BOTTLETOP ARTIST
I like to create pieces that have different 'layers' of interest. At a distance, intricate designs on the tops have more of a tonal effect on the top's predominant hue, allowing broad spectrums of colour, tone and reflection to juxtapose within the whole piece
I think the shiny, metallic, colourful, jewel-like qualities of bottle-tops that attracted me initially are still a core part of what attracts me to them now, but in an artistic sense, I find they offer much else besides.
The photos on this do not do justice to the 3-D quality of the pieces. The relief effect, the shadows and reflections through changing light, the buckling of some tops as they've been removed from bottles, the dynamic negative space between the irregular, crimped edges of the bottle-tops are important aspects of these art-works.
Closer inspection of the individual bottle-tops can reveal the back stories of the origin of certain tops; perhaps particular brands of beer, or tops that are unique to a regional brewery, or a far distant shore, connect someone to a piece.
Although these pieces may appear to be abstract, there is always a deliberate orientation present. I always like to add a deliberate 'wrong-un' which I challenge everyone to find, in which the orientation of a particular bottletop is in the opposite direction to those in its linear or circular group.
A great deal of preparation goes into the design process as a whole.
Before designing, I collect, clean and systematically arrange the bottletops into carefully chosen groups depending on colour and brand.
The organisation and attention to detail when categorising each bottle top is crucial for efficiency and creativity as works progress.
I am always on the look out for spectacular and original bottle tops. The individual designs between each bottletop contributes to this 'art within art' and I love the imagery concentrated into a circular space no more than an inch wide. Each different bottletop gives a picture within a picture adding a whole new layer of interest.
As a result, there is scope within commissioned pieces to make deeply personal artworks. The designs on each top tell to the story of their original place and purpose, where I collected them from and their connections to people in the finished work.
This personal factor can be seen notably with tops I've collected, from regional areas, to national brands and the rarer and quirky international collection of bottle tops I am trying to build.
Currently, I have bottletops from, (eternal thank yous to everyone who helps me with this) the following countries countries: UK, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Turkey, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, South Africa, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Nicaragua, Bahamas and the United States.
