Hand-made embellishment using 100% used (and cleaned!) plastic bottles & packaging.
Plastics lying around are just the tip of the iceberg. Despite vast recycling systems in place across the UK, even the ‘widely recyclable’ PET plastic bottles often do not obtain their recyclable promise. I'd like to show how value can be added to the most ubiquitous materials, even when using the very simplest of tools and processes.
A quick guide to plasticwork components, each piece may be hand-crafted to desired dimensions. Due to existing clear PET plastic, there is a natural variation in shades, which can be altered when manipulated. The clear, strong, and lightweight properties of water bottles make them a useful waste stream for embroidery.
Plasticwork bag
Coronation Coat of Arms
The Royal Arms we see today have evolved over nine centuries. My updated version can be seen as an allegory to commemorate a historic occasion, which marks a new era; a time in which we are focusing on the fragility of our world. As it secretly slips into the coronation year (2023), it gently hacks traditional Goldwork embroidery, and exaggerates paradoxes of value.
The main element of the Royal Arms is the shield, which is divided into four quarters (see diagram). The monarch's initials and crown jewels, symbolising the coronation year of a new king, occupy the first and fourth quarters, the universal recycling symbol in the second quarter, and our planet in the third. The lion and the unicorn supporting the shield represent England and Scotland respectively. Whilst lions represent royalty, nobility and strength, unicorns represent magic above all else. This sense of optimism sits at the heart of the design.
