Still lives

Object 5: The humorous object or gadget

Oliver Smith's point of departure for his objects is Mon Oncle, Jacque Tati's classic portrayal of modern and mechanised life. This is a life filled with a bewildering array of gizmos, gadgets and uber-useful gottahaves. His objects are, as Baudrillard describes, of "functional delusion, operating in a sphere of irrational complexity, obsessive detail, eccentric technicity or gratuitous formalism. In this poly-, para-, hyper-, and meta-functional sphere, the object at its farthest remove from objective determinants, is completely taken over by the imaginary."¹

Smith's objects balance function with humour, and wittily allude to a purpose - straining, stirring, or scooping. Smith's approach to materials is also heavy with irony; he combines industrial materials - rubber, Teflon and Pyrex - with the fine sterling silver of traditional flatware to create his utensils. His objects encourage the viewer to imagine a purpose, and to create for themselves a scenario which would see these stylish objects employed, although the exact nature of this function is never spelled out. To do this, Smith has consciously balanced utility with form to pose the possibility that the objects have a role, but leaves room for the viewer to insert their own life and identity into that of the object.

The gallery setting heightens this slight sense of bewilderment regarding the exact function of the objects: their position on a plinth, as untouchable exhibits in an art museum, instead of as floor stock in a deliberately accessible display on a shop shelf, creates a distance between object and viewer.

• Al Munro
• From the catalogue essay Of lives and objects still
• March 2004

References

1. Baudrillard, Jean, The System of Objects, James Benedict (trans.), Verso, 1996
2. ibid, p113.

• Oliver Smith
• Rear: Trellis Servers 2003
• .925 silver, rubber
• Front: Liquid Carrier 2004
• .925 silver, Delrin, glass, rubber

• Oliver Smith
• Clockwise from front:
• Liquid Carrier 2003, .925 silver, rubber
• Liquid Warmer 2004, .925 silver, delrin, glass, rubber, tealight candle
• Rack 2004, .925 silver, Teflon
• Trellis Servers 2004, .925 silver, rubber
• Strainer 2004, .925 silver, Teflon
• Agitator 2004, .925 silver, Teflon
• Stirrer 2004, .925 silver, Teflon

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