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

Ridged Vessel

Ridged Vessel
2014 (designed and made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Claire Malet is a metal artist of remarkable range and subtlety. Her work arises from her intimacy with the characteristics of steel, copper, gold and silver from her closeness to the transient forms and textures of the natural world. From these she creates exquisite pieces of astonishing delicacy, depth and power.

After a career managing community arts projects Claire Malet returned to college as a mature student seeking a fresh start and a new way to realise her creative ideas. She had worked in several mediums previously but never before in metal. She soon found that it offered endless expressive possibilities. She graduated from Hereford College of Art in 2005 with a BA Honours in Contemporary Applied Art.
She is particularly drawn to vessel forms, both organic and manmade. In her artist’s statement she has written:

“Vessels are one of the most basic and universal of objects, in daily mundane use and playing vital roles at occasions of celebration and honour. `Vessels’ found in nature, for example catching the eye of the beachcomber, have done their job, briefly becoming relics before decay continues the constant cycle of production. My current steel pieces explore ideas of production, transformation and perceived value; each piece is worked from a reclaimed steel can which is `transformed’ into a `precious’ vessel.”


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleRidged Vessel (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Steel, cut, raised and pierced with applied copper leaf and 23 carat red gold, subsequently oxidised.
Brief description
Ridged vessel, steel with applied copper leaf and 23 carat red gold, England, Herefordshire, Bredenbury, designed and made by Claire Malet, 2014.
Physical description
Ridged Vessel formed from a reclaimed steel food can, the vessel rises from a slighly domed base with flared walls. One side is has a deep, "V" shaped cut. The walls of the vessel are perforated with a swirling pattern of cut holes, the rim a jagged edge, achieved with a blow torch. The interior is lined with 23 carat red gold leaf, the exterior with copper leaf subsequently oxidised by applying a flame.
Dimensions
  • Height: 11cm
  • Width: 8cm (maximum)
  • Depth: 6.5cm
Style
Production typeLimited edition
Credit line
Supported by The Friends of the V&A
Object history
A similar example was acquired by the Manchester City Art Gallery in 2014.
Summary
Claire Malet is a metal artist of remarkable range and subtlety. Her work arises from her intimacy with the characteristics of steel, copper, gold and silver from her closeness to the transient forms and textures of the natural world. From these she creates exquisite pieces of astonishing delicacy, depth and power.

After a career managing community arts projects Claire Malet returned to college as a mature student seeking a fresh start and a new way to realise her creative ideas. She had worked in several mediums previously but never before in metal. She soon found that it offered endless expressive possibilities. She graduated from Hereford College of Art in 2005 with a BA Honours in Contemporary Applied Art.
She is particularly drawn to vessel forms, both organic and manmade. In her artist’s statement she has written:

“Vessels are one of the most basic and universal of objects, in daily mundane use and playing vital roles at occasions of celebration and honour. `Vessels’ found in nature, for example catching the eye of the beachcomber, have done their job, briefly becoming relics before decay continues the constant cycle of production. My current steel pieces explore ideas of production, transformation and perceived value; each piece is worked from a reclaimed steel can which is `transformed’ into a `precious’ vessel.”
Collection
Accession number
M.8-2014

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Record createdMay 12, 2014
Record URL
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