Negative thumbnail 1
Negative thumbnail 2
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Metalware, Room 116, The Belinda Gentle Gallery

Negative

Bowl
2005 (designed), 2006 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This bowl is the first of Ane Christensen's Negative series. Simply by cutting away the metal with a piercing saw she has created a three-dimensional optical illusion on an otherwise plain, functional bowl. From the front a rectangular box nestles inside the bowl but it disappears as you move to the side. Each piece is made from a single sheet of copper.


Object details

Category
Object type
TitleNegative (series title)
Materials and techniques
Patinated copper, spun and pierced
Brief description
Copper, pierced and patinated, London, designed, 2005 by Ane Christensen, and made 2006.
Physical description
Description by Ane Christensen:

The piece starts as a disk of copper which is then spun into a bowl on a lathe. The 'negative' area is then planned and carefully drawn on the inside of the bowl. The seven spaces are cut out with a piercing saw using very fine sawblades fed through 0.6 mm pre-drilled holes. All cut edges are then filed straight.

The bowl is sand blasted all over in order to de-grease the surface before patination. Two layers of patination chemical are applied with a soft brush. The bowl is finally waxed and polished to seal the patina and to give the surface a subtle shine.
Dimensions
  • Height: 11.4cm
  • Depth: 27.2cm
  • Bowl diameter: 25.0cm
Style
Marks and inscriptions
No marks
Gallery label
‘NEGATIVE’BOWL Patinated copper, spun and pierced London, England, 2006 (series designed 2005) Designed and made by Ane Christensen (b. 1972) This bowl is the first of Ane Christensen’s Negative series. Simply by cutting away the metal with a piercing saw she has created a three-dimensional optical illusion on an otherwise plain, functional bowl. From the front a rectangular box nestles inside the bowl but it disappears as you move to the side. Each piece is made from a single sheet of copper. Museum no. M.12-2006
Object history
Commissioned directly from the artist.

Below is a detailed description of the making process and care instructions:

The piece starts as a disk of copper which is then spun into a bowl on a lathe. The 'negative' area is then planned and carefully drawn on the inside of the bowl. The seven spaces are cut out with a piercing saw using very fine sawblades fed through 0.6mm pre-drilled holes. All cut edges are then filed straight.

The bowl is sand blasted all over in order to de-grease the surface before patination. Two layers of patination chemical are applied with a soft brush. The bowl is finally waxed and polished to seal the patina and to give the surface a subtle shine.

Care:

Please dust with dry or slightly damp cloth. The 'negative' area is delicate can easily get destorted if not packed carefully. Avoid wearing rings when handling, though any scratches to the surface can be repaired (by me...)
Summary
This bowl is the first of Ane Christensen's Negative series. Simply by cutting away the metal with a piercing saw she has created a three-dimensional optical illusion on an otherwise plain, functional bowl. From the front a rectangular box nestles inside the bowl but it disappears as you move to the side. Each piece is made from a single sheet of copper.
Collection
Accession number
M.12-2006

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Record createdJanuary 10, 2007
Record URL
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