The Joint as Object: An Introduction to My Joinery Research

With support from a bursary from a–n The Artists Information Company, I am developing a body of research centred on one question: how can the join become central to my sculptural language?

The project develops cast, modular joining systems that allow larger works to be assembled, disassembled and reconfigured without permanent fixings. The joint is treated as visible structure — not a concealed solution, but a formal and conceptual presence.

The research draws on furniture joinery from High Wycombe in the 1960s and 70s — including systems developed by G-Plan, Ercol and E. Gomme — and reinterprets these principles through Jesmonite, concrete, paper and embedded magnetic mechanisms.

Furniture logic intersects with architectural influence, particularly the material weight and spatial clarity of Brutalist buildings such as the Barbican Centre.

Focus

• Develop cast modular joints for large-scale configurations

• Translate historical joinery into contemporary sculptural systems

• Test how modern materials perform in structural roles

• Balance architectural weight with adaptability

This phase prioritises testing over finished objects. Prototyping, casting and failure form the method.

Research and Process

Archival research into factory drawings, catalogues and production methods informs hands-on experimentation: digital join design, laser-cut prototypes, silicone mould-making, casting, magnetic embedding and durability testing. Designs are repeatedly revised in response to material behaviour.

Professional Development

Mentoring with Rosalind Davis supported the articulation and positioning of the work, strengthening the artist statement and professional networks alongside studio development.

Direction

The project establishes a structural foundation for modular, site-responsive sculpture. The developed systems enable standing forms, reconfigurable wall works and adaptable components. At this stage, the joins remain closer to furniture scale than architecture, but they are deliberately enlarged beyond my previous work — a controlled escalation rather than a leap.

My aim for this project is to position joinery not as a technical solution to be hidden, but as an active participant in how sculpture occupies space.