University of Brighton graduate Ellie Birkhead has developed a collection of handmade brushes with ambiguous functions to draw attention to declining trades in the UK.
The Brushes collection, which includes a double-headed brush, a circular brush with bristles pointing towards its centre, and a brush that fits onto a fingertip, was developed to draw attention to the declining brush-making industry in the UK. Chesham in Buckinghamshire, once known as the capital of brush-making is now home to just one manufacturer dedicated to handmade brushes.
“I began my project by looking into threatened crafts in Britain,” Ellie told coadg. “After doing some research I came across Chesham’s only remaining brush-maker, R.Russell. I had planned to continue looking into other regional crafts, but I became fascinated by the ubiquity of the humble brush and its seemingly endless diversification into specific uses.”
Ellie’s research found that the brush-making industry is one of the most specialised and diverse in the world – the average household owns 38 brushes. Many of her designs, which are all hand-made from traditional beech and hog bristle, combine the functions of existing brushes to form something new, such as the chimney sweep brush on the radiator brush handle, or the double-headed computer keyboard brush. The resulting confused functionality of something usually so specialist was absolutely intentional. “My aim was to create forms that were unusual and ambiguous, yet familiar enough that the user would question the use of these brushes as opposed to seeing them as non-functional art-like items,” she says.
But despite her intentions to subvert convention, it seems the ever diverse brush industry is one step ahead of her. “Since returning to the brush-makers with my designs, they are not quite as conceptual as I thought; many of my designs, or something very similar are actually in production – an extremely similar design to my round brush is used for wrapping Easter eggs in foil!”
“I hope my brushes allow people to think differently about brushes and recognise their value and abundance in our everyday lives. Lastly I hope my brush collection will give a narrative to the many threatened crafts and trades that are on the decline in Britain.”
Ellie’s brushes can be seen at London’s Mint as part of the gallery’s Twisting Tradition exhibition.
Further reading for the especially geeky:
- interview :: made by michael
- interview :: nordvink
- interview :: james molkenthin
- interview :: richard hardy
