o b j e c t i f - e y e ▻
TO RECOGNIZE + EXALT THE LAYERED NARRATIVE THAT PRECEDES AN OBJECT'S (OR MOMENT'S) FINAL FORM
AS LEONA CONtinues to expand + evolve, I'VE FOUND MYSELF HABITUALLY SPELLBOUND BY THE NOTION OF 'FINAL FORM' AND THE WAY ITS ELEGANCE OFTEN VEILS THE NARRATIVE THAT PRECEDES IT…
A MOMENT, ART DIRECTED + PHOTOGRAPHED.
AN OBJECT, BEAUTIFULLY PACKAGED + PRISTINE
A COCKTAIL, VESSELED + GARNISHED TO PERFECTION.
A LETTER, RE-WRITTEN IN INK + SIGNED.
[ THIS PAGE, RE-FORMATTED + RE-EXPORTED ♾️ TIMES ]
MY STUDIO IS BRIMMING WITH FAILED ATTEMPTS AT CONJURING ALL THAT COMPRISES LEONA: WORKTABLE PILED HIGH WITH DOZENS OF ITERATIONS OF EACH OBJECT, BROKEN MACHINE NEEDLES GLITTERING IN EVERY PERIPHERAL GLANCE, HARDWOOD FLOOR TURNED FEATHERED CARPET. SEEMINGLY IRRELEVANT WHEN THEIR FINAL FORM IS WELCOMED BY NEW EYES + HANDS, IT'S OFTEN THE ENDEAVORS THAT DIDN'T WORK THAT SHAPE THE SEMBLANCE + STORY OF AN OBJECT THE MOST.
WHILE MANY OF THESE TRIALS WERE OF MY OWN ACCORD, SOME REQUIRED NEW MATERIALS AND WITH THEM, NEW EXPERTISE: I HAD THE PLEASURE OF CO-CONSPIRING WITH A FEW WONDERFULLY SKILLED CHICAGO ARTISTS, EACH A DISTINCT CONDUIT TO MY WHIMSICAL NOTIONS WHOSE WORK DESERVES MORE THAN JUST A MENTION. 'O B J E C T I F — E Y E’ is a SERIES OF GLIMPSES INTO THE PROCESSES BEHIND EACH OBJECT AND THE STORIES THEY AUTHORED INTO ITS FINAL FORM.
THIS glamorous GLASS STRAW began, like most things, AS A GLIMMER IN MY IMAGINATION; A PIPE(ETTE) DREAM KINDLED BY TWO OF MY FAVORITE WORDS:
WHAT IF I COULD SIP MY FAVORITE POTION DIRECTLY FROM THE BOTTLE? OR vampire THE blood OF THE juiciest FRUIT JUST BY INSERTING THE SHARPEST + MOST GLAMOROUS GLASS STRAW?
AND WHAT IF...THERE WAS SOMEONE not only WILLING, but CAPABLE – OF BRINGING SUCH AN INSTRUMENT TO LIFE?
E N T E R
GLASS, WOOD AND METAL ARE WORLDS AWAY FROM THE delicate + pliant MATERIALS I’M ACCUSTOMED TO TO WORKING WITH, SO I WAS DELIGHTED WHEN JON SHAFT OF HP WOODCRAFT AGREED NOT ONLY TO LOOK AT MY SKETCHES OF THIS strange + SURREALIST object, BUT TO bring it to life.
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An experimental Chicago metal + woodworking studio, HP Woodcraft is a collection of stunning mechanical relics and their master; each a product of history and its lovingly painstaking revival. Amidst a bevy of gears oiled to perfection and the constant + melodic whir of myriad belts, the studio surpasses utilitarianism as its owner binds craft with devotion; each piece a conspiratorial expression of his mind + hands: Jon is HP Woodcraft.
It felt compulsory to have the pipette, along with two other LEONA pieces, prototyped + produced by someone whose craft + ethos mirrored mine, and Jon’s patience, dedication and integrity are reflected in every piece from initial iteration to final form. I had the privilege of visiting his studio in person as this trifecta of pieces was created, and to see these objects at various stages of arrival when they had only been figments of my imagination in the months prior was truly a dream come true.
Though my comprehension is remedial when contrasted with his expansive explanations, I’m excited to be able to share a mini tour (-de-force) through each of the pieces Jon created throughout the OBJECTIF-EYE Series. From sketch to sample, each issue will offer a voyeuristic + vicarious peek behind the curtain into the heart of the machine as each piece was realized.
It’s been an absolute privilege + pleasure to work with Jon, as a conduit to my whimsical notions and an honor to Leona.
P I P E T T E
// ‘the narrative of final form’
A BRIEF PEEK AT THE NARRATIVE THAT PRECEDES THE PIPETTE; a glimpse into its evolution from thought to physical form
for a peek into the machines + their master