What is function?
One pot, 2020.
Single decorative copper vessel, oxidised and hammered.
Image by Melissa Montague.
First of all, I don’t have a definitive answer to this question but I have thought about it a lot during my adult life and in my creative practice. I guess it all started with my realisation that I am a bit of a hoarder of useless things….we’ll come back to that in another post!
When I began designing metal objects I was determined to create functional pieces. What I didn’t realise was that function can mean many things that pertain to an object fulfilling its purpose rather than it having to be used. So a picture on the wall or a sculptural object will fulfil its purpose by being viewed, admired and discussed. I think the lines are slightly more blurred when it comes to objects that are recognised as being for a use, such as a bowl or a spoon.
Composition, 2019.
Metal objects - some usable, all functional.
Image by Scott Murray Photography
Perceived function and affordances
The nature of my work in relation to material and process leans towards a decorative focus, however the forms I am drawn to are very uniform or functional in appearance. Through research during my MA Design studies I came across the terms, affordances and false affordances, coined by James J. Gibson in 1966. I was immediately drawn in and began to use these terms to frame some of my work. I was particularly interested in false affordances, for example in my tiny vessels, the suggestion of a base that isn’t there, or a handle too tiny to pick up properly.
Less is more, less is a bore.
A collection of 3 decorative copper vessels with brass handles.
Image by Scott Murray Photography
The fact that my metal objects look so much like a recognisable functional vessel form is obstructed by their scale and their lack of a bottom, which in turn elicits a response from the viewer. I am frequently asked “What are they for?” or “what do they do?” which then begins the conversation. Granted sometimes this conversation is very short, but often the interest has been peaked by this point. The aim with all of my work is to create pieces that the viewer engages with, whether that be through use or simply observation.
Above are a few images of my single copper pots and my collections of 3 with brass handles, that I took last year. Although almost all of them have no bottom, once placed onto a flat surface they are able to contain something small. I enjoy playing with the perception of function in this context and the conversations that it provokes and would love to hear your thoughts.
Thank you for reading my very first blog post, hopefully the first of many.
Melissa
