Empty Café - 'Brickwork'

Last week, in my Empty Café - 'Stools' post I mentioned a second part of my investigation into a project based on an image of a café at Trafalgar Square that was completely empty in the middle of the day. After focusing on the stools, this post is about the brickwork on the plinth at the background.

The picture above reveals two samples; one made out of yarn and the other out of wire. It seems to be a tradition that my first trial
is with a yarn (to make sure) and then I reach for a wire.

On the left is my wire sample that I then joined into a cylindrical shape. Standing alone it actually looks already quite interesting but what is its purpose?

Well, I guess it is given by the shape. Therefore I put it on my finger and...

...yes, it is a ring but how to shape it? It is too long reaching over my knuckle and like this it is getting into the movement of the finger.

Luckily, the pattern of the brickwork allows certain flexibility. This is why I worked with this characteristic but first I had to decide on the face of the ring. The one on the left or the right...

...I decided for the right one. This is where I joined my sample and unwittingly created a decoration - rather rough but why not?

After shaping it around my finger I pinned it on the opposite side of the decoration to clear space for free movement of the finger and the whole palm.

I must say that even though it is quite chunky it is not in a way at all. Yes, it is quite fun to wear.

Looking back at my original picture of the plinth at the background of the empty café I simply could not ignore the row of red menus on the tables. Indeed, they found their way into this project.

I made another ring, this time without the joining 'decoration'. Instead I used small red beads to represent the menus.

The picture on the left shows the tube in the shape of my finger. (I shaped it by closely following/modelling around my finger).

As seen on the picture on the right, my fingers are bend aiming for making a fist.


What I like about the brickwork pattern is its flexibility. It does let you shape accordingly and the pattern allows free movement of the fingers. It stretches or squeezes the way one desires and is also incredibly light, the way a ring should be.

This was another journey from a photograph to a design piece, this time two rings. And again, what a fun that was.

K-)