Tulipmania

My work addresses the traditional, domestic form of the Dutch tulip vase through the design of a dynamic, visual vocabulary that reinvents the form. The Dutch tulip vase was of its height of popularity in the 17th century when the tulip flower became an extremely high-priced Turkish import. People went crazy for these delicate, impermanent and unique flowers. The vases were designed with small spouts to individually hold each expensive rarity within a larger, extravagant form. When the flowers were removed, the vase itself was displayed as a centerpiece. I have redesigned the Dutch tulip vase with innovation, elegance and play so that the focus is on the interaction between the vibrant flower and the abstract form. The vase and flower work in tandem to create an expressive, complimentary yet minimalist silhouette. Latex, cork, gold leaf, Crayola Model Magic and a variety of untraditional ceramic materials comprise this body of work, which plays upon our expectations of how a material is used and how a vase is interpreted.

Materials: Earthenware, tulips, latex paint, cork, gold leaf, balloons, Crayola Model Magic