Bloom, cabinet
2018
Medium
Oak (Quercus sp.), White Maple (Acer saccharinum), dyed rye straw
Measurements
163.5 × 140.5 × 46.5 cm (closed)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, Victorian Foundation for Living Australian Artists, 2018
© Adam Goodrum
Gallery location
Gallery 9
Level 2, NGV Australia
About this work
Bloom cabinet fuses industrial design with centuries-old craft traditions. Inspired by a lotus in bloom, its vivid façade is formed from 4,320 pieces of hand-dyed rye straw from Burgundy, France, meticulously applied through the demanding technique of straw marquetry – a process requiring more than 400 hours of labour. Rather than treating craft as nostalgic or precious, the work initiates Goodrum and Seigneur’s ongoing inquiry into the critical relevance of the handmade within contemporary material culture. Its dialogue between historical technique and modern design reframes value as residing not only in the finished object, but also in the labour, collaboration and cultural lineage that shape it.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
Sydney, New South Wales
Inscription
engraved in brass plate on rear l.r.: BLOOM / A&A / 2010 1/1
Accession Number
2018.1314
Department
Contemporary Design and Architecture