You may remember back in W94* we commissioned the British artist James Hopkins to create two unique installations. Six months later and we’re every bit as enamoured with 'Love Seat', his new creation.
Hopkins' work challenges the way we view familiar, everyday objects and this is the driving idea behind 'Love Seat'.
'I noticed the shape of some chairs was similar to the letters of the alphabet,' Hopkins says, ‘and by removing certain sections from the chairs I could reveal a message that commented on the possibilities of the chair's function. Love is the hidden meaning but we don't see that initially because we choose to see what is first presented to the mind, in this case the chairs,’ he explains.
With such a strong element of design in many of Hopkins' pieces, we can't help but wonder if he might lend his creative skills to the world of product design? 'I think it is good to keep an open mind to any invitations but I think the most successful crossovers between creative disciplines happen naturally. Even though my work often contains design elements, ironically they work in opposition to accommodating the body. My favourite part of the 'Love Seat' sculpture is the letter O because on that chair the seat is missing.’
Hidden meanings, surprises and optical illusions are rife in Hopkins' work so it's no surprise to learn what his chosen profession would be, were he not a designer: 'I'd be a magician, of course.'
INFORMATION
James Hopkins is participating in the group show Space Oddity at the Cosmic Gallery; 4 May to 7 July, Wednesday to Saturday, 2 to 7 pm.
- Website
- http://www.cosmicgalerie.com
- Telephone
- Tel: 33.1 42 71 72 73
- Address
- Cosmic Gallery 7-9 rue de l’Équerre Paris
