. It becomes a dynamic form in the state of constant flux, and under our passive supervision, it is able to morph and change into something new and unexpected.