Making Recycled Teacup Chandeliers
I started making chandeliers after finding about 40 facetted glass drops in a pile of rubbish. Initially I thought I couldn’t make a chandelier with them because that would be too obvious, however, I later succumbed and have been making them ever since.
When I started to gather other things to make a structure with, I discovered that all the stuff was right there just waiting for me to assemble it. As I didn’t have much money I searched in charity shops, car boot sales and scrap metal yards. I don’t remember ever making a decision to use kitchen items I just found that they supplied so many useful forms, like circular metal objects - sometimes already with holes in.
I prefer to work with things I’ve found and let their qualities dictate what happens. A piece begins with a really simple set of ideas, a shape, a colour combination and the objects I want to use.
I’ve never used a pastry cutter for pastry or a toast rack for toast but they seem nice jaunty objects with more potential, so I liberate them from their domestic duties by incorporating them in my chandeliers.
I have exhibited in the UK and abroad, the latter including Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland and Japan and have a piece in the British Council collection, which toured in Australia, India and Egypt amongst other places.
I undertake commissions larger than my regular domestic sizes, for bars and shops, clients have included Bar Room Bar for 10 venues, Laura Ashley, Harrods and Triskel Arts in Cork for European City of Culture 2005 where I made a large chandelier during a 3 week residency.
I also run workshops for children based on my recycling work and have run these at Triskel Arts in Cork, Guys Hospital School, Vauxhall City Farm, various secondary schools in London and Australia – the latter for the British Council.
I have also been a visiting lecturer at Somerset College of Art & Design on the Surface Design degree course.
My work has appeared in many publications in the UK and Japan, these include Vogue, World of Interiors, Homes & Gardens, Living Etc., The Saturday Telegraph, The Sunday Times as well as the hardback book Chandeliers by Mitchell Beazley.
Madeleine Boulesteix
Interior Products
2 Carlton Mansions, 387 Coldharbour Lane, London SW9 8QD
T: 0207 737 8171
Contact: Madeleine Boulesteix
info@madeleineboulesteix.co.uk
Forthcoming exhibition
Madeleine will be exhibiting new work at Craft Central from 23rd October – 3rd November 2007